Game of Thrones: Knight’s Honor

Chapter 364 - 364: Queen or King

"Do you hate him that much, Jaqna?" Lynd wiped his hands and turned to look at the woman who had silently slipped into the room.

Jaqna had taken the appearance of an unremarkable woman. That she could bypass the Redemptive Sisters, Silent Men, and the Chosen of God stationed throughout the residence and enter without a sound spoke to more than just her skill in stealth—it hinted at more mysterious forces, like the divine power of the Many-Faced God.

"I haven't hated him for a long time," Jaqna said calmly, gazing at Lynd. "But debts still must be repaid."

"And now? Is it all settled?" Lynd asked.

"It's only just beginning," she replied with the same calm.

"No matter how you choose to collect that debt, I hope you won't use the Stark family anymore." Lynd looked at her seriously. "With your abilities, you could easily slip into the Red Keep. You didn't need to use Sansa to get in, and you didn't need Arya Stark's cooperation. There was no need to put those two girls in danger. House Stark has suffered enough. They deserve peace."

Jaqna replied evenly, "I never asked the Starks to join my revenge. They heard there was a chance to strike back at House Lannister and kill Joffrey I. Without hesitation, they offered to help."

Lynd sighed and shook his head. "You misunderstand. I'm not asking for your agreement. I don't need your explanation. I'm telling you—stop using the Starks."

Jaqna nodded. "Understood. And the next phase of the plan doesn't require them."

Lynd then exposed her plans outright. "The next step is to put Tyrion on trial, force him to demand a trial by combat, and have the Red Viper fight on his behalf against the Mountain. Am I right?"

Jaqna was silent for a while, then asked, "Has the plan been leaked?"

"No," Lynd said gravely. "It was prophesied. Someone saw it in a vision."

"Prophecy?" Jaqna turned toward the courtyard where Shireen was and seemed to realize something. "Ah, I see."

"Do you know where Patchface's power comes from?" Lynd asked quietly.

Jaqna answered simply, "An ancient being—older than the Drowned God. Don't worry. That being only appears when the world is nearing its end. It will awaken and rise with that great city from beneath the sea to bring about the world's destruction."

The name flashed through Lynd's mind, but he said nothing. He didn't ask further, sensing that pursuing the topic might cross a dangerous line.

Jaqna then asked, "Now that you know the plan, will you try to stop it?"

"Besides Tywin, who else are you targeting?" Lynd asked in return.

Jaqna shook her head. "Only the old lion. The debt is his. No one else needs to pay it. I'll make sure he dies with dignity."

"Dignity?" Lynd thought of how Tywin would eventually die. That death could hardly be called dignified. But he said nothing and only gave a slight nod.

With Lynd's position clear, Jaqna didn't press the matter. She turned and left, vanishing as quietly as she had entered.

...

Not long after Jaqna's departure, Sansa came to see Lynd on her own. She confessed everything—how she had helped Arya and Jaqna gain entry to the banquet.

After hearing her out, Lynd asked, "Did it ever occur to you that you might just be a pawn in someone else's game?"

"I've thought about it," Sansa replied.

"Then tell me—whose pawn are you?" Lynd pressed.

Sansa hesitated, then guessed, "The House of Black and White? They're the ones who trained Arya to become a Faceless Man."

Lynd raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "And when did you learn Arya was one of the Faceless Men?"

"She told me right from the start." A shadow of sadness passed through Sansa's eyes. "She told me everything she'd been through. I never imagined she'd faced so many life-and-death situations... or suffered so much. She gave up everything to become a Faceless Man assassin. And me—I was her sister, and I couldn't protect her from any of it. I..."

Lynd interrupted her. "Did you ever consider that Arya told you all that to make you feel guilty? To manipulate you into helping her get into the Red Keep and assassinate Joffrey?"

"What?" Sansa blinked, shaken. She shook her head. "That's impossible. Arya wouldn't lie to me. She..."

But even as she spoke, her voice faltered. Doubt crept into her expression. Because even she had noticed—Arya had changed. So much, in fact, that she almost seemed like someone else entirely.

Lynd looked at Sansa and said, "Being a pawn isn't what's scary. What's scary is when everyone involved in the game knows you're a pawn, knows how to use you—and you don't even realize it."

Sansa froze, momentarily at a loss for words.

Lynd sighed and gave her the answer outright. "It's not just the Black and White House using you. There's also the Queen of Thorns from House Tyrell, the Red Viper from House Martell, your stepfather Roose Bolton... maybe even your mother, Lady Catelyn."

Sansa was stunned. After a long while, she finally asked, "They all want to kill Joffrey?"

Lynd nodded. "Joffrey is just another pawn—one that has to be sacrificed."

Sansa shook her head repeatedly. "That can't be right. Why would they want to kill Joffrey? What could they possibly gain from it?"

Lynd didn't answer. Instead, he pointed at her head and said, "Think. Think carefully. You already have enough clues. Now calm down and try to understand what their true goal is."

Sansa took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. She began going over everything she'd seen, everything Lynd had just told her. After about a quarter of an hour, she spoke slowly. "Their real target is Tywin."

"Why Tywin?" Lynd asked.

"Because that's the only way they all benefit," Sansa replied, now fully composed and thinking clearly. "Arya killed Tywin for revenge. The Queen of Thorns wanted him dead so House Tyrell could take full control. Oberyn—the Red Viper—killed him to avenge his sister, Princess Elia Martell. And Roose Bolton... I suspect it's about the Riverlands. As long as Lord Tywin is alive, he wouldn't be able to get involved with those rich lands."

"Then tell me—what do you think they'll do next?" Lynd asked in a low voice.

Sansa shook her head. "I don't know. But I'm sure it has something to do with Tyrion, the Imp."

Lynd didn't press further. "Once everything here is settled, I'll send you back to Winterfell. Dacey will help you manage things there until you're ready to take over completely and form your own garrison."

At those words, a smile broke across Sansa's face. She looked visibly excited.

After learning the truth about her brothers, Sansa knew she had to take on the responsibility of rebuilding Winterfell and ruling the North. She had been working hard to study lordship and governance, but she'd always worried that Lynd wouldn't let her go back. That uncertainty had been gnawing at her all this time. Now, knowing when she'd return, she could finally relax, and her joy showed on her face, impossible to hide.

Joffrey I's death came as a shock to most people, but the fact that it was his own uncle, Tyrion, who killed him was even more startling.

Yet for Tywin, the most urgent matter wasn't putting Tyrion on trial—it was securing Tommen's succession and making him Tommen I.

Unlike Joffrey, who had Robert's will to legitimize his claim, Tommen faced a complication: Joffrey had died so suddenly he hadn't left any sort of declaration. That raised questions about whether Tommen truly had the right to the Iron Throne.

During the Small Council meeting, when Tywin proposed that Tommen immediately ascend the throne, the Red Viper offered an alternative—naming Myrcella Baratheon the ruler of the Iron Throne.

To the Dornish, a woman's right to inherit is equal to a man's, so the idea of Myrcella taking the throne wasn't far-fetched at all.

In fact, her claim had a major advantage: Myrcella was Lynd's daughter-in-law. With his support, her position would be unshakable.

Even more importantly, Myrcella was married to Augustus Tarran, the future king of the Kingdom of Lorne. If she ascended the throne, the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros could be unified with the Kingdom of Lorne, creating an unprecedented empire...

Although, in all the Seven Kingdoms except Dorne, women's inheritance rights rank below those of men, Tywin could have easily vetoed the Red Viper's disruptive proposal. The issue, however, was that Lynd was now involved in the matter of the Iron Throne's succession, which meant this wasn't something a simple Small Council meeting could resolve.

Including House Tyrell, all the powerful nobles present were deliberately vague when it came to the question of who should inherit the Iron Throne. None of them dared to offend Lynd by outright rejecting Myrcella's claim.

"Actually, now isn't the time to rush into choosing a king or queen. After all, Queen Regent Cersei is overseeing the realm, and you, Lord Tywin, are holding court in King's Landing. The Seven Kingdoms won't descend into chaos just because the Iron Throne is vacant for a while." Roose Bolton, who hadn't spoken at all since the start of the Small Council, suddenly broke his silence. "What's most important now is putting the Imp, Tyrion, on trial—giving King Joffrey's death a clear conclusion and an explanation for the lords and nobles of the realm. After all, His Majesty Joffrey was assassinated in front of everyone, and in such a vile manner. If we don't deal with this quickly, it will send a dangerous signal across the Seven Kingdoms. Soon enough, everyone will be slipping poison to their enemies out of spite. Tell me—how long will you all keep drinking your wine or water with peace of mind then?"

Roose's words drew widespread agreement from the minor nobles. Not because they genuinely cared about Joffrey's death, but because unless Tyrion was officially tried and convicted of poisoning Joffrey I, they themselves would remain under suspicion and would be unable to leave King's Landing and return to their own lands.

Tywin could sense that things were slipping out of his control. He looked around at the gathered lords, paused for a moment, then said, "Very well. In two days, we'll hold a public trial for Tyrion. After that, we'll return to the matter of succession."

Everyone agreed and began to take their leave.

"Lord Mace, please stay." Tywin called out to Mace Tyrell. Once the chamber had cleared, he spoke with deliberate seriousness. "I hope Ellie can marry Tommen, continuing the alliance between House Tyrell and the Iron Throne."

Mace Tyrell was caught completely off guard. It took him a moment to realize Tywin was serious. "Lord Tywin," he said hesitantly, "isn't Prince Tommen only eight or nine years old?"

"He is," Tywin replied with a nod.

Mace looked puzzled. "Ellie is so much older than him, and she only just married his brother. This seems..."

"Although Ellie married Joffrey, they never consummated the marriage," Tywin said matter-of-factly. "They weren't truly husband and wife. And it's not unheard of for a woman to marry her husband's brother after his death. Didn't Lord Eddard Stark marry his own brother's betrothed? They lived well together and had many children."

Staring at Tywin, even the usually slow-witted Lord Mace began to understand the real reason behind such a bold and seemingly absurd proposal. Tywin wanted his support for Tommen's claim to the throne.

Personally, Mace didn't find the proposal all that bad. At least House Tyrell's political plans wouldn't be wasted after Joffrey's death. But he also knew this was not the kind of decision he could make on his own.

So he answered sincerely, "Lord Tywin, I personally support your proposal. But this is too important for me to decide on my own. I need to consult with my family before I can give you a proper response."

Tywin wasn't displeased. He smiled and nodded. "Of course. This is indeed a serious matter—it deserves careful consideration."

As Mace was about to leave, he suddenly paused, turned back to Tywin, and said, "Even if I agree to continue the alliance and let Ellie marry Prince Tommen, there's still no guarantee that he'll be allowed to inherit the Iron Throne. You should speak with Prince Lynd and find out where he stands."

Tywin was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Thank you for the reminder. I'll speak with Prince Lynd as soon as possible."