I waited for the alchemists to get completely out of view before Ben and I made our move.
"Prepare yourself Ben." I said in a low tone before lazily walking across the street, pretending to enjoy the sights of the Street of Steel. In a sense I did enjoy them. I still managed to look at all of the armor and the weapons. But my mind was preoccupied.
What would I find in the tunnels? Obviously I expected Wildfire, but what else could be there? The books mentioned a lot, but this was the real world. How many bodies of lost peasants? How many murder victims were hid down there?
How many alchemists were still there?
Ben's anxiety was more obvious. He was a knight, and had been in war for the last half year. All he knew was the sword, and he embraced that. But he didn't know how to hide his fighting face.
I brushed it off, as there were many people we passed on the street with the same sort of look. Everyone was tense because of the siege, although they did their best to ignore it.
Finally, we got to the alley between the two shops and entered it. Immediately, my nonchalant look turned to one of stone and my body tensed. The alley was only wide enough for two people to walk side by side, but there were barrels and crates placed oddly on the ground, so Ben had to walk behind me.
Eventually, it became obvious why there were stacked crates and barrels.
"Someone is trying to hide this place." Ben muttered what I was thinking.
I snapped my hand to him and motioned for him not to talk. We didn't know if there were more alchemists guarding the entrance, or dogs, or mercenaries. I definitely didn't want to alert anyone that we were coming.
At first, it looked like the building butted up against a wall that separated the street of steel from the rest of the city. But as I continued walking, I discovered that there was the smallest pathway behind the shop.
Well sword fighting won't do well here. I thought as I looked into the smaller alley.
I pulled two daggers out of my inventory, although I kneeled on the ground, and pretended to pull them out of my shoes. I turned around and handed one to Ben before continuing forward.
I turned to the corner, left hand on a barrel and right hand wielding a dagger behind my right leg to conceal it should I stumble upon someone that doesn't need to be killed.
There was the smallest archway that was ornately built, oddly enough. A gate that was also finely made blocked our way into the archway and down the stairs I could see at the entrance.
Luckily there was no guard. In my mind, I thought it must have been because they did not want to draw attention to the area, and the city watch could hardly be trusted.
I reached out to gently open the gate, and test to see if the hinges would alert anyone to our presence. Nothing moved. I put a little more force onto the push.
'Clang.'
The sound of metal on metal rang out.
"It's locked." I heard behind me.
"No shit!" I barked back.
Fuck.
I looked down at my dagger, and then the thick steel intruding in my way. Instantly I threw the idiotic plan out the window. I could not damage the gate, because it was obviously traveled often. Someone would notice it and alert the King. I still had a couple of days before I needed to open the gate.
If the city was on high alert for intruders inside, I would be fucked.
I backed off of the gate intending to go back to our rooms and brainstorm. My back hit Ben's chest.
"Move over." Ben said as he squeezed past me.
I turned flat against the wall and let him pass before I turned to the gate again. I was about to ask what he was going to do before he kneeled in front of the gate and took a long look at the lock.
His hands dipped to his waist, before he pulled out a bundle of leather, so small that one would never notice it. He unrolled it, and set it on the ground. Inside were three small tools that just screamed 'lockpicking' to me.
In a second he chose two of the tools and his hands expertly inserted them into the keyhole. A few seconds of 'clinking' and Ben stilled for a moment. He obviously found what he was looking for inside the lock. Then both of his hands twisted in a jerking motion.
'Click.'
The gate swung a little bit as the lock was disengaged. I didn't say anything, just looked at my friend as he carefully and calmly put his tools back down on the small leather pouch before rolling it up and inserting it somewhere on his belt.
He stood up and turned around to me with a curious look on his face. He was wondering what I thought of his skills. Would I shun him?
Of course not.
"Impressive." I said as I nodded to him and moved towards the gate.
"Orphan, remember?" Ben said with a grin. A lot of tension in his shoulders was released as he saw I was not angry with him. I literally practiced blood magic on the regular, and he was worried that I would shun him because he is good at picking locks. Some people….
I squeezed past him again, and readied my dagger. I did my best not to hesitate as I passed by the gate and walked to the stairs.
The walls around me were very similar to how the show depicted them. Stone lined every wall and every stair. Beyond that, I had no doubt that it was just dirt and clay. The building techniques of this world, and the engineering needed to be improved. How had we gone backwards in time from the days of Bran the Builder? Had we depended on magic too much to accomplish things?
Another thing to revolutionize.
The stairs did not go for a long time, Maybe two floors deep beneath the city. That worried me. Have there been any cave-ins in the city's history? I certainly hadn't read about any.
My mini map continued to update itself as we moved forward. When we reached the bottom of the stairs, there was not much to look at. It was a single hallway that extended another twenty yards before a fork was seen. The walls had torches hung up every twenty feet or so, on one side. The other side was ignored and left bare. These tunnels were meant to accomplish a task, not to be aesthetically pleasing.
"I have a bad feeling about this." Ben whispered behind me.
I did notice that the hallways widened from the entrance, which was a plus. At least one could draw a sword and wield it between the walls.
I moved forward confidently with my dagger in hand.
"Try to remember the tunnels and where they lead, we are just mapping them out for the next few days." I told Ben as we moved forward.
We came to the fork in the road.
"Left or Right?" I asked my comrade, and my most trusted friend.
"Hmmm, left towards the front gate, right towards the Red Keep." Ben answered as he waved his arms about trying to get his bearings on directions.
"Left it is."
"What in the seven hells." Ben whispered.
We had been traversing the tunnels for a couple of hours, and already we had stumbled upon five stashes of wildfire. The Street of Steel was our first find, and then the Sept of Baylor, and then Flea Bottom, etc. Each time, Ben couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"The Mad King will never give up control of the city willingly." I told him. I hadn't spoken the other times that we had found the caches. I hadn't really needed to.
"This was your plan all along." Ben realized after my statement. I turned to him at the accusatory look he sent me. "How did you know?" He asked as his face turned angry.
"I have spies everywhere Ben." I told him with a completely straight face.
He shook his head. "You would have to be in contact with someone from the Alchemists Guild. There is NO ONE else down here!" Ben almost yelled. "Not even the city watch is talking about it."
I stared at him while he went about his tirade. I could understand his anger. The King, who was supposed to protect and lead his people, was storing wildfire underneath the city so that he could destroy it and it's half a million people.
To a knight that took his vows very seriously, this was unspeakable.
"Acolytes do not get paid well, Ben. You would be surprised at what secrets the Alchemists have inside their guild…" I told him. "Gold goes a long way for them."
Ben spat on the ground, and schooled himself. "Let's go. There are more, surely." He said as he began walking again.
Ping!
Skill level up!
Sneak Lvl 41!
Lying Lvl 65!
Manipulation Lvl 72!
"That is unexpected." I said as I held a hand up in front of my face.
It was day 5 of being in Kings Landing, and Ben and I had hardly left the tunnels beneath the city. We brought in food every morning that would last us throughout the day as we searched and searched for the wildfire.
Luckily, we hadn't found any more caches after the first few days. The Mad King was insane yes, but not insane enough to be hoarding enough wildfire to level the ENTIRE city. It was mostly just the main areas of the city. Anywhere people got together throughout the day.
Now that Ben and I made it underneath the castle, it was obvious that the Red Keep would continue to stand even after the wildfire. The Mad King had a decent plan, to be truthful. If we managed to breach the city, he was just going to sit on his throne and give the order to blow the army up as it fought throughout the streets. He would watch the green flame consume his enemies, and although he would lose his city, it could be rebuilt.
It could even be rebuilt better, with a proper layout now that I thought about it deeper. He would lose a city, but he would keep his Kingdoms. All it would cost him were some peasants.
I turned my head as light flew through the tunnel towards us. We had found an exit to the tunnels somewhere that had sunlight, and it was blinding. My hands covered my eyes as they did their best to adjust.
"That is bright, by the Gods!" Ben said as he too held his hands up to his face.
After what had to be twenty minutes, we finally adjusted our senses to the sunlight. I moved forward, curious as to where the tunnel would put us out.
The first thing I saw was Blackwater Bay. Then I saw the rocks, and even some stone along the side of the small entrance. It was not a natural entrance in the side of the stone, someone had carved it out of the cliff side.
There was a small platform as I stepped out of the side of the castle. It was beautiful. The sun shone bright in the sky and reflected off of the waves of Blackwater Bay.
We were probably forty feet above the water, making it almost impossible to make out the platform from a ship or further down in the water. It was someone's paradise they had carved out of the castle.
Ben's breath hitched as he too looked out and saw what I did.
After all the wildfire and depressing thoughts we had the last few days, the view was a pleasant surprise. It was also one we enjoyed for more moments than we should. I looked up to the castle above me. I was close, I just needed a little more time.
"Beautiful, isn't it?"
Ben and I both snapped around with our hands on our swords.
Directly behind us was a man that was a couple of inches shorter than us. He wore ornate robes on his frame that were not westerosi by design. Perfume wafted off of him, making me wonder how I didn't know he was there before he announced himself.
It was the bald head and demeanor that told me who had visited us.
He was not a threat.
The olive skinned man in a white cloak beside him, however, was a colossal threat.
"Prince Lewyn." I said with a nod. "Lord Varys." I greeted with the same respect. "To what do I owe the pleasure."
Lewyn drew his sword as quick as I had ever seen. I matched him and drew my own. It was then that he looked at me differently. He realized who I was.
"That will not be necessary, My Prince." Varys said with a motion of his hand. "They are not our enemies."
"This is the most deadly bowmen in Westeros, and arguably the greatest commander if you believe the rumors." Lewyn retorted. "He most certainly is my enemy."
"And he sprouts weirwood trees out of unmentionable places, if you believe other rumors. Put your sword down, this is not why I brought you here." Varys said back to the old Kingsguard.
Lewyn met my eyes with steel, and his face hardened. We held ourselves there for a moment, tension building and building. I pondered attacking and the best way to do it with Ben beside me.
Eventually Lewyn lowered his blade. "You better start talking, eunuch." Lewyn spat as he turned slightly towards me. I did notice that he did not sheath his sword however, so neither did I.
Varys turned to us. "You have been hard to catch." He complimented right out of the gate.
"I was very careful. When were we spotted?" I asked, trying to figure out when his little birds had fought wind of us. I had never seen one in the tunnels, oddly enough.
"The Street of Steel sings many things beyond a hammer on a blade." Varys answered with a grin.
I knew we should have been using different entrances.
I nodded, understanding him immediately. "Are you here to convince me to stop?"
Varys ignored the question. "I do not like you Petyr Baelish. I find the rumors of blood magic to be …deeply unsettling."
Ahh I forgot he had a deep hatred for anything magic because of his experience with it. Poor kid, nobody should have their junk cut off.
"Then why aren't we fighting to the death right now?" I asked, trying to further the conversation along.
"Yes, that would be a good question." Prince Lewyn interjected before Varys could answer.
Varys shot him a quick look before turning back to me. "You have found what lies beneath the city then?" Varys asked me.
I nodded.
"Yes, well I suppose that is why we are not fighting to the death." Varys answered. "Not that I would put up much of a fight. I much prefer words and information to be truthful."
"What is beneath the city?" Prince Lewyn asked.
Varys paused, but he was looking towards me. He knew how to manipulate Lewyn. He knew how to manipulate me. But he had provided the opportunity, and I seized it.
"Your king has ordered his alchemists to store Wildfire underneath key locations throughout the city. When we breach the walls, he plans on eliminating us without having to leave his throne." I answered, quickly and truthfully.
"You lie!" Lewyn spat as he raised his sword. He understood the implications immediately. He had seen what wildfire could do during his stay as Kingsguard.
"I am many things, but I am not a liar." I, of course, lied to the man I defeated at Harrenhal. I did not raise my blade to mimic him but I did tense in preparation for an attack.
"He is not lying." Varys confirmed to the Kingsguard.
Lewyn paused, and the wheels in his head started turning. He did not speak, but I could tell he was at war with himself. Eventually he made a decision.
"Why are we here, Varys? You obviously have a plan." Lewyn all but demanded of the Master of Whisperers.
"The Mad King must die." Varys said, almost mournfully. And then he expertly manipulated the man across from me. I knew as soon as he uttered his next words, Lewyn would agree to whatever plan Varys would propose.
"But your niece and her children do not have to."
My plans began to reform in my mind, as I considered the new players at my disposal.
"Hah!"
I couldn't help but grunt as I lifted the massive barrel onto the back of the cart. The cart was one that was provided for by Varys, although I had already planned on acquiring one through other means. He was much more efficient, however.
"Two more." I said to Ben as he was bent over his knees, tired from the activities of the last two days.
"Finally." Ben said. "I thought I would die yesterday, after we moved everything away from the gate."
I smiled, because I had thought the same thing. "A few days ago, we would have ran if we ever saw this stuff laying around. Now we'll throw it on our shoulder and lug it around no problem." I laughed as I smacked the barrel beside me.
Ben joined me in a laugh before we crouched down and grabbed the next barrel. Two more hauls and we had a merchant's cart stocked full of wildfire, one of the most deadly substances in the known world.
"Hopefully, this is the last time we have to use this shit." I muttered as we drug a cloth over the barrels to conceal them for the time being.
The gold cloak over my shoulders was unfamiliar, but a reassuring weight. It gave me legitimacy in the eyes of the city, I could practically do what I wanted.
The helmet was a touch too big, although that wasn't uncommon. I found the steps that I needed and began to climb them. The city walls were high, but not high enough to make me tired.
For a city under siege, it was surprisingly easy to move about in it. Especially if you had the coin to throw around like I did. Although I didn't even need coin, when I was wearing the city watch's uniform. I passed by a 'coworker' of mine and gave him a nod. He nodded back, and continued down the stairs past me.
It was a shift change, and nobody was the wiser that I wasn't supposed to be here on the walls. Every man I passed was just another face ready to go home and sleep, or possibly drink. They didn't think about my face being unfamiliar. They didn't think about the ornate sword on my waist. Hell without even seeing the steel portion of my sword, one could recognize the hilt if they were learned enough.
I wish I still had my horns…
Well nobody seemed to care. They were expecting an attack from outside the city, not inside.
When I finally got to the top of the walls, I found massive barrels of arrows about every 20 yards, along with racks of bows next to them. I calmly walked up to the bowl rack and grabbed one before grabbing a single arrow from the barrel.
There were a couple of ways of going about what I was doing. Every single method included a flaming arrow. The only problem was how to light the arrow on fire.
Luck, or rather good planning, won that day. You see in a besieged city, it is common to pour boiling oil and tar over the side of the walls, to fall onto the charging soldiers. Not only is it an intimidation factor, it's just damned effective. So it was not very difficult for me to find a pot of oil. I dipped the arrow head calmly and moved to the side of the wall that was closest to the front gate.
I had intentionally chosen this spot because I could see the front gate clearly from my vantage point. Even though it was about 80 yards away, I could see it without strain.
More importantly, I could see the cart sitting right next to the gate, courtesy of Varys. Apparently, he had people on his payroll everywhere. And one of his highest expenses just happened to be the City Watch. He had ordered them to deliver the 'supplies' to the front gate and await further instructions.
And there the beauty was, waiting for me.
I walked to the nearest torch and fed my oil tipped arrow. It caught on fire immediately.
"What are you doing?"
I turned to the unfamiliar voice, curious as to who was questioning me. It was a single city guard, easily forgotten. In fact, it was the one that I had passed on the way up the stairs.
Had he turned around because he didn't recognize me? Doesn't really matter.
"Taking the city." I said calmly.
"Wha…"
Before he could continue his sentence I turned, drew back my flaming arrow and barely aimed before I let it loose.
I turned back to him, and my hand had already gotten my sword halfway out of my sheath when I heard the explosion. The world lit up in green flames, and since my back was to it, I could see the man's shocked face. With my sword in hand, and the surprise factor I had with the wildfire, I could have killed him easily.
I don't know why, but instead of killing him, I hit him in the temple with the pommel of my blade causing him to drop like a sack of potatoes.
I turned back to see the damage that I had done. I was halfway surprised to see the gaping hole in the wall where a gate used to stand. Only about ten barrels of wildfire had completely doomed the fate of the city.
I should probably learn that recipe. I pondered for a moment.
Just then, a bell began to ring. The city had caught on to what happened, and soon the men would be awake and fortifying the city for one last defense. They would fall, and I wouldn't be here to see it.
I turned away from the destruction I wrought and broke into a jog.
The city was in a panic, but I made it back to the place that Davos had smuggled us in without a single question from anyone I passed. Even the countless soldiers I passed barely looked at me.
When I reached the stairs that would take me down into the smugglers port, I began shedding the City Watch clothes that I had on. My feet ran on autopilot as I took the helmet off, followed by the belt, and then the chain mail.
I reached the bottom to find a dead body. One quick look told me that it was not Ben nor anyone that was important to me. So I threw my belt back on, and walked over to the edge of the cliff.
Below me was the same little raft that I had been smuggled in on. Except this time, there were three more additions to it, and another little craft with a rope tied onto the original.
Princess Elia Martell held a baby in her arms with one hand, and held her daughter's hand in the other.
Across from her, Ben and Davos sat awkwardly, trying not to be freaked out with the fact that they had literal royalty in their small little boat.
"I see you got my message." I called out, getting their attention. Apparently my sneak skill was getting a little too good nowadays, if they hadn't seen me yet.
They all jumped and looked up at me.
"Didn't expect it to be that heavy." Davos mumbled as he pointed to the second craft.
I snorted. "You're sitting across from a princess and the heirs to the Targaryen legacy, and you are more surprised at the gold?" I asked curiously.
"Will you shut up and get down here?" Davos asked, avoiding the question entirely.
I climbed down the rock wall and gingerly got in the small boat. I sat right in the middle of Ben and Elia, who had yet to speak. More like I laid down, since all the seats had been taken.
"Your grace." I said as a greeting to the woman I had only met once. "You may not remember me, my name is…"
"I know who you are, Lord Baelish." Elia interrupted as Davos began paddling us away from the city.
I would have continued conversing with her, but just then I could hear the sound of a horn, and the loud cry of charging me.
The Sack of King's Landing had begun.
*Lewyn POV*
The explosion was loud, so loud. And even though I was expecting it, it surprised me more than anything ever had. My right hand hit the door behind me and I opened it. A lifetime of fighting had left me unable to truly get excited anymore, unless it was for blood. Not now, however. I paused for a moment as I realized I was nervous. I clenched my fist, and prepared myself for what was to come as I walked into the Prince's chambers.
My Prince was already sitting up in his bed, with a shocked look on his face.
"What is happening, Lewyn?" Rhaegar asked as he swung his legs over the side of his bed. He was already in full plate, as he had taken to sleeping in his armor for this exact occasion.
"There was an explosion, I do not know the cause as of yet." I answered, and waited for his command.
Rhaegar belted his sword, and donned his winged helms before walking towards me. I stepped aside and followed behind him as we left the room.
"Let us discover it then."
"Worry not, my son. The Usurper will not get farther than the Sept of Baelor. Wisdom Rossart ..BURN THEM ALL!"
The grey bearded man nodded to the King, the man I was sworn to protect. Yet all I could ponder was how his head would roll on the floor with a single swipe.
"What do you mean, father?" Rhaegar asked, confused.
My time had come. I would die this day regardless, but I would not stand by while hundreds of thousands of people burned to death. Elia was safe, as were the children. My purpose had been fulfilled.
It was as good of a time to die as any.
"Do not move, Rossart." I called out as I stepped towards him and drew my sword. The room paused in shock at my words, and the sound of my blade.
I moved forward quickly and closed the distance between me and the old alchemists. I had dreamed about this day for so long. My blade was at the old man's neck before anyone could react.
"Lewyn?" Rhaegar asked confused.
My brothers in arms drew their swords also. Even the young lion, the arrogant little shit.
"Lower your blade Kingsguard." Ser Barristan, the only man I could honestly say I respected in this room, said to me.
"There are caches of wildfire stored throughout the city. Flea Bottom, The Sept of Baelor, the Street of Steel, everywhere. The King would doom his own people to a fiery death. I cannot stand for it." Lewyn told them. He had practiced those words over and over in his head.
"KILL HIM!" Aerys shouted angrily and pointed his ugly finger towards me. I wish I was standing closer to the Mad King so that I could be the one to rid the world of such a monster.
Barristan moved forward, as did Ser Jaime.
"Hold." Rhaegar commanded, in a more authoritative voice than his father.
"Is it true?" Rhaegar asked the King.
Aerys just stared at his son with a hateful glare. But did not answer.
"For far too long I have traded one vow for countless others. Today I will die a true knight." I said, as I steeled myself. I was done with this fucking cloak, I was done with this fucking family.
Without warning, I swung my sword.