Tainted // Tyrion Lannister

68. Body and Soul

Walk of atonement. Margaery stood clothed and ready to be striped and shamed for then this hell would be over.

'Richer poor noble or common if we sin we must atone Margaery of house Tyrell came to us a sinner she stood before the gods in the holy sept and lied. She turned a blind eye to her brother sins, she disgraced her house her king and herself.' the high sparrow told the people as they stood before them but Jamie Lannister came along with his guards marching ahead. Margaery saw her father ride up as well

'Sorry to interrupt we're here for Queen Margaery and Loras Tyrell give them to us and will be on Our Way,' Jamie said confidently and Margaery felt a breath of relief fill her Olena looked up confidently at her granddaughter.

'I don't have the authority to give them to you and you don't have the authority to take them.' the high sparrow told him. Jamie marched his horse up the steps and the kings guard prepared themselves

'I speak for King Tommen of the house Baratheon first of his name.' Jamie said

'The gods don't recognize his authority in this matter.'

'You've already insulted one great house it won't happen twice. every last sparrow will die before Margaery Tyrell walks down that street.' Jaime told him.

'to die in the service of the gods would please each and every one of us.' the sparrow told him 'we are prepared for it. But there is no call for that today.' he admitted 'there will be no walk of atonement.' Margaery tried to keep her head held high as she was confused on what was happening

'Margaery has already atoned for her sins by bringing another into the true light of the seven,' he admitted 'together we announce a new age of harmony a holy alliance between the crown and the faith.' he said as Tommen emerged joining hands with his wife there was a roar of approval from the towns people below. All Jamie's hard work he stared up at them but he was happy there's less blood shed since he had returned one handed he wasn't much of a fighter but working with the man that made Tommen's own mother do a walk of atonement her hair cut her body stripped of clothes as she walked the streets people shouted at her throwing stones and food at her. Jaime couldn't believe his son would do such a thing.

'The crown and the faith.' Tommen said 'are the twin pillars upon which the world rests together we will restore the seven kingdoms to glory.' he told them.

+

They move back to the pyramid and all was quiet. They stared up at Danny as she glared down at them Danny felt a tightness in her chest as she watched them approach.

'Your grace.' Jorah said stepping forward.

'You will not speak.' Danny told him 'how do you I know you are who you say you are?' she addressed Tyrion.

'If only I wasn't your grace,' Tyrion told them, his eyes drifting between Mabel and Daenerys. Tilly was happily munching on a piece of bread, Mabel kept breaking off little piece for her as they spoke. So far so good, Daenerys had a soft spot for children.

'If you really are Tyrion Lannister why shouldn't I kill you and bring you back to your family for what it did to mine?' Danny questioned Mabel didn't dare look up from Tilly.

'Do you want revenge against the lannister. I killed my mother Joanna Lannister on the day I was born I killed my father Tywin Lannister with a bow to the heart. I am the greatest Lannister killer of all times.' Tyrion told them

'So I should welcome you into my service? Because you murdered members of your family?' Danny questioned.

'Into your service? Your grace we've only just met. It's too soon to see if you deserve my service' Tyrion told them.

'Tyrion be nice.' Mabel whispered.

"Be ice.' Tilly agreed nodding and Daenerys almost laughed looking down at the child.

'If you would rather return to the fighting pits just say the word.' Danny told him and Tyrion hesitated

'When I was a young man I heard a story about a baby born during the worst storm in memory she had no wealth no lands no army only a name and a handful of supporters. Most of them probably thought they could use and her name to benefit themselves.' Tyrion told her and Daenerys stared down at him. 'they kept the baby alive moving them from place to place only hours ahead of the men who've been sent to kill them. They were eventually sold off to some more Lord at the end of the world and that appeared to be that then a few years later the most well-informed person I knew told me that this girl without wealth land armies had somehow acquired all three in a very short span of time along with three dragons... he thought the girl was our best last chance to build a better world.' Tyrion told them 'thought you were Worth meeting at the very last least.' Tyrion added

'And why are you worth meeting?' Danny countered 'why should I spend my time listening to you?' Danny added

'Because you cannot build a better world on your own you have no one at your side to understand the land you want to rule the strengths and weaknesses of the houses that either join or oppose you,' Tyrion told her and Mabel tried to remember to breath as Tilly was in a better mood and they might not die within the next few minutes. Might.

'I have a very large army and very large dragons,' Danny told him

'Killing and politics aren't always the same thing,' Tyrion told her. 'when I served as hand of the King I did quite well with the latter considering the king in question preferred torturing animals to leading his people. I could do an even better job advising a ruler worth the name. If that Is indeed what you are.'

++

Margaery spent a lot of her time reading

'Your Grace what are we reading today?' Your Grace Margaery thought bitterly, she made sure she was seen by the sparrow at the sept. But instead of her rags she wore her fine dresses and a crown adorned on her head. She was playing a new kind of game now a new set of lies but her life depended on it this time.

'The book of the mother your Holiness chapter 3 verse 12.'

'As water around the stones smooth.' he began

'Smooth and what was jagged.' Margaery added 'so does a woman's love, man's brute nature wife sells her husband's work Wounds and a mother sings her son to sleep.' she said turning to him her hands clasped in front of her as she said the verse by memory

'You learn quickly. There are some who know every verse of the sacred text and don't have a drop of the mother's mercy and their are blood and savages who can't read it at all yet understand the father's wisdom,' the sparrow told her

'For years I pretended to love the poor the afflicted I had pity for them but... I never loved them,' she admitted 'they disgusted me.'

'They are hard to love.' he admitted 'the poor disgust us because they are us as, strip off our illusions they show us what we look like without our fine clothes what we would smell like without perfume.' He sat down looking up to her. 'Can I ask you about a personal matter?"

'Of course.' she answered sitting down next to him

'The King mentioned that since your reunion you haven't joined me in the marriage bed.'

'No.' she admitted

'You have a duty your Grace to your husband your king your country to the gods themselves.' He reminded her

'It's just... The desires that once drove me no longer do,' she told him

'Congress does not require desire on a woman's part only patience.' the sparrow told her 'the king must have an heir if we are to continue our good work.' she nodded understanding

'Forgive me sometimes the true path is hard to find.'

'Hard to find and harder still to walk.' he told her 'but you've made great progress. I only pray your grandmother follow your lead.'

'My grandmother...'

'she has to confess.' He told her as he walked away. 'yes the queen of thorns is remarkable woman a strong woman and unrepentant sinner you must teach her the new way as she taught you the old or I fear for her safety. Body and soul.'