9th Month of 299 A.C. King's Landing
King Aegon VI Targaryen
The Iron Throne was a monster, made up of the blades of defeated foes, it was a seat that was meant to prevent any who sat on it from sitting comfortably, for as Aegon's namesake and ancestor had said, 'No King should rest easy.' It was a sentiment that Aegon could understand and appreciate, after fighting so hard to win his throne, he would not give it up, not for anyone or anything. It felt good to be sitting here, where his ancestors had sat, where the seven kingdoms had been forged and ruled for generations before his grandfather had gone insane. There were times when he had to catch himself, and pinch himself to make sure that this was all real, and that it was not a dream. Thinking of himself in the same sentence as King Aerys, or Prince Rhaegar was strange, thinking of himself in the same breath as King Aegon the Dragon, or Daeron the Good was even stranger. He knew there was a lot riding on him, he had a legacy to fulfil and uphold, and he was determined to do justice by it. He was determined to be the best possible King he could be.
As such, that started today, with his first court session. It had been around two weeks since he had taken King's Landing and removed the false King's head from his shoulders, in that time, he had become accustomed to King's Landing and the Red Keep, and had waited for Sansa to come. It had not seemed right to start court and his new life without his wife by his side. He had however, included Ser Rolland Storm and Ser Theodan Wells into the Kingsguard, deciding to keep Ser Loras till today, a move he knew would go down well, for some reason the Knight of Flowers was well liked within King's Landing. A piece of information that had earned Varys his place back on the small council, after he had appeared shortly before Sansa had arrived. As he looks around the throne room, Aegon notes that his cousins Robb and Bran both stand to the side, Robb, he knows is desperate to return north, to deal with the threats that are present there, whilst Bran, well he looks slightly lost. The rest of the court is talking amongst itself, but they all go quiet when the herald, whose name Aegon does not know clears his throat and speaks. "The first court session of His Grace, King Aegon Targaryen, Sixth of that name, is now in session."
Aegon can feel the eyes of what seems like thousands of courtiers fix themselves onto him, he looks around, and then speaks. "Thank you my lords and ladies for coming. It has been a long and trying time, the war that the Lannisters started has now come to an end. Tywin Lannister is dead, alongside his daughter and grandchildren. Tyrion Lannister is now Lord of Casterly Rock, and Warden of the West, and I know that I can trust in him to be faithful and true." He sees the dwarf blush, and continues. "The small council was a farce during the reign of my predecessors here. It did not serve the realm, but instead merely worked for its own benefit. As such, I think the time is right for new members to assume the positions." He pauses for a moment and then continues. "I name as Hand of the King, Lord Robb Stark of Winterfell." a slight murmur. "I name as Master of Laws, Lord Jason Mallister." More murmuring there. "I name Lord Tyrion Lannister as Master of Coin." Even more murmuring there. "I name as Master of Whispers, Lord Varys." No murmuring there, no surprise. "I name as Master of Ships, Ser Wylis Manderly." Some slight murmuring. "I confirm as Grand Maester, Maester Gormon of the citadel, and finally I confirm, Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning as Lord Commander of the Kingsguard."
Silence falls for the briefest of moments as the court digests this information, the only old hand from the previous regime is Varys, and even then the man has shown himself to be devoutly a Targaryen loyalist. Petyr Baelish, remains in the Vale, doing gods alone knows what, though Robb promises him he will get word out of his aunt before the year is over. Aegon hopes he does, he would not want to reduce the Eyrie to ash. The silence is broken, when Robb moves forward, getting on bended knee, his cousin asks. "Your Grace, I thank you for the honour of being named your hand. I request permission to return to the north, to deal with the threats that linger to your realm there."
This is a mere formality, Aegon had already agreed to allow his cousin to venture north, when this was all done, and so it is without any hesitation that he says. "Lord Stark, you have served me faithfully throughout the war. And so it is without hesitation, that I grant you permission to venture northwards, to deal with those threats."
Robb rises and bows. "Thank you Your Grace." He turns and walks back to his place at Bran's side.
There is some murmuring at this, though Aegon suspects, that those murmuring are more relieved than anything, the rumours of what had happened within the West and the Riverlands having undoubtedly reached them here. He clears his throat, and silence falls once more. "There are more issues that I would like to address today. Ser Loras Tyrell, come forward." A hushed silence echoes around the throne room, as the Knight of Flowers steps forward. He lowers his head. "Ser Loras, you served as Lord Commander of the False King's Kingsguard, do you repent for that?"
He expects there to be protests, but it seems that Ser Loras has been spoken to by his grovelling father. "I do Your Grace."
Aegon nods, and then says. "Very well, I welcome you to my Kingsguard. Ser Arthur if you would." Aegon hears people turning to their neighbours and whispering about this surprising development, and laughs internally, he might not like the Tyrells, but they are too powerful to aggravate just now. And so Ser Arthur places the white cloak on the Knight of Flowers's shoulders, and the man says his vows before coming to stand before the throne. He had expected more of a struggle but is relieved that there was not, he would hate to have to cut down the boy. Though he suspects, that with what is to come next, there will be time still for them to fight. He takes a deep breath and then speaks once more. "There were many lords and ladies who sided with the wrong King during the war. I have listened to their appeals, listened to why they think they should not be attainted and executed," he pauses then, knowing that what comes next goes against what he believes in. "I have decided that all of those houses who sided with the false King Durran Baratheon as well as the false King Joffrey Baratheon shall be pardoned, apart from one house." He pauses once more, the Baratheons are kin to him, does what he is about to do now make him a Kinslayer? He does not know, and he finds that bothers him more than it should. Swallowing, he continues. "House Baratheon has drawn its last breath today. Thrice they have fought against their rightful rulers, and thrice they have had barely any reason to truly go forward with it. That ends today with them. Bring forward the traitors."
The doors open and the court begins whispering fervently amongst itself as they see who has been brought in, from where he sits on the throne, Aegon sees the Tyrell boy stiffen, his hand going briefly to his sword, before coming to rest at his side. Renly Baratheon and Stannis Baratheon are thrown before the foot of the throne, their faces heavy with beards, and their hair rough. Stannis had had his daughter killed, a draft of poison or some such, a sickening thought. No doubt one that the red whore had told him about, Aegon will speak with her when all of this is done. "Stannis and Renly Baratheon, you are accused of treason and kinslaying, do you deny these charges?" Aegon asks, his voice loud and commanding.
Silence falls for a long time, Aegon can see the Tyrell boy trying to desperately to say something, anything that will make his mentor- his lover? - say something anything that will get him out of this, but there is no getting out of this. Eventually, Renly Baratheon speaks, his voice calm and confident. "You are no King." The man says. "You are a mere bastard pretending to be King. Do your worst, and see what happens."
Aegon sighs, rising from the throne, he knows that as King he could ask anyone to do this for him, but he remembers what Lord Eddard taught him and as such, he knows that he must be the man to do this. He walks down the steps of the throne, walks past the Kingsguard and comes to stand before the two traitors, Lord Stannis the first one who meets Blackfyre, his head rolling to the ground, someone takes it and walks out of the throne room, to place the head on a spike on the walls. Next, he comes before Lord Renly, he waits for a moment, allowing Renly Baratheon and Ser Loras a chance to say their goodbyes, they are silent, but Renly suspects they are saying goodbye with their eyes, after a time, Renly's head is yanked down, and Aegon takes his head as well. That done, he places Blackfyre back in its sheathe and walks back to sit on the throne. The hall is completely quiet then, as the men and women look at him to see what he says. He takes a moment and then says. "Let that be a lesson to all, treason of that order shall not be tolerated. Storm's End shall be held by the crown until such a time that a worthy candidate is found. Bring in the next prisoner."
The man who is dragged in next, draws a lot of mumbled gasps and whispers, Ser Barristan Selmy is a traitor, but he is a man who has earned a reputation, rightfully so. As he is brought before the throne, Aegon sees his Kingsguard stiffen slightly when confronted by the man, who until very recently was one of them. "Ser Barristan, you committed a grave crime, abandoning your King when he was still alive, tell me why did you do this?"
An eager silence falls over the court, as they all await the man's response. Eventually, the knight speaks. "King Aerys was mad, there was no denying that. What he had done to the realm through his madness and greed was something that I could not stand by. But I admit, I bent the knee to Robert out of a sense of self preservation. Rhaegar was dead, and well, there was none who I felt worthy of serving. I regret it now, and regretted it after it was done, but it was done."
Aegon looks at the man before him, a man he had grown up admiring, and he finds himself feeling a mixture of emotions, anger, rage, respect, all of them mixing together, to confuse him. Eventually he finds it within him to ask. "Would you do it again?"
The knight looks at him, and replies. "Yes."
It is a simple response, but one that feels like a knife through his heart, he does not know why, he wants to ask, but knows that asking would only worsen the situation. "Very well, Ser Barristan, your life has been declared forfeit. Tell me, how do you wish to die?"
The Knight is silent a moment, looking as if he is contemplating something, eventually he speaks. "I would ask to fight, but," and here he holds up his hands, one of which is missing. "I lost my sword hand during the war, and as such, would ask that if I am to die, you be the one to do it Your Grace."
Aegon nods, he finds himself once more rising from the throne, drawing Blackfyre, standing over Ser Barristan Selmy, a man he had respected and admired, and had wanted to be as a child, and sighs. He draws Blackfyre, and it takes three attempts for him to remove the head of the man who was his hero. As the head falls down to the ground, Aegon calls out. "Court is at an end." Nobles begin filling out, though some remain to see what he will do. He stands there over the body of his hero, unsure of how to feel, unsure of what to do now. His mind is spinning, he feels ill, but thankfully, he is not sick. All he knows is that suddenly Sansa is at his side, and he is walking away with her, away from the throne, and what he had to do.