The Red Keep
"FIND THEM! Find those two Northern wenches NOW!" Cersei screamed as guards rushed through the halls of the keep. To say that Cersei Lannister was furious was like saying the Narrow Sea was wet.
Her worry about the ongoing civil war was a constant struggle for her nerves, particularly where it concerned the safety of her two eldest sons. She still clung to the decreasing hope that William would lose the war and that it would end with neither of her children harmed.
That worry had crossed into anger after learning that Arya Stark had been in her father's custody for several weeks already. She had not recognized the girl when Tywin brought her to court and was shocked at seeing that the girl she had dismissed as a common-looking tomboy had become what could now be considered an attractive young woman... not only that, but one that so closely resembled Lyanna Stark, the wolf bitch that had got her Rhaegar killed and then had ruined what should have been her perfect marriage to a king. It had infuriated her that Arya was pretty much a living embodiment of the woman Cersei despised more than any other.
Then, that opinion had changed, and Cersei found herself despising Arya Stark much more than she could ever hate the girl's aunt. Not only had she bewitched William, not only had she humilliated her Joffrey, she had then gone and humilliated her by proving she knew more about William than his mother did, at which point she had been close to order the damned bitch's head cut off. And now, she secretly hoped that one of the guards would 'accidentally' kill Arya Stark as they attempted to apprehend her.
In another hallway, Arya was trying to drag her sister by the hand while both ran as fast as they could. However, Sansa was not anywhere near as fit as Arya, and soon she was gasping for more breath and respite. They could not do that, because both could easily hear the sounds of guards as they closed in on them.
"Damn it to Oblivion! Come on, Sansa!" Arya urged her sister.
"Sorry... I'm... tiring..." Sansa replied between gasps.
Just a little further. We need to make it to the catacombs! Arya thought, and just then, their luck ran out when they reached a T-junction.
"There they are!" came a shout from a group of a dozen soldiers to their right, a group led by two Kingsguards: Ser Osmund Kettleblack, a former sellsword who had been given the white cloak shortly after Ser Boros Blount's death to Grandmaster Delphine, and Ser Mandon Moore.
"Damn," Arya whispered as she pulled Sansa to the left hallway. However, it only took a few steps in for another man, flanked by two Lannister men, to appear into the corridor: Ser Meryn Trant, hobbling on a crutch, glaring at Arya.
"Well, well. If it isn't the brute who likes to kneel before false boy kings," Arya remarked in disdain as she tried to figure out a way out of their predicament: already, she could see Kettleblack, Moore and the other Lannister men now casually moving closer, believing Arya and Sansa were trapped.
Had it been just her, Arya would have taken her chances: Trant would be easy, and she could hold off the two Lannisters for long enough to escape down the corridor. But, with Sansa next to her, that tactic was too risky.
And any option of charging through was taken away as five more guards appeared in the hallway behind Meryn Trant, all of them wearing Lannister helmets and cloaks.
"I'm going to make you pay for insulting me, you little northern bitch," Meryn Trant growled as he hobbled forward, followed by the men behind him.
Arya glared back as she shifted into a stance: she was not going to be taken again without a fight. Sansa, in the meantime, felt bad about this: surely, if they had been faster, they could have probably escaped.
"I'm not afraid of you, Trant. I bet you will be running soon like you did the last time you tried to capture me," Arya taunted. Trant had murder on his face, and he continued to hobble forward as fast as he could, and as he tried to unsheathe his sword...
Squelch!
Meryn Trant stopped where he was, and his face turned into shock and pain as a the tip of a sword – a katana, Arya realized – made its way out of the Kingsguard's chest, and the same happened to the two guards flanking Trant. As Arya stared in bewilderment, the three men fell dead as the swords were retrieved, and the five Lannister men – all of them armed with katanas – dropped their cloaks and removed their helmets, revealing their Blades Armor underneath.
"Ser Barristan! Captain Renault!" Arya exclaimed in joy as the five Blades stepped forward and placed themselves between the Stark girls and their enemies.
"You will not harm neither Princess Arya nor Lady Sansa," Barristan declared, glaring at the two knights in front of him.
"You are all traitors, and will die traitors' deaths," Ser Mandon shot back as he, Ser Osmund and the soldiers readied themselves to a fight.
"Princess, I believe these are yours," Baurus said as he held out two swords to Arya: Ice Fang and Needle, to her joy. She immediately dropped the sword and tied both sheaths to their place on her waist, while Sansa stepped back, watching in worry as the Lannister men approached.
Ser Mandon went straight for Ser Barristan, obviously thinking to putting an end to his former Lord Commander. The Kingsguard sent a flurry of blows, but Ser Barristan easily proved why he still was one of the greatest knights in Westeros by deflecting each blow while giving ground, allowing Ser Mandon to waste his energy and overexert himself. Soon, Ser Mandon overstretched, opening himself for Barristan's rising slash into his sword arm, and then being finished with decapitation.
Renault, meanwhile, was fighting with Kettleblack, and as she ducked under his swing she delivered her own slash to his thigh. All of a sudden, he tackled her, trying to take advantage of his larger size, and their scuffle sent them crashing into Arya and one of the soldiers. Arya fell on her right side, her hand holding Needle on the floor. As she tried to stand back up, a foot came down and caught Needle at an angle against the floor, sundering the thin blade.
Arya was left in brief shock as the soldier got back to his feet, but that was all he could do before she quickly twisted Needle's broken edge into a gap in the armor, following through with Ice Fang to finish the soldier off.
A disgusting crack sound out behind her, and Arya turned around to see Renault had just broken Kettleblack's neck, while the rest of the soldiers were quickly finished by the Blades. They would be in the clear for now, but they all knew the fighting would soon attract even more guards.
"Baurus, go!" Renault ordered, and her partner quickly ran ahead, to make sure their exit plan was clear.
"My Princess, Lady Sansa, are you two well?" Ser Barristan asked.
"I'm fine. Shaken, but fine. I'm glad you arrived in time, Ser Barristan," Sansa replied as she approached her sister, who was staring in sadness at her broken Needle.
"It seems like you were on your way to escape when we found you."
"Yes. It was Arya that got us out, but we would not have made it without you."
"Good. I will be able to repay my debt to your family."
"What do you mean, Ser Barristan? What debt?" Sansa asked, confused.
"I should have helped your father when he tried to proclaim the Black Prince as King, but I did not. Saving you and the Princess will be my debt of atonement," Ser Barristan explained with sadness, and Sansa's face fell at the mention of her father.
"We cannot tarry, we need to move," Renault declared. "Lady Sansa, stay close to Glenroy and Acilius. Barristan and I will stay close to Princess Arya. Let's go."
The note of disdain in the Knight-Captain's voice shook Arya out of her sadness, and when she looked over at Renault, she was taken aback at seeing a hint of resentment in Renault's eyes before the Knight-Captain turned to lead the way out of the Red Keep. Arya was confused, but she followed her anyway.
Their quick but quiet advance through the Red Keep was halted when Knight-Brother Baurus met them at a run.
"Our escape route is blocked off, Captain," Baurus reported. "There are too many men to risk fighting through."
"We'll have to find an alternate route, then," Barristan replied, and Arya's eyes lit up.
"Through the catacombs! That's where Sansa and I were trying to go before we met you!"
"I'm not sure if that's a good idea, my Princess," Baurus said. "The catacombs are a maze, and I don't know the path out of the keep."
"I found the way before, it leads out of the city. I can get you all through the catacombs," Arya insisted.
"Whatever we do, we must decide quickly, I hear guards approaching!" Knight-Brother Glenroy called from the rear.
"Fine, we'll follow the princess," Renault said, and her tone shocked Arya again. However, she knew it was not time to start asking questions, and soon stepped forward to guide the group.
On their way, at least twice had Renault hold them up, urging silence as a group of guards passed close by; much to their fortune, every time the guards went in a different direction, and the group avoided detection. Finally reaching the entrance that she had found so long ago, Arya smiled when she saw the large dragon skull she had found so long ago. Sansa, who had never seen anything similar, had gasped in shock.
"It is this way," Arya stated as she led the way down the passage she knew would lead out of the city.
"I hope you are right, Princess. It would be a shame to call all this way, only to get lost in this place," Renault sullenly remarked.
"Captain," Acillus tried to warn her.
"What is wrong, Captain Renault?" Arya demanded, wanting to know the answer. "You've been acting like this from the moment we met up there. What is with your grumpy attitude?"
"My grumpy attitude?" Renault glared back as she stepped face to face with Arya. "Have you forgotten what you did? To me, to my Blades at Harrenhal?"
Arya felt crushed, as she realized why Renault was so angry with her.
Arya yawned as she woke up in the Legionary Camp outside Harrenhal. Will had left the previous day for Storm's End, to negotiate with the Tyrells and his uncle Renly, and already she missed him. After cleaning up, getting dressed and grabbing her swords, she headed out of her tent to start her morning sword lessons, upon which moment she was greeted by an unit of Blades led by Captain Renault.
"Princess Arya, my company of Blades and I have been ordered by the Black Prince to be your protectors."
"What, really? Are you sure this is necessary? I mean, I've never needed any bodyguards before," Arya replied.
"While it is true you've never had any bodyguards directly protecting you, the Black Prince feels that, while he is not around, you require people serving and protecting you," Renault explained.
"Well... that is alright, then."
Arya had often had guards around her in the past, but that was when she was with her father or with Will. This was the first time she had someone protecting her and following her almost everywhere she went.
Much to her chagrin, Renault and her fellow Blades were like shadows to Arya, and they accompanied her everywhere she went, from her sword lessons with Syrio, to her military lessons with General Tullius to her alone time in her tent, which could not really be called alone time anymore.
"Is everything well, my Princess?" Renault asked her once, when she saw Arya sigh.
"Yes, it's just... I'm not used to having bodyguards follow me everywhere," Arya admitted. "I mean, I have had guards around before, but... never shadows."
"I know that we seem like an inconvenience, my Princess, but one can never know when a threat will appear. The Black Prince chose us to make sure no one could threaten you, and we will give our lives, if necessary, to ensure your safety," Renault replied, hoping she could provide some explanation and encouragement. "Don't worry, before long, you won't really notice our presence as much."
In spite of Renault's words, she never got used to the constant presence of her bodyguards. Being a noble and all the responsibilities that came with it had never fallen well with her, and having bodyguards following her everywhere was a constant reminder of her status. She knew she might become Queen when Will won, but she still wanted to go out and get away from being important, from the special privileges that came from being a noble.
So, wanting to relive the times when she could do that as a child, one day she decided to sneak out of the back of her tent and join one of the Legion patrols. She would still have protectors around, in the form of Legionaries, but they would not be breathing down her neck.
It would be an hour before Renault realized something wrong was going on: Arya had spent too long in that tent, longer than usual. So she looked in the tent and was aghast when she realized Arya had disappeared.
"I... I know that what I did was outright stupid..." Arya said, but then Renault interrupted her, her eyes blazed with anger.
"Outright stupid is too small to define what you did! We thought you had been kidnapped, that someone had slipped into the camp and stolen you right from under our noses! I feared I had failed my duty and dishonored myself... but then we discovered you had just left, and that made it feel even worse! And then, you were captured by some random Lannister patrol because of mere chance, and they didn't even know it. And you would have never been captured if we'd been there to protect you!"
"Renault!" Barristan interrupted, standing next to his fellow Knight-Captain. "Regardless of your personal feelings, you must remember your oaths and duty."
"Duty is the only reason I agreed to accept this mission! Duty to the Black Prince, not to Princess Arya, and if it wasn't for that duty, I would have chosen to commit seppuku instead of joining this mission!" Renault shot back.
Arya's mouth dropped: she knew what seppuku was, and the fact that Renault would have preferred to kill herself than come here was shocking.
"But... why?"
"Akaviri blood flows through my veins. We value duty and honor above all. We stopped serving the Targaryens because they forgot their duty, and we chose to serve Prince William because he understood duty and was worthy of our service. When he chose me and my company to protect you, I was honored at the fact that he placed his trust in us, and I was honored to protect you with my life, if need be. An honor that you spat on, like it was a pile of shit, when you abandoned us because of your own selfish reasons!
"I may understand that you have never liked responsibility in your life, but I would have thought that, at least, you would understand the duty that comes with your position. Your actions proved that you don't which makes you unworthy of the Blades' service!" Renault accused.
Arya could only stare back for a moment before lowering her head, unwilling to keep facing Renault's furious eyes. She had admired them for years... and now, because of her dumb mistake, she had insulted them in a way that they would despise more than anything else.
"Renault, you are taking this too far," Ser Barristan started to say, but Arya interrupted him.
"No, Captain Selmy. Captain Renault is right."
Everyone looked at Arya, shocked at what she had just said, while she turned away and stared at the giant dragon skull, as she started to speak.
"I made a mistake. I spat on Renault and her fellow Blades' honor. I may not have realized it, but this does not excuse my mistake," Arya admitted. "I wanted to get away, because I have never liked being noble or having to follow all the etiquette of being a proper lady. I wanted to pursue a life of my own choosing. But then I fell in love with Will.
"I know that I want to be with him, stay side by side with him as we face every challenge that life puts in our way. But that means I have to become a princess, and then a queen, and accept all the duties and responsibilities that come with it. And, even now, I struggle to think against what that reality will require of me." She sighed, and turned back to the others.
"I've made my choice. I still want to be with Will, even if I have to give up the dreams I once wanted to pursue. I've been running away from that, but no more. After everything I have learned, seen, and come to realize over these past months, I know that I need to take my duty as Will's future wife seriously." She tehn turned to Renault. "I was a fool, and you have every right to be angry with me. I will do whatever I can to pay back for my slight, and when we get out of these catacombs, you only need to ask, and I will make sure you get assigned to whichever position you want, so that you won't have to waste your time on me."
After that, Arya turned again and started to lead the way out, silently followed by the other people in the group, all of whom had been rather surprised by Arya's declaration, none so more than Renault, who looked taken aback at Arya's words, and held hope that maybe this would turn the girl into someone she could respect.
As for Sansa, she had never heard her sister speak with such maturity before: always, she had thought of her sister as childish, but that was no longer the case: war had changed her a lot. Following her sister along the underground passageway, Sansa was glad to see that there were no Lannisters or Gold Cloaks around them. Either they were combing through the Red Keep and had not though to search here, or they had just not got to it yet. Either way, she began to feel as though things might get better for them all.
As if to mock her, something happened.
CRAROOOM!
Everyone stumbled as a tremor seemed to pass through the castle. Earthquakes were known to happen, but King's Landing had never seen one in its entire existence. Everyone glanced at the ceiling in confusion.
"W-what was that?" Sansa asked, fearing.
"I'm not sure, my Lady," Glenroy answered.
"I've got a bad feeling about this," Arya remarked.
Sometime earlier, outskirts of King's Landing
William's breath was coming out in tired gasps. He wanted nothing more than to lay down and sleep, even if it meant sleeping on the hard ground, but instead he kept himself sitting on Shadow's back as he watched the Reachmen finish preparations to advance.
"Here, my Prince," Delphine said as she handed him a large waterskin.
"What? Not now, Delphine, we are in the middle of the battle..."
"In which you will be of no use if you collapse again. Drink and recover some strength!" Delphine demanded, speaking not as his bodyguard, but as his mentor. William sighed and drunk from the waterskin as General Tullius continued to shout orders at his men.
On the Legion's lines, the First was formed at the left flank, facing towards the city and knowing of the risks coming from that way; the Second stood at the right flank, ready to meet the Reachmen, and the Fifth formed at the center, prepared to fight both the Lannisters and the Tyrells.
As for the latter, Lord Mace commanded the right flank, while Randyll Tarly had been tasked with the left, and both Garland and Loras Tyrell led the Reach's cavalry.
"Ser Garland! Wait for my signal, then take the cavalry and deal with the Legion's cavalry. Once you have dealt with them you'll be free to flank the Legions themselves!" Lord Tarly ordered.
"Understood," Garland replied before riding away to join his men.
Back in the Legions' lines, William took another gulp of water before he paused and stared intently at his enemy. It only took him a moment to read into their maneuvers.
"Right... they plan to go for our right," William said before turning to shout. "Tullius! They are going to commit themselves to crushing our right flank!"
"Our cavalry is strong," Tullius commented as he, too, observed the enemy, "but the Reach's cavalry heavily outnumbers ours."
"The Fifth Legion is at full strength. Take some men from there and have them form up before our cavalry."
"Begging your pardon, my Prince, but the Fifth is forming our center. That could weaken our center."
"It's a risk we'll have to take, Tullius. The Fifth can afford to send men elsewhere on the battlefield, and it is the Tyrell's center that Stannis will strike at with his men. Three cohorts should be sufficient for this task," William ordered. "And try to keep them out of sight, we don't need the enemy to see what we're up to."
"As you command, my Prince."
Soon after, the Centurions were moving along the Fifth Legion, giving orders. Every third man was told the same thing.
"Form up behind the right wing, keep out of sight."
As they received their orders, the chosen men crouched down and moved behind their brethren until they could begin to walk to the right flank: the night sky above them helped to keep them concealed as they marched as silently as possible. Soon, the three cohorts were in place, and crouching down so they would remain unseen by the Reach until it was time.
Not a momento too soon, either, because just then the call to advance sounded out from the Reach's lines, as the Gate of the Gods opened to allow thousands of Lannister troops to form their lines, their left flank meeting up with the Reach's right, thus sealing up the gap before they marched.
"Kevan! Have a detachment of our troops form up to protect our rear, in case Stannis tries to attack us," Tywin ordered.
"Yes, my lord," Kevan replied to his brother, and he immediately sent a courier to warn the appropiate person. Soon, the Lannisters were ready as well.
"Advance!" Tywin ordered, and tens of thousands of men marched to meet William's troops.
"Legions! Prepare for combat!" Tullius shouted, and the Legions answered.
"AHOO! AHOO!" they all chanted, bashing their shields and weapons together to cause as much noise as possible.
"Archers! Loose!" William ordered... and soon the night sky was full of arrows shot by the Legions' powerful longbows. Hidden by darkness, the first volley reaped the unprepared Lannister and Tyrell forces, hundreds falling dead or dying. After that, those men quickly raised their shields as they continued to advance, but there were too many gaps, and many more arrows from the Legions found their mark.
It was soon that the three armies were close enough, and Tywin Lannister and Randyll Tarly gave the order to charge. Those who followed the Lion and the Rose increased their speed, letting out their war cry, to which the Legions responded by throwing their javelins at the enemy and charging as well.
With a mighty crash, the armies slammed into each other, and men and women fought for their lives and for the city.
William contemplated the battlefield, knowing that victory could depend on the smallest of details, and that any turn could bring him either victory or defeat. And it was the right flank where it would all depend on. With that in mind...
"My Blades, get ready for combat. We're joining our cavalry on the right flank!" William ordered.
"NO!" Delphine shouted back. "You're barely able to hold onto your saddle, much less in condition to fight in this battle!"
"Then, be my sword arm, Grandmaster Delphine, as you have always been," William replied. "Give me the flag, so that you know where I am."
Delphine stared at William for a second before grinding her teeth, much like Stannis would have done, and then she drew her sword, with her fellow Blades following suit.
"All of you, form tight around our Prince!" she ordered. "No one reaches him! If you get hurt, hurt them back! If you get killed... walk it off!"
As a squire quickly handed William his standard, the Blades formed around their King, so as to protect him to the best of their ability. William hooked the standard in a pouch on his stirrups, and soon the group rode to join the Legionary cavalry. And, as they did, the Legion began to chant, his presence giving them courage and strength.
"The Black Prince! The Black Prince!"
On the other side of the field, Lord Tarly saw that the infantry was tightly locked in combat, and as the Legions did not budge an inch despite the larger enemy they were facing, ordered his trumpeter to signal Garlan to attack the Legion's right flank.
The second son of Mace Tyrell was about to give the order to advance, when he started to hear the Legions chanting, and then he spotted the reason for the chanting.
"The Black Prince..." Garlan murmured, knowing that they had the chance to put an end to the war. "Men of the Reach, advance!"
"Legions!" William did his best to yell to his men. "Have no fear! Charge!"
The two cavalry forces rushed forth, ready to bring battle to their opponents. The thundering hooves of the horses and the war cries of the men riding them roared loudly for all to hear. And then, the sound was drowned out by the mighty crash between the heavy horsement of the Reach and the Legions.
The magically forged katanas of the Blades cut through armor, flesh and bone alike as their wielders carved their path through the Reachmen's center. Lances from the Knights of the Reach punched through Legionary cavalrymen. The heavy spears of the Legions impaled the knights, sending them flying from their horses.
In a different situation, the much larger force of the Reach might have carried the day as they continued to strike at the Legion, some even making it through their entire line. However, behind the horse was the foot, and the Legionary infantry placed behind the cavalry charged into the fray, using their javelins to great effect, spooking horses and stabbing knights. The Legionaries were turning the odds in their favour.
Closer to the city, Stannis and his Stormlanders finally made their way around the city to reach the battlefield, and they started to increase their pace towards the Lannister-Tyrell rear, where Kevan's forces awaited for them to act.
"For the Black Prince!" Stannis shouted as he charged.
"FOR THE BLACK PRINCE!" yelled the men of the Stormlands as they followed their lord, clashing with the Lannister troops.
The Lannister levies were probably among the best armed and trained soldiers in the Seven Kingdoms, largely due to the wealth that the Lannisters commanded. However, the Stormlands were a tough place to live in: with a land where heavy rains and winds were the norm, and a long history of facing enemies from the south, the west and the north, the Stormlanders were among the toughest fighters in the Seven Kingdoms, and Lannister gold would not change the fact that they were in for a hard fight.
Back on the Tyrell's left flank, Garlan had just struck a Legionary when he managed to spot the Black Prince, surrounded by his Blades, who allowed none to get through to reach him. Flanked by some of his own knights and his brother, Garlan rode forward, not stopping until they were right in front the Blades. A small pause fell where they were as the battle continued to rage around them.
"I challenge you, Black Prince! Come and face me!" Garlan shouted at William.
William met Garlan's gaze. Loras may have been one of the most renowned fighters in the Reach, since he had participated in many tourneys, but William was aware that Garlan was considered to be better than his younger brother: while the latter joined tournaments, the former trained by fighting three men at once, much like William did when training with the Blades.
"If the circumstances were different, Ser Garlan, I would accept, but in my current state I fear I cannot," William replied, making Garlan blink as he took in William's heavy breathing and swaying in his saddle.
"Are you ill, Black Prince? And still you entered the battlefield?"
"Not ill, just exhausted. Summoning a storm takes a lot, you understand," William revealed, shocking Garlan to the core.
"That was you?" he said, pointing to the Blackwater Bay.
"Yes, at the cost of my strength," William replied, causing Loras to smirk.
"He's weakened," the Knight of Flowers told his brother. "We can beat him!"
Delphine urged her horse forward, stepping out of line, and leveled her sword at the two Tyrell brothers.
"If you think you can beat William, you are mistaken. If you think you can fight him without us standing in your way, you are wrong. But, if it is a challenge you wish, I will answer it," Delphine said, pointing her katana at Garlan and Loras. "I'll face both of you at the same time, if you wish."
Faced down with the Blades' Grandmaster, Garlan hesitated. Delphine's reputation had risen dramatically in the last year. She had defeated no less than Ser Jaime Lannister, the Kingslayer, in single combat, and was said to have been close to do the same to Ser Barristan Selmy. And, if there was something he had learned, was that sometimes you had to pick your fights.
All chances to make a decision, however, flew away before he could even do that.
General Tullius was watching the battlefield, and observed that everyone within, the Legions, the Tyrells, the Lannisters, the Stormlanders, all of them were committed to the fight... and that meant the next step of the plan.
"It's time. Give the signal!" Tullius ordered. Horns sounded out, and a dozen archers shot flaming arrows directly up into the air.
On the Lannister right flank, Tywin paused his own observance of the battlefield when he heard the horns, and he saw the arrows. Dread filled him, as he realized that his grandson was now playing another of his tricks.
This time, the answer to horns and arrows were even more horns, coming from points where there should have been no soldiers, and then he saw torchlight into the night from at least three different locations... and his heart sank. He had thought he had this battle at hand, but once more, as it had happened in the Crossroads, his grandson had outmaneuvered him.
Well, at least one can be proud of his smarts, he thought.
To the shock of those who fought for Joffrey, the Seventh, Eighth and Ninth Legions emerged from the dark night and moved forward to join the battle.
After finally finishing their training a few weeks earlier at Cloud Ruler, William had kept them there to mislead any spies until the last moment, and then they had marched at a fast pace to reach King's Landing, arriving just the day before before settling away from the eyes of the city: without the ability to send out scouts, neither Tywin nor the Tyrells had any idea of their arrival.
All of a sudden, William's forces in the field had doubled in strength, and as the First, the Second and the Fifth kept Lannisters and Tyrells busy, the Seventh moved to circle Tywin's right, thus cutting him off from retreating into the city, the Eighth was joining William and encircling the Tyrells' left flank, and the Ninth moved to the bridge over the Blackwater, both preventing them from retreating and allowing them to attack the Tyrell rear, while Stannis attacked from the east.
They would be completely surrounded.
Tywin immediately realized that he only had two options, and that he had to pick one now. Either he stayed in the field and hoped that the superior numbers of his and Tyrell's combined forces would be enough to defeat his grandson, or he retreated with his men back into King's Landing before the Seventh Legion was able to fully separate them from the Gate of the Gods. The former option ran the risk of a complete defeat, and the latter would mean abandoning the Tyrells to their luck, which would mean that they would be surrounded and defeated... and William would be able to continue laying siege to the city at his leisure.
"W-what's happening? H-how did you...?" Loras stammered as he saw how fast things had turned.
"My reinforcements, Ser Loras. They have just entered the field," William said with a grin, and Garlan stared at William as he considered his words.
"This... this was your plan all along, wasn't it? You never intended to take the city now, you just let us believe you were so we would rush here to break the siege," he said, stunned. "You let us rush right into battle so you could surround us!"
"Yes, that was my plan. Deception is part of war, after all. And you fell for mine," William replied before his face hardened. "You have a choice, Ser Garlan. My grandfather may be able to retreat into the city, but the Tyrells have no way out. Either you surrender to me now, or you can try to continue the fight... and we both know that most of you will die if that happens."
Loras looked to his brother, hoping he would be able to come up with some idea to carry the battle.
"Oh, and those thirty thousand that were following you? I would forget about them for the moment. I placed enough troops in there to keep them delayed for long enough that they will not be able to arrive here for at least two or three days... long enough that they won't play a role in this battle."
Garlan stared blankly at William. The Black Prince had played them all like harps, and there was nothing he could do to change that. Surrendering would leave his house dishonored, but not surrendering would mean his fellow Reachmen would be slaughtered.
"What is your decision, Ser Garlan?" William asked.
He never got a chance to answer.
CRAROOOM
Everybody jerked in surprise at the sudden, loud crack that had just roared over the battlefield. Men and women looked to the sky, fearing that another storm would appear all of a sudden, but the skies were clear: this time, the source of the noise was different.
In the center of the battlefield, where Legionaries, Tyrells and Lannisters had been fighting until the crack, an orange and red burst of light appeared. All men close to it were brutally blown back. When the flash of unnatural light lessened, a stone archway with eldritch engravings and dark energies swirling could be seen... and then, monstrous forms began to emerge.
"By the Divines... an Oblivion Gate," William whispered.
Somewhere Else
"Please, wait!" Daenerys shouted as she continued to run after the dragon-eyed lady, down the pearly beach. No matter how fast she ran, it seemed like she could not get any closer to the mysterious woman.
Her rush to reach the woman halted when a large fortress appeared out of nowhere, towing over her. A fortress citadel, made of some sort of black stone she did not recognize, and several towers that stood out, carved to resemble enormous dragons.
It was a fearsome and intimidating castle, many would say. But, for some reason, Daenerys felt the fortress was familiar to her. Perhaps... perhaps even like home.
Lowering her gaze, she saw the lady standing at the foot of a stairway that led into the castle. The woman waved at her, prompting her to follow, and then proceeded up the stairs, walking slowly as if to allow her to catch up. Daenerys only hesitated briefly before hurrying after her.
The stairs seemed to go on and on, spiralling and weaving up the walls, then up a tower, to the top of the fortress, into a balcony where she found the woman sitting at a balcony, a table laid out with drink and food next to her.
"Welcome, Daenerys," the lady greeted with her smile and her musical voice. She then gestured out of the balcony, to a magnificent view of the sea and several nearby islands. "I've always enjoyed seeing things from great heights, and I thought you might be interested in them, as well."
Daenerys tried to speak... but then she hesitated, for she was unsure of what to say, what to ask, now that she was face-to-face with the woman that had saved her twice already. Fortunately, she didn't have to.
"I'm sure you have many questions in your mind, child. However, you've been through quite a lot of stress, between the problems in real life and your encounter with the Mad God. Please, have a sit, drink and eat, it will help you calm your nerves," she suggested, pointing at the table. "In different circumstances, I would prescribe some soup, but in your case, I recommend tea and fruit."
Daenerys considered her options, but seeing that there was no harm in following through her suggestion, she sat down. As the lady calmly sipped some of her tea and watched expectantly at her, Daenerys slowly took some grapes and ate a few, before having some tea herself. This caused the woman to give her a warm smile before setting her tea cup down.
"Now, then... let's get the obvious out of the way."
"You are not human, are you?" Daenerys asked.
"It's hard to get more obvious than that," the woman said, clearly amused by the question.
"You confronted a Daedric Prince, forced him to back down in his own territory. If I had to guess, I would say you are a Daedric Prince... or an Aedra," Daenerys noted, worried about upsetting the woman. However, she simply shook her head.
"I am neither an Aedra nor a Daedra. I am... well, the best way to explain it is that I am a servant for Divine Akatosh. I work on his name, and I carry out his will," she said. "Allow me to properly introduce myself. I am Valeria Targaryen, your ancestor."
Daenerys was surprised, but then her lips curved into a smile.
"So, you are a Targaryen? I'm your descendant? But... I have never heard of you before!"
"I know that, and it is not your fault. I lived and died thousands of years ago," Valeria revealed.
"You're... you are dead?"
"Ascended, might be slightly more accurate. Like Talos, but without becoming a Divine. As I said, I now serve Akatosh. My time among the mortal world is long gone. My name passed into legend, legends became mostly forgotten, and when the Doom of Valyria came about, what little trace of my name that remained was destroyed."
"Your name is quite similar to Valyria," Daenerys noted, and Valeria smiled.
"Well, the name for the Valyrian Freehold had to come from somewhere," she replied, stunning Daenerys.
"Valyria was named after you? But, how?"
"Legends long forgotten, as I told you. A lot more than a simple name had changed over the thousands of years since I lived in the mortal realm."
"But... what happened so long ago, that an entire nation would eventually be named because of you?"
Valeria opened her mouth... and then closed it in hesitation.
"I am sorry... but it is not yet the time for you to know."
"What do you mean? Why can't I know?"
"There are rules that I must follow, rules that even the Daedra must follow. And, after all the shocks you have received today, I am not sure if you are ready for that piece of ancient history," Valeria tried to explain.
"Rules? You said you would answer my questions! Were all the memories Sheogorath showed me true? Were so many in our family really as mad as I saw?" Daenerys asked, fear and anger mixing in her voice.
"I'm sorry to tell you this... but everything you saw was, indeed, the truth."
Daenerys felt her heart ache at hearing that. It had been her last chance to learn that it was not so, and it hurt to know it. She stared at the ground for a second in despair, before looking back at Valeria.
"Sheogorath also said that you were responsible for the Targaryen Madness."
"A long time ago, I made a decision. A decision I felt was necessary at the time, in order to try to save the lives of many of my kind," Valeria began to explain. "But I had no way of knowing that making such a decision would result in a strain in my bloodline that would affect my descendants. A strain that would drive those without the will to resist into madness."
"So, it WAS your fault," Daenerys accused. "What did you do? Did you make some sort of deal with Sheogorath that resulted in the Targaryen Madness?"
"My fault? I, who had no idea of the result of my actions after doing something that no one had done before or since? I did not make any sort of deal with the Mad God, it was my own actions and power that resulted in the Targaryen madness. But anyone of my descendants with a strong enough will could easily resist the strain of madness. Maegor, Baelor, Aerion, Aerys... neither had the desire or strength of character to resist the madness that consumed them. They have only themselves to blame," Valeria refuted before she jabbed a finger at Daenerys. "The only reason I was able to help you is because you were strong enough to resist, which allowed me to reach out to you. Remember what you said? That you wouldn't be like one of them? You are far stronger than your father."
"But, if you serve Akatosh... why didn't you ask him to rid the madness from our family?" Daenerys asked. Valeria sighed.
"The gods don't simply solve each and every one of your problems because you ask. At least, not openly. They have their ways and rules."
"What kind of answer is that? Why don't the gods strive to fix many of the problems that mortals face? Shouldn't the Divines watch over the people?" Daenerys demanded. "I have lived most of my life on the run, just barely ahead of threats and assassins. The Mythic Dawn acted at their own will, with no repercussions! The cities of Slaver's Bay destroy the lives of thousands of people for no reason other than wanting to feel themselves powerful! Why do the Divines, if they truly exist, do nothing about all the suffering that goes on in this world? Do they even care?"
"They care very much. More than you can imagine."
"Then, why don't they do anything?"
"They're always doing something, even if you don't know it," Valeria calmly replied before taking another sip of her tea. "The Divines granted all the people in the mortal realm a very special gift: free will. The right to choose your own path and make your own decisions. Even the Daedric Princes lack that, as they are always driven by their own nature. And most of the problems that beset people everywhere is that because there is always someone that makes the decision and creates those problems. It is true that Daedric Princes like to try to tempt and corrupt mortals to their way of thinking... but anyone can simply say 'no' to them, just like you did.
"The Divines do help mortals, quite often in fact. Thing is, it is not a matter of just waving their hands and say 'Problem solved'. No, they give subtle little messages, they give encouragement, hope and strength to do what's right. You almost never realize when they are helping you, because they never go for anything loud and flashy. Well... usually. Kynareth sometimes likes to mess with the weather, but that's actually part of her job."