The Young Lion

Act 1 Ch 25 The Bleeding Star

[Red Keep Nighttime]

 

Cersei was sitting in her personal chambers, she sat at one of her chairs biting her nails in frustration. She had been kept there under guard since the previous morning. The only visitors she had received was one of the black armored guards to bring her food. While she would attempt to speak with them they remained silent placing her food on her table and leaving without a word. She had tried to leave, ordering the men to step aside, but they simply stated they answered only to the king, not to his mother. 

 

She was pondering her next course of action when she heard her door opening. She turned and found her son Joffrey making his way inside her chambers. He ordered his men to stay alert outside before shutting the door. Cersei got up from her chair and made her way over to him as he walked into the middle of the room.

 

“Joffrey, what is the meaning of this!” She shouted as he stood before her staring up at his face. “How dare you have me held here against my will!”

 

“Sit down and shut up.” He responded coldly with a dead serious expression.

 

Cersei was shocked and silenced by his words and tone. He gestured for her to sit in one of her chairs, and her body unconsciously complied. As she shakily sat down and he sat across from her.

 

“You already know why you’re here.” He said coolly.

 

“N-no I don’t.” She denied. “What brings you to treat me in such a manner?”

 

His eyes became more intense by her denial.

 

“Do you think me stupid mother?” He asked rhetorically. 

 

“N-no” She responded.

 

“Then you must think I’m naive.”

 

“Of course not. Why do you say such terrible things?”

 

“Well because you sit here and lie to my face, so it must mean you think me either stupid or naive.” He responded flatly.

 

“I’m not lying!” She shouted. “I really have no idea why you are treating me this way.”

 

“Really? Then you don’t remember ordering an assassination attempt on Sansa Stark?”

 

Cersei's face became paler upon hearing his words and began to squirm uncomfortably in her chair.

 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She said failing to keep eye contact.

 

“See again with the lying.” He said leaning back into his seat.

 

“I’m not-” She went to speak but Joffrey interrupted her holding his hand up.

 

“I know you're lying because of two things, mother.” He said his hand was holding up two fingers. “First Littlefinger told me everything under sharp interrogation of your request for Sansa Stark's death while we were in town.”

 

Cersei's mouth hung open based on his tone and his expression she knew he wasn’t bluffing.

 

“W-what's the second reason?” She weakly asked.

 

“Oh, your mouth is moving.” He responded nonchalantly, his eyes changing seeing that she finally was conceding the truth. 

 

Cersei was silent at his words and her expression conflicted.

 

“Why did you do it?” He asked sincerely. “Why did you betray me?”

 

After a moment of silence Cersei spoke.

 

“I did it to protect you.” She said her tone was flat and serious.

 

“Protect me? How is trying to murder my betrothed protecting me?” He asked, clearly confused by the deranged woman's words.

 

“She’s a viper!” She shouted furiously. “She has poisoned your mind and turned you against your family!”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“Ever since you gave her your favor you’ve been acting strange! You ignore your closest advisors! You pass legislation that benefits mere peasants! You spend time with her rather than your own mother!” She ranted 

 

Joffrey was flabbergasted by the blonde mad woman's words.

 

“She’s really jealous of her son’s wife?” He thought 

 

He then remembers reading in the books that Cersei was told a prophecy by a witch in the woods. One about a more beautiful queen coming and casting her down and destroying all she loves.

 

“Oh she thinks Sansa is the new queen from the prophecy.” He thought finally realizing where all the paranoia was coming from.

 

“Mother Sansa hasn’t done anything.” He said calmly. “We’ve never spoken about court policies once.”

 

“You’re wrong, you're being tricked and you don’t even realize it!” She shouted unwilling to believe her son’s words.

 

“You are so blind.” He said, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. “You’ve jeopardized the peace I plan to broker with the north with your thoughtless actions, and senseless paranoia.”

 

Cersei was taken aback he had never spoken to her in such a manner, something else she assumed was Sansa’s doing. Her eyes became filled with fury and bloodlust and swore to give the red haired little bitch a painful death. Joffrey picked up on her intentions seeing the madness in her eyes.

 

“Mother, I can no longer tolerate you undermining my decisions and my authority.” He said coolly. “Come first light you will be escorted back to Casterly Rock, where you will remain for the foreseeable future,”

 

She became outraged after hearing her son’s words.

 

“I will not!” She shouted in outrage. “I will remain right here!”

 

“No you will not!” He shouted back, rising from his seat his expression filled with disdain and anger. “You are threatening to ruin everything I plan to create with your entitlement and arrogance.” He said as he moved towards her menacingly.

 

“I’ve suffered you enough, watching you strut about like a peacock through my castle mistaking my throne for yours. Watching you scheme and plot all the while believing yourself to be sly or crafty when in reality you are utterly predictable and nothing but a fool.”

 

Her eyes became wide and veiled with tears hearing her darling boy’s description of her. 

 

“You lust and crave for power, but have no clue what to do with it once you have it. You’ve mistaken caution for cowardice and dissent for defiance. If left in your hands the seven kingdoms would burn trying to fill that bottomless pit of greed you call a soul.” His words were cold and his tone sharp. 

 

“Joffrey I am your mother.” She said sadly, trying to touch his face heartbroken by his words.

 

“ I am aware.” He said holding her hand prevented it from touching him. “ And that is the only reason why your head is not on a spike between Janos Slynt and Petyr Baelish.”

 

“Well that and he wasn’t ready to deal with Tywin Lannister just yet.” He thought.

 

“I am done tolerating your erratic behavior, when morning comes you and the Lannister soldiers will be removed from the capital and remain at the Rock until I say otherwise. If you ever return to court without my leave I will have you hanged for attempted murder, do you understand?”

 

She didn’t respond, she just looked down at the floor failing to make eye contact.

 

“Good,” He said before turning to leave her chambers, shutting the door behind him.

 

She stood there alone in the middle of her room gritting her teeth in anger.

 

“So the witch was telling the truth huh.” She thought to herself. “Sansa Stark you will suffer for this!”

 

Once outside he ordered his royal guards to remain on alert and no one was to see her without his approval. The guards banged their breast plates and saluted their king who tilted his head in response. As he walked he thought to himself, he knew that this wasn’t a permanent solution to the problem with his mother. But at the moment it was the only one he had; he couldn't take on his grandfather at the moment, not when he had enemies on several fronts. All he could do was tackle his problem one at a time. For now he decided to focus on the last remaining pain in the ass left in the city.

 

[Joffrey’s Chambers]

 

It was late into the night when Varys arrived at his chambers. It had been the third time he had been invited to speak with his king at such an hour. He arrived relatively quickly wearing a fluorescent wine red robe and matching slippers. After arriving the new royal guards allowed him entrance and remained outside. As he made his way inside he found the king's pet lion Gaius sleeping on his own mat in the corner of the room, while Joffrey himself was sitting at his desk going over some documents. Varys soon made his way over to the sitting king and announced himself.

 

“Your grace” He said, giving a deep bow.

 

Joffrey didn’t acknowledge him and continued to write with his quill not looking up from his papers. He wore a focused expression as he continued to write, while Varys stood in the middle of the room awkwardly. 

 

“Your grace, I-” He went to speak but Joffrey held up his finger.

 

“Just one second.” He said as he focused on his writing.

 

After finishing with his document he folded up the paper and poured hot wax on it before giving it his official seal. He then sat back into his chair and for the first time since his arrival looked upon Varys.

 

“Tell me Varys, why are we here?” He asked.

 

“Your grace?” He looked perplexed by the sudden question.

 

“Why are we here?” He repeated.

 

“I’m afraid I don't know what you mean.” 

 

“You see, I believe all of us are here for a specific reason.” He continued ignoring the confused spider in the middle of the room. He looked at the designs on his wall as if he were observing some far away landscape. “That we’re meant to do something with our limited time here, a purpose if you will.”

 

“I see” Varys was starting to understand the king’s question. “And what do you believe your purpose is, your grace?” 

 

Joffrey acknowledged him before letting out a heavy tired sigh and stood up from his desk. He then made his way around until he stood before his master of whispers.

 

“I would like to believe that I was meant to make the world better. To help free those who have suffered from the incompetence of my predecessors.”

 

“I’m starting to think that as well, your grace.” He said with a slight smile growing.

 

“Oh really?” He asked with suspicion. “Then pray tell why do you continue to work against me?”

 

“Your grace?” He seemed confused.

 

“I know one of those men on your list wasn’t conspiring against me, Varys.” He said looking at him with a serious expression. “His only crime was owing quite a large bit of money to the crown, which you didn’t want to see repaid.” 

 

“Why would I want such a thing?”

 

“Oh, probably for your plan to keep the crown financially weak, making it that much easier for the Targaryens to retake the throne.” He said nonchalantly.

 

Varys looked shocked by the king’s accusations which Joffrey picked up on.

 

“What? Did you really think I only knew about Littlefinger’s treason?” He said with a smirk while Varys tried to regain his composure.

 

“If what you say is true then why isn’t my head on a spike next to lord Baelish’s?” He asked with slight anxiety in his voice.

 

“Because unlike Lord Baelish you didn’t fight for personal ambition but for the welfare of the people. Because you are absolutely right, incompetence should not be rewarded with blind loyalty. But most of all because I believe it is your purpose to help me build a better world.”

 

Varys looked stunned as Joffrey circled around him like a shark circling a prey.

 

“I believe that you are meant to help me build this new world. One where we cast down the yoke of classiest society. Where the weak aren’t trampled with impunity, and the powerful are brought to heel. I believe you, Varys are the man to help me carve out this new world.”

 

“H-how?”

 

“Well first you need to make a decision here and now.” He said as he stopped circling, stopping right in front of him. “To either stand beside me and serve me to the best of your abilities, or to choose to follow your original plan and aid the Targaryen girl. I will allow you to leave tonight. I'll give you a ship and you can sail for Essos in the morning.”

 

Varys contemplated his words for a moment before speaking.

 

“If I do choose you what would that entail?” 

 

“Well first you need to dedicate yourself to my cause completely, and if you feel as if I am failing the people I want you to be honest with me. Come to me, look me in the eye, and tell me where I am failing. Don’t conspire behind my back to have me replaced.” He said, holding out his hand for Varys.

 

Varys nodded his head understandingly. From what he had seen so far Joffrey meant what he said, he intended to build a better world. The common folk in this city hadn’t been this prosperous since the days of king Jaehaerys. They knew full bellies and safety in just four months since he took the throne. And with the brilliant use of violence he had rid his court of corrupt officials and enemies who sought to undermine him. He had the correct mixture of benevolence and ruthlessness that made great kings. One who could intimidate the powerful and inspire the people.

 

It was at this moment that Varys decided to put all of his faith and hope in the lion rather than the dragon. He reached out his hand and shook Joffrey's, who smiled at the man’s choice.

 

“I will be in your care, my master of whispers.” He said smiling.

 

“And I you my king.” He said, smiling back.

 

Joffrey then stopped smiling and looked him dead in the eye.

 

“But if you ever betray me, I will take your head.” He said with a dead serious tone all the kindness gone from his eyes.

 

“I’d expect nothing less from the young lion.” He said, still smiling at the threat.

 

Joffrey just smiled in return and invited him to take a seat at his desk. As Varys sat Joffrey sheathed the dagger that he had hidden in his sleeve, giving him a cold side eye. He then poured the two of them some wine and began discussing their future plans well into the night.

 

[Two Days Later]

 

Cersei and her Lannister soldiers had been expelled from the capital and sent back to Casterly Rock. Tommen and Myrcella stayed behind with Joffrey in King’s Landing, they actually seemed rather relieved seeing their mother go. At the moment he was working to organize the brothel situation, since all of Littlefinger’s properties had been seized. Most were sold off for profit and added to the crown's treasury. Joffrey planned to pay back both his grandfather and the faith debts as quickly as possible. After they were settled he would turn his attention to the Iron Bank.

 

It was already midday when Joffrey heard a knock at his door.

 

“Enter,” He said.

 

It was Sansa who was wearing a low cut dark green day dress and wore her hair down in the northern style. She started to dress more to her northern roots after Joffrey had told her that he didn’t need a second mother and preferred her northern beauty.

 

“Joffrey,” She said, giving him a curtsy while he sat at his desk.

 

“Yes Sansa what is it?” He asked, giving her a kind smile.

 

“Nothing there is just a comet gracing the sky. I wanted to look at it with you.” She said sweetly.

 

Joffrey chuckled at her reasoning, setting his quill down.

 

“Oh why not, I could use a break anyway.” He said getting up from his desk and stretching his arms.

 

Sansa gave him a beaming smile and interlocked her arms around his as they made their way down the hall. They walked some ways before coming out to a large balcony where Ser Barristan, Maester Pycelle, the hound, and others were already standing staring up at the red comet in the sky. As the pair made their way onto the balcony he could hear the group talking about the spectacle.

 

“It's a sign from the gods, it means that our king will soon rule all seven kingdoms.” Maester Pycelle said.

 

“Maybe it's a message of the bloody massacre that our king enacted.” Said another.

 

“I remember one appeared back in the day, when prince Rhaegar's son Aegon was born.” Said Ser Barristan reminiscing on the past.

 

“What a load of shit, it's a red star in the sky, big whop.” Said the hound who drank from a bag of wine.

 

“Oh? You think so, Sandor?” Joffrey asked as he and Sansa came onto the balcony.

 

“Your grace.” They said in unison, bowing their heads in respect.

 

“I heard it could only mean one thing.” Sansa said as she looked up at Joffrey. “Dragons”

 

“Dragons?” He said amused.

 

“Dragons are dead girl they’ve been dead for centuries, luckily for us.” Sandor said dismissively.

 

Barristan looked annoyed at Sandor for how he casually addressed the king’s lady. Why Joffrey was chuckling internally at how right Sansa actually was.

 

“Looks like Daenerys did it.” He thought. “She hatched her dragon eggs.”

 

He gazed up at the red comet that bled across the sky, signaling the return of dragons. Suddenly he felt his consciousness drawn toward the red star. It pulled at him fiercely, beaconing to him. His eyes turned completely light as stared up at the sky. Sansa suddenly noticed something wrong with him. 

 

“Your grace?” She asked, touching his chest with her hand. “Are you okay?”

 

Joffrey then fell backward collapsing to the ground.

 

“Joffrey!” She yelled, getting everyone else’s attention.

 

Joffrey's body began to spasm uncontrollably, his eyes still completely white as the others rushed to his side.

 

“Your grace! Your grace, can you hear me?!” Barristan yelled as he cradled the boy's head preventing it from thrashing against the stone pavement.

 

Though Joffrey’s consciousness was far from their reach. His spirit or soul or whatever controlled his body was thrown from his body. No thrown was a proper word more like fired, fired like a human bullet, like a human cannonball at the sky that overlooked King’s Landing. He was thrown, his body spiraling and twisting beyond his control. He only could catch a glimpse of his collapsed body and then his city before they were beyond his sight. He saw landscapes; mountains, rivers, and forests laid beneath him as he continued to be thrown.

 

Soon he was surrendered by gray waste which he recognized as the north from the maps. He continued to fly a thousand miles an hour as he passed Winterfell. He was heading north but he didn’t know why. He couldn’t understand what was happening while his body continued to spin out of control.

 

Soon he saw the great wall of the north that stood hundreds of feet high and stretched for as far as the eye could see. He zoomed past it going past the barren wastes of the far north, past the forests and glaciers till he came upon a frozen tundra shrouded in dark blue light. He hit the ground hard, his body bouncing off the ice.

 

“Argh” He said, wheezing out in pain.

 

He soon got up to his feet and looked around, he was wearing the same clothes his physical body wore but didn’t feel cold at all.  He looked around and saw nothing but ice and glaciers, the sky was a dark blue huh and illuminated the lands in a menacing light. As he was wondering what he could do to get back to his body he heard something coming. He turned around and heard the sound of hooves coming his way. Soon a horse on the horizon appeared with a black cloaked rider on top.

 

He was debating whether he should ask for directions or hide when he saw what the horse and rider really were. The horse was missing flesh from its face and had blue eyes, its rib cage was exposed to the elements but seemed unaffected. The rider was wrapped in a jagged black cloak making it hard for Joffrey to see his face but could see the blue eyes deep in the hood. Joffrey could feel his heart ready to stop out of fear as the figure approached him. His legs shook like crazy but refused to move. He felt like a deer frozen by an oncoming car.

 

“White Walkers” he thought frighteningly.

 

But suddenly the horse and the rider passed him by like he wasn’t even standing there. He stood there still studded afraid to turn around. Slowly he turned and saw that the rider hadn’t seen him and continued on its path. 

 

“He couldn’t see me?” He asked himself half reassured and half confused.

 

Joffrey wanted to head in the opposite direction of wherever the White Walker was heading but he suddenly felt compelled to follow the dead horseman. He walked a few feet behind him the horse looking at the landscape as he went past. There wasn’t much to look at though it was all frozen waste and glaciers as far as the eye could see. After a not so short amount of time he came upon a new structure over the top of a hill. It was a tall twisted ice structure that reminded Joffrey of a stronghold. It seemed run down and half destroyed with back specs surrounding it.

 

As he came closer he saw what the black specks were, wights and thousands of them. Dead men who had been brought back to be meat for the other’s army. They looked half decayed and were missing flesh from the exposed skin much like the walker’s horse. Their eyes shined the same icy blue as the dark cloaked rider. As he walked past them they seemed to fail to see him just like the white walker had. They continued forward into the giant ice castle, as they made their way inside, he saw several other dark cloaked figures waiting.

 

There were at least seven as far as he could see he couldn’t make out their appearance due to their cloaks. But he could see they were all different shapes and sizes unlike their show counterparts. Suddenly the rider came to a halt, he dismounted his horse and then continued forward. As Joffrey followed him he could see the walker was carrying something in its arm. 

 

While he walked deeper into the chamber he came upon a frightening sight. A giant ice-like throne in the far end of a great hall. Joffrey walked to the right far side watching the rider come before the ice throne. What sat in the chair was a skeleton-like body; its upper body laid bare, its bones shined like milk glass and seemed to glow. Its arms were crossed as if it were wearing a straight jacket, with its torso covered in black chains pinning it to the throne. On its head sat a dark gray helmet with seven horns twisted into the shape of a jagged crown.

 

The rider walker walked before the throne before kneeling before the skeleton. It then revealed what had been carrying; a baby. It had been transporting a baby to this wretched place. It then places the newborn baby at the things feet. The baby started to cry uncontrollably after being placed on the floor.

 

Joffrey felt like springing into action grabbing the baby and getting out of this god forsaken land, then suddenly the skeleton stirred. Its eyes slowly opened; they were cold and blue and burned like ice. He couldn’t make out the rest of its face beneath the over sized helmet and frankly he didn’t want to see. Then its mouth began to open and a blue light appeared. Suddenly the infant started to glow blue as well. A stream of blue energy left the baby’s body and entered the skeleton's mouth.

 

Joffrey looked on in horror as the skeleton slowly devoured the innocent child's energy and the baby turned into a pile of ash before his eyes, crying all the while. Afterward the skeleton closed its mouth and Joffrey could see its bones starting to fill out as a tiny layer of pale flesh now covered them. He didn’t know what to make of this horror movie before him, when the skeleton’s head slowly started to turn in his direction. Its ice cold eyes stared at him looking through him unlike any of the others.

 

“He can see me!” He was completely terrified when he suddenly felt a massive amount of energy emitting from the chained creature.  

 

He felt a wave of energy like a powerful blizzard wash over his body forcing it from the frozen castle. He suddenly felt his consciousness flying back to the south lands and into the Red Keep. His astral body then reentered his physical one. He shot up to his butt gasping for air. Everyone around him looked startled and taken aback.

 

“Joffrey!” Sansa yelled. “Joffrey are you alright?!” 

 

But he didn’t answer her; he was still overcome with fear and horror at what he had just seen. He knew that the army of the dead was real and the white walkers were real. But knowing about and seeing them in person were two completely different things. 

 

“Your grace, can you hear me?” Barristan asked concerned as he kneeled beside the boy.

 

“I saw them, Barristan.” He said, frightened, turning his head to look at the old knight.

 

The knight was taken aback by the fear and terror in the young king’s eyes.

 

“Saw who?” he asked.

 

“The Others” He managed to say before passing out.

 

“Joffrey? Joffrey!” he yelled.

 

But all the voices faded into the background as his consciousness slowly slipped away.

 

[End Of Act 1]

 

This concludes the first act of the series, hope you like the extra long chapter, I wanted to go big for the season finale. 

 

Let me know in the comments what you think of the story so far. If you like my story so far please subscribe.

 

Shout out to Chaddits and Argon459 for their helpful tips in helping me improve my writing.

 

Gonna be a small pause while I think of how to approach Act 2.