Talk Elections

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Events have moved fast in the capital of the Seven Kingdoms, with King Robert Baratheon perishing in a unting accident and his heir Joffrey Baratheon being killed in an attempt to seize power by the anti-Lannister faction of the court. With the Throne vacant the future of Westeros becomes unpredictable, and events may quickly escape the hands of the Lords currently in the city...

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-The Throne: Easily the most consequential matter, the unexpected death of Prince Joffrey and the escape of Prince Tommen towards the Westerlands leave the Small Council with an almost unsolvable dilemma. With several options on the line, who will the Small Council proclaim as King?

-Riverlands War: The war between the Lannisters and the Tullys grows fiercer every day, and the expedition of Lord Beric Dondarrion is yet to return or send word of their progress. What should be done regarding this conflict?

-Offices: The recent conflict has opened up several vacancies on the Kingsguard (at the very least Ser Boros and Ser Meryn, with Ser Arys carrying Prince Tommen, Ser Jaime fighting with the Lannisters and Ser Preston captive in the Red Keep), and there is the matter on whether Lord Stark's current regency means he is to continue as Hand of the King as well.

It was going to be a long session for the Council, and one that might just decide the future of the Realm.

What are your responses, proposals and actions, gentlemen?

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-Arrests: A series of decisions had resulted in the arrests of Ned Stark, Grand Maester Pycelle and Ser Aron Santagar, whose fates had to be decided soon. Furthermore, the disappearance of Sansa and Arya Stark created an important dilemma to be solved.

-Crown Debt and Administration: King Renly's assumption of the Throne meant taking over the crown debt, estimated at well over 6,000,000 GD. Already envoys from the Iron Bank of Braavos and the Faith were asking whether Renly would repay these debts (and how) making for a relevant topic to debate. Similarly, the arrest of many Lannister supporters had left many vacancies at the administration of the capital not fully solved by the Crownlanders who had currently been selected as replacements.

-Coronation and Marriage: A new King means a coronation and a royal marraige, both highly expensive ceremonies that can prove crucial for public support and legitimacy. What is to be decided pertaining these events?

-King's Landing affairs: Despite the city currently under control by the Gold Cloaks it is believed many supporters of Stannis and Tommen abound, particularly with the city merchants. More concerning is the fact that the food supply of the city is running low, meaning new sources of food have to be secured.

What are your responses, proposals and actions, gentlemen?

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She was hungry again.

The thought crossed her mind without control, pressing her. Several days she’d been in the streets now, always struggling to find food and having to resort to all of the tricks of her mind to keep herself going. After all the nightmares of the past fortnights she had allowed herself to think the nightmare itself would be over when they left King’s Landing… but now, she questioned whether she would leave the capital at all. The first sign that things had turn wrong came a long, long time ago… her father had left his chambers in the middle of the night, barely guarded and careful not to make a noise. She’d followed him, of course, through the corridors and stairs and ever wary of making the slightest noise. It did not take long for her father to reach the room in which he left his guards behind, and by staying close to one of the windows Arya managed a stare into the room and then devoted herself to listening. It was his father, in the company of Littlefinger and Renly Baratheon.

-It is quite the opportunity, my Lord Hand. – Littlefinger was saying, almost obsequiously so – We may never have this chance again.-
-I understand your reluctance, Lord Stark. – Renly said, more conciliatory – But if Cersei holds the throne from Joffrey we’re all in danger. And if you give it to Stannis, the realm will bleed endlessly.-

Slowly but surely Arya overheard a large part of the conversation, and each verbal blow struck at the very image she had of her father. Why… would someone as honourable as his father be making deals with Littlefinger and Renly? Why… why the talk of locking Tommen and Myrcella? Why… seizing the throne? Questions opened up questions as Arya realized something had gone very wrong in the Red Keep. Unable to stay quiet anymore, she left the window and began the long way to her room, slipping past unnoticed. She was locked in over the next day, under guard and her father’s orders for Sansa and her not to leave their rooms. But she could hear the sword fighting and the chaos, and it wasn’t long before she managed to break the lock of the window and look outside. The courtyard of the Red Keep was chaotic as Lannisters and Goldcloaks ran everywhere, and she was sure that she saw the Hound running through one of the doors. The next sight was that of Joffrey, red-faced and screaming to the top of his lungs, a bloody sword on his hand. Joffrey disappeared from sight before screaming a final time, and before the windows were closed by his father’s men the last sight Arya had of the courtyard was that of blood pouring out from a corpse…

Sansa attacked her father that night. In tears and despair, she’d gone as far as calling her father a murderer for the death of Prince Joffrey. Arya had wanted to slap her for saying something so wrong, and yet… she had no strength to do so. Her father had been talking to Littlefinger and Renly the night before, and now… and now… Renly was King. What had her father agreed to? Just what had they ended up agreeing on that fateful night? She hated Joffrey with a passion for what had happened to Mycah, but was it right for him to be murdered like that? And on whose orders? The questions made her uneasy, and her dancing lessons suffered all the more for it. It did not take long for her father to announce that they were all leaving the city to go home, and while Sansa said not a word Arya felt relieved for the first time. Finally, she would leave this hated place and find the time and place to ask the questions she needed answered from her father.

The ambush of the Goldcloaks caught them by surprise. Little she remembered of the moment, as it had happened so fast. The Stark guards fell quickly, and so did her father when they violently hit and threw him to the ground. She saw Sansa surrounded, and Syrio being impaled with the spears of the City Watch. She’d taken Needle and injured one of the guards, and ran away as fast as she could... and ran, and ran, all the way until she ran out of breath and the tears began to flow. But she’d survived all the way until now, avoiding the evil Goldcloaks as much as she could while finding it impossible to cross the gates to leave the city. The streets of Flea Bottom had been eye-opening for her. Amidst the misery, the hunger and the everyday life there was little place for the silly intrigues of the court, although she could note both the disdain of the smallfolk for the corrupt Goldcloaks and the support of many for Renly, and for some for Tommen and Stannis.

-A proclamation from Lord Eddard Stark! – Arya heard from an officer leading a patrol of watchmen – A public proclamation intended to be heard by my daughters; Sansa and Arya. Your safety is my biggest concern. Please, turn yourself in to the Gold Cloaks so I can bring you home. We can trust them, King Renly only wishes to see you safe, and I only wish to hold you in my arms again. -

Could that be true? Could it? Was her father free now? Was she… to turn herself into the Goldcloaks, even as they had murdered their Northerners? Something sounded wrong…

-Hey! Hey, you! – A guard shouted after seeing her – That’s her! That’s Arya Stark! –

The guards and their officer ran towards her, pushing and kicking as those in the street to make way as Arya ran away as fast as she could. It did not take long for her to be cornered on a short alley, the five guards and the officer looking at her with their eyes glowing as others watched and dared not intervene. They talked of gold and rewards as greed poured out of their eyes, and Arya could not believe these were the men her father wanted her to surrender to. She drew Needle, but soon the sword flew out of his hand with a swing by an overweight guard. They all started to laugh, and Arya could think of no way to escape.

-Enough! – A powerful voice shouted – Have you no honor!? –

It was a knight. Lightly armoured in red colours and with his head covered in the oddest helmet Arya had ever seen, he held a sword on his hand as he commanded the guards to leave her alone. Arya backed away as the guards threw themselves at the strange knight, who with a grace and elegance she had never seen in a fight dispatched them one by one, injuring them or killing them if needed be. When only the officer was left he ran away, the knight angrily shouting at him to never return to Flea Bottom as many in the street openly cheered. Arya approached him slowly, grateful and immensely curious.

-Thank you… ser.-
-Not at all, girl. I’ve lived long enough to see some of the things the Goldcloaks can do to girls in the street.-
-That was incredible, ser. I’ve never seen a fighter like yourself! –
-Thanks to you, girl. I dare say…-

But he was interrupted as over a dozen Goldcloaks appeared back on the street, all of them running towards the mystery knight. He saluted Arya and ran away towards a different alley, the guards following towards him as they all disappeared on the distance. Many who had looked with curiosity returned to their affairs, and Arya approached another girl who kept looking at the distance.

-Who was that? – Arya asked, eyes wide open –
-Nobody knows. – The girl replied – But they call him the Stranger’s Knight.-
-The Stranger’s Knight? –
-Aye. A septon said he was doing the work of the Stranger, and they say his armour is painted with a drawing of the Stranger. They say… they say he is a knight for justice.-

Arya looked at her with increased curiosity, but the girl had other things to do, and left to find her family. Arya sat at the side of a wall and began to wonder, impressed by the display of that mysterious knight, and even somewhat sad of being unable to thank him for saving her from the Goldcloaks. Seeing what the guards did opened her eyes further, and convinced him that the latter had to be fake. Her father would never leave her to the mercy of men as bad as those, and so he had to be in prison still. But it was Sansa who concerned her the most this time, for the City Watch was also searching for her even though Arya knew well that her sister would find it hard to hide herself on the crowds. Was she… taken? Is she…? But she refused to entertain the thought. If Sansa was out there, she had to find a way to find her, and leave the capital. It was a long and dangerous route home… but she was sure she could make it.

-One way or the other, I will go home. -

It was in that state of mind that she got up rapidly, so determined to resume her journey that she paid no mind to the sound of footsteps that appeared to approach her. Indeed, all Arya felt was hands holding her still, then a sharp pain on her head… and then silence.

All things considered, Brienne of Tarth had seen her life take a dramatic turn over the past few weeks, and a large part of it felt like a dream come true. The news of King Robert and Prince Joffrey’s deaths had shaken her to the core, but it was in the even more shocking announcement that Lord Renly had been crowned King and sat the Iron Throne that Brienne saw, for the first time in long time, the light. Worried at first that her father might consider Lord Stannis as a more suitable claimant, surprises kept piling up as her father and herself were summoned to the capital along with the army and might of the Stormlords, most firmly behind their lord and now king. And she’d prepared her armour and then armed herself with stoic patience to stand the jests and jokes of knights and lords, and the ride towards King’s Landing had taken place. Riding ahead to enter the capital, Brienne found it to be absolutely outstanding.

-Long live King Renly! – She heard many in the smallfolk shout, to her joy –

Sure enough, those who believed in Stannis or Tommen existed too, but she could felt the smallfolk had finally realized who the best lord, and now monarch, was. They sensed Renly’s chivalry and deep sense of justice, and while there were many lords who would never accept him, they would never be able to best his popularity with the commoners. That alone reaffirmed Brienne on her purpose to serve Renly, and it was with barely concealed happiness despite the mockery and the jests in the streets and inside the Red Keep itself that she’d knelt in front of the King after the other Stormlords have payed due homage. With Robert’s crown firmly on his head, Brienne wondered if the tales of those who fought in the Rebellion were right, that is that Renly was the living image of young Robert Baratheon, the man whose charisma had kept the Seven Kingdoms together against the odds. Surely Renly would do ever better in uniting the realm.

-Brienne of Tarth. – He said, offering her a smile from the Iron Throne – You seem to be what your father has promises, and indeed, even more than that. –
-Thank you, your Grace. – Brienne repressed a smile –
-That is why I have decided to entrust you with a vital task. As you know, I am to marry Lady Margaery of House Tyrell. I want you, Lady Brienne, to serve as her personal bodyguard, and keep her safe from all harm.-
-Your Grace. – She rose her head –
-Will you perform this task for me, my Lady? –

It was no decision at all. Since Lady Margaery entered King’s Landing with her brother and father – the last one ridiculously dressed in full armour and a helmet with feathers -, Brienne had done her best to stand by her side and protect the new Queen at all times, from the wedding to her tours along the Red Keep as the days went by. Brienne was grateful the Queen was graceful and treated her courteously, even if the constant thoughts that went through her head left her with few positive thoughts towards the woman who now occupied such a place in her King’s life. It was not a task which fully displeased Brienne during the days, although the dreadful nights in which she saw the Queen enter the King’s bedchamber – followed by Ser Loras, who mayhaps thought himself invisible – were quite a task to overcome. She knew full well the King couldn’t and wouldn’t love her, but by serving him she felt content, even if it was serving the woman she felt a rival, even knowing it would never be thus.

-The King is missing, Brienne. –

It was Ser Guyard who’d approached her first that night, asking whether she’d seen the King lately and then confirming to her Renly was not to be found on his chambers or the usual spots. Brienne rose from his spot right away, and after being granted permission by Queen Margaery Brienne joined the Kingsguard knight in searching for Renly in the upper levels of the castle. Both knights felt an unnatural chill as the candles of one of the corridors went down one by one, and their sense of unease grew. The wind was blowing strong even inside the castle, and increasingly worried they began to walk faster, the sound of their armour and swords flooding the area and, for a moment, making it feel as if someone else was there. Soon they found a darkened balcony, the drapes moving in every direction thanks to an uncontrollable wind. Lying against a wall was Renly Baratheon, a pool of blood nearby as he’d been stabbed and had an open, gaping wound on his chest.

-Your Grace! – Both shouted in despair –

The knights knelt beside Renly as Brienne grasped his hand, Guyard looking in all directions for the assassins. Renly attempted to speak, only for blood to come out of his mouth and into the armours of his protectors. Brienne violently shouted to her companion to seek help, and Ser Guyard ran as fast as he could towards the corridors, shouting and screaming for the guard to arrive. Renly still wanted to talk, every effort draining more and more the life out of him. In complete despair Brienne tried to help him, helpless to stop the bleeding from such an enormous, malignant wound. Soon Renly tired from the effort to speak, and stopped struggling as Brienne gently took him on her arms. By the time Ser Guyard, Ser Loras and Lord Estermont dashed through the room with an armed guard and a few servants to carry Renly, the King had already passed away in the arms of her knight.

Brienne, covered in the blood and tears of her King, began to cry.

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A week after the assassination of Lord Protector Stannis Baratheon and the escape of most of his followers from the capital the city remains up in arms, the riots still ongoing. The outnumbered, demoralized City Watch of Commander Allar Deem still holds the gates and defends the Red Keep, the Sept of Baelor and Maegor's Holdfast, but most of the city is now under the rule of armed gangs, religious fanatics, and now even rival Kings.

In the areas closer to the gates, entire areas of the city have fallen under the rule of religious fanatics who have escaped the War in the Riverlands, nicknamed Sparrows due to their black colors and appearance. Led by a charismatic Septon, they've taken over several septs and seen their ranks grow into the hundreds, denouncing the corruption of the Crown and the Faith and promising justice to the city.

A large part of the trading guilds and areas of Flea Bottom have seen the rise of an unlikely force, as the Antler Men, disappointed and betrayed by Stannis's declaration for the Targaryens have managed to get their hands on one of Robert Baratheon's bastards, the young armorer apprentice Gendry Waters. Taking a dramatic step, leading Antler Men like master armorer Salloreon have proclaimed the unwilling boy as Gendry I Baratheon, new ruler of the city. Using their wealth and combined abilities to craft weapons, they are an increasingly well armed and popular group seeking to avenge King Robert and King Renly.

Other groups have also begun actions of their own. Rogues like The Stranger's Knight claim to fight for justice as they battle the Goldcloaks in the Streets, the mysterious knight fighting Ser Mandon Moore (the last Kingsguard in the city) to a standstill. With Robert Baratheon having won a reputation for bastards many seek for them, with at least three - the boy Arlan, the boy Gormon and a young baby named Barra - thought likely as unscrupulous knights and adventures wonder on how to press their own claims as they battle for the favor of the small folk. Trapped in the Red Keep as the garrisons grow smaller, Grand Maester Erreck has written to the Citadel, describing the situation as being dangerously close to that of the Moon of the Three Kings in the Dance of Dragons.

Anything could happen in the capital now.

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