The Prince of Thorns

🛡Boy King🗡

Sitting in the garden are Alester and Myrcella with their hands interlocked. Though she wasn't shocked at Joffrey's actions due to her being used to him. She still thought he was smart enough to not start a civil war. On top of all that she was now worried for her true father's life.

Myrcella: "I'm sorry about Lord Stark. I knew you two were close."

Alester: "Don't ever feel sorry for you brother's actions."

Myrcella: "What do you think is going to happen to us."

Alester: "We'll be fine. Once we marry, we'll leave for Highgarden."

Myrcella: "And my family. What will happen to them."

Alester: "You once asked me to keep a secret. Now I must ask you to keep one."

She nods her head at him in agreement.

Alester: "My father is sick. He has been for quite some time now. Soon I'll be the Lord of Highgarden and you the lady. In short I'll be able to foster any noble children."

Myrcella: "Tommen?"

Alester: "Precisely."

--------------------------------------

At the Throne Room on the Red Keep, A bard is singing a song for Joffrey and his retinue. Alester and Sansa Included.

The Bard: "The boar's great tusks, they boded ill                  

                       For good King Robert's health

                       And the beast was every bit as fat

                       As Robert was himself

                       But our brave king cried,

                       "Do your worst!

                       l'll have your ugly head!

                      You're nowhere near as murderous as the lion in my bed"

                     King Robert lost his battle and

                     He failed his final test,

                     A lion ripped his balls off,

                     And the boar did all the rest.

Joffrey Baratheon: "Very amusing. lsn't it a funny song? Thank you for your rendition. l imagine it was even better received at that tavern."

The Bard: "l'm so sorry, Your Grace. l'll never sing it again, l swear."

Joffrey Baratheon: "Tell me, which do you favor - your fingers or your tongue?"

The Bard: "Your Grace?"

Sansa looks at Joffrey, despondent.

Joffrey Baratheon: "Fingers or your tongue? lf you got to keep one, which would it be? Or l could just cut your throat."

The Bard: "Every man needs hands, Your Grace."

Joffrey Baratheon: "Good. Tongue it is."

Alester: "Your Gace if you cut the tongues from every man who speaks ill of your family then you will have an empty kingdom."

Joffrey Baratheon: "I will do as I please Tyrell. I am the King!"

The Bard: "Your Grace, please. l won't sing, Your Grace."

Joffrey Baratheon: "Ser llyn, who better than you to carry out the sentence?"

The Bard: "l beg you! Please, no. No!"

Ilyn Payne marches towards the fire to heat up his dagger.

The Bard: "Your Grace, please. l beg you, l will never sing again! No!"

Joffrey Baratheon: "l'm done for the day. l'll leave the rest of the matters to you, Mother."

The Bard: "Your Grace, please!"

The echoes of the bards' screams fill the room.

As Joffrey leaves with Meryn Trant, Alester and the Hound, he passes by Sansa. The bard is still screaming and begging in the background.

Joffrey Baratheon: "You look quite nice."

Sansa Stark: "Thank you, my lord."

Joffrey Baratheon: "Your Grace. l'm King now."

Joffrey Baratheon: "Walk with me. l want to show you something."

In his heart and mind Alester knows what the boy king has to show the Stark.

Sandor Clegane: "Do as you're bid, child."

Joffrey and Sansa are outside, walking past across a row of spears in the Red Keep. Trant, Alester and Clegane follow behind them.

Joffrey Baratheon: "And as soon as you've had your blood, l'll put a son in you. Mother says that shouldn't be long."

The pikes have impaled heads on them. Sansa looks away.

Sansa Stark: "No! Please, no!"

Joffrey Baratheon: "This one's your father. This one here. Look at it and see what happens to traitors."

Sansa Stark: "You promised to be merciful."

Joffrey Baratheon: "l was. l gave him a clean death. Look at him."

Sansa Stark: "Please let me go home. l won't do any treason, l swear –"

Joffrey Baratheon: "Mother says l'm still to marry you. So, you'll stay here and obey. Look at him!"

Sansa looks up at the head of her father.

Joffrey Baratheon: "Well?"

Sansa Stark: "How long do l have to look?"

Joffrey Baratheon: "As long as it pleases me. Do you want to see the rest?"

Sansa Stark: "lf it pleases Your Grace."

Joffrey Baratheon: "That's your Septa there. l'll tell you what, l'm going to give you a present. After l raise my armies and kill your traitor brother, l'm going to give you his head as well."

Sansa Stark: "Or maybe he'll give me yours."

As Ser Meryn raise his hand to slap Sansa his attempt is stopped as Alester grabs his wrist swiftly. The two men lock eyes.

Alester: "Don't make the mistake of laying a hand on the lady now."

Joffrey Baratheon: "Don't forget who rules you, Tyrell."

Alester: "Not a boy who plays at being King."

Joffrey storms off with his two followers, leaving Sansa and Alester at the bridge. She looks at the heads atop the pikes and cries.

Alester: "Do you know my houses words Sansa."

The red eyed girl turns to the young Tyrell.

Alester: "Growing Strong. Which is what you're doing every day. Hear me now Men like that don't last long in a world so full of knives and shadows."