[KING'S LANDING]
[The cara pans up to the hold of a sword hewn from Valeryan steel. TYWIN draws it and hands it to a blacksmith, who knocks its hilt off with a hamr, and then places the blade into the forge. It lts into molten sludge and is then recast into two swords.]
"How dare he" Ned Stark said furiously, voicing the outrage of The Starks. That was Ice, the sword of House Stark, their ancestral property. What gave Tywin Lannister the right?!
"He coulnd't buy one for years, so now he resorts to stealing" snorted Tyrion. This was theft of course, in the na of seizing loot from war it may be called but Tyrion would call it stealing.
So below the Lord of Casterly Rock.
"What happened to House Targaryen's swords?" Daenerys asked her brother as even viserys doesn't know.
"Blackfyre was taken beyond the Narrow Seas after the failed Blackfyre Rebellion and Bloodraven took Dark Sister with him to the Wall. Both are lost to us" the man explained.
"A sha to let them go with those" Daenerys frowned.
"Indeed" Rhaegar nods, hiding his smile. .
Jon thought about fake Aegon who didn't appear in the series and it didn't look like he will be here, though asking Bloodraven where he left Dark Sister may result in sothing after all he does have a youth Fountain for him.
[JAI holds up a sword, admiring it.]
"You've returned to the capital!" Tyrion cheered, subdued and more for himself and his family than for all to hear.
Joanna smiled in relief.
Jai did not. He wasn't sure how the others would react to his hand missing.
"No one's made a Valyrian steel sword since the Doom of Valyria."
"There are three living smiths who know how to rework Valyrian steel. The finest of them was in Volantis. Ca here to King's Landing at my invitation."
"Where did you get this much Valyrian steel?"
"From soone who no longer had need of it."
Ned growled under his breath. Fucking Lannister. That sword should have gone to his son, not to be used by so butcher, and then reforged into the hands of the Kingslayer, and whatever beast was born into House Lannister after him.
"You've wanted one of these in the family for a long ti."
"And now we have two. The original weapon was absurdly large. Plenty of steel for two swords."
"Absurdly" Brandon the Elder snorted in disgust. "Stark n went to war with that sword!"
"That thing? But it's so heavy!" Bran exclaid in surprise. He never touched the sword, nor tried to lift it. He purely went by its size.
Brandon the Elder grinned.
"Us Starks are plenty strong. And Valyrian Steel is lighter than it looks. It's easy to swing around. I can do it, and so can Father."
Both Brnadons looked at Ned, who snorted.
"Yes, I can as well" he answered. Though not well. He wasn't as tall as his brother or father and more often than not the sword would brush the ground in battle. Ned did not like that much.
[JAI attempts to sheath the sword into the cover lying on the table, but fails awkwardly.]
Jai pursed his lips at the state of him, at the state his father was seeing him in.
"You'll have to train your left hand."
"Any decent swordsman knows how to use both hands."
"You do not," Tyrion said pointedly.
"I do not" Jai sighed.
"You'll never be as good."
"No. But as long as I'm better than everyone else, I suppose it doesn't matter."
"You can't serve in the Kingsguard with one hand."
"Naturally" Margaery nodded. "He'd be a liability."
"Where's that written? I can and I will. The Kingsguard oath is for life."
"Your insistence on clinging to the White Cloak is tiring sotis" Tyrion muttered. "You're being given an out, to be away from the cesspool that is King's Landing. Just take it and leave."
It wasn't so easy, Jai Lannister knew. What would he have without the cloak? Lord of Castery Rock? He'd be compared to his Father. The matter of running a Kingdom was not his cup of tea, and he would never take responsibility like that willingly.
"The war is over. The king is safe."
"The king is never safe. How many people in this city alone would love to see his head on a pike?"
"Far more than those that want to see him happy I'm guessing" Jai answered his future self's question.
"Not likely, considering Margaery Tyrell's attempts to connect to the smallfolk" Joanna pointed out. "Joffrey might be liked by association."
"I had forgotten about that" Jai mumbled.
"Other knights protected the king while you were a prisoner. They will continue to do so when you go ho. You'll return to Casterly Rock and rule in my stead."
"You are the Lord of Casterly Rock."
"I am the King's Hand. My place is here. I don't expect to see the Rock again before I die."
"You know what they call ? Kingslayer. Oathbreaker. A man without honour. Now you want to break another sacred vow."
"I think your honour was salvaged so with that revelation," Tyrion said with a smirk.
Jai snorted.
"Those who hate us will find ways to still hate us no matter what."
He said this while glaring at Ned Stark's back. If he's learned anything from being here, it's that Ned Stark would find so way to justify himself or his family and friends.
Jai Lannister was not going to have it.
He may even speak to the man about the gall of asking for Myrcella as a Ward. Who did he think he was?
"If you think your bloody honour cos before..."
"My bloody honour is beyond repair, but my answer is still no. I don't want Casterly Rock. I don't want a wife. I don't want children."
"That might be the first ti you've stood up to the man, brother," Tyrion said with a smile.
"We all have our limits, don't we?" Jai smiled back.
"For 40 years I've tried to teach you. If you haven't learned by now, you never will. Go. If serving as a glorified bodyguard is the sum of your ambition, go serve."
"I suppose you want the sword back."
"Keep it. A one-handed man with no family needs all the help he can get."
"Worry not brother, you will always have by your side," Tyrion said with a grin.
"Oh, the horror" Jai gasped, snorting when Tyrion playfully punched him.
KINGS LANDING, BROTHEL INTERIOR]
[TYRION and BRONN enter swiftly to find OBERYN, his paramour ELLARIA SAND and a few Lannister n.]
"Oh look, I'm here," Oberyn said with false cheer.
"Probably sent to attend the wedding in my stead" Doran explained.
"I could have been invited."
"After what you said and were going to do when news of Elia's murder ca to us?"
Oberyn snorted, waving his brother off. But the man wasn't wrong.
[OBERYN flicks his dagger free from the table, and one of the Lannister n's hand. The man lets out a cry of anguish and then he and his friend move away quickly. ELLARIA moves to OBERYN, and caresses him.]
"Apologies, my love."
"Is that your wife?" Daenerys questioned. "She's very pretty."
"Paramour" Oberyn corrected with a smile. "I have no wives and do not plan to take any either. And yes, she is very pretty."
[OBERYN and ELLARIA kiss passionately. TYRION and BRONN exchange a puzzled look]
"I'm here to welco you to the capital."
"I think they've already managed that," Renly said with a chuckle.
"Ellaria Sand, my paramour. The king's own Uncle Imp. Tyrion, son of Tywin Lannister."
"If there's anything I can do to make your stay..."
[OBERYN looked away from TYRION to BRONN]
"What are you? His hired killer?"
"Yeah, he hates us" Tyrion sighed. He wasn't surprised, just tired of it. Too many haters.
"It started that way, aye. Now I'm a knight."
"How did that co to pass?"
"Killed the right people, I suppose."
[OBERYN laughs. BRONN joins him.]
"We'll need a few more girls. Girls, yes?"
[Comically, BRONN nods while TYRION shakes his head.]
"He likes Bronn better," Jai said teasingly.
"His lack of golden hair and green eyes earned him points," Tyrion said blandly.
"Prince Oberyn, if I may, a word in private?"
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