I AM A DRAGON - HOTD AU

Chapter 32

His sister didn't sleep after the meeting with the girls. Both her and Ser Harold were white as milk when they emerged from the room. Ser Harold didn't speak of what was said in the room or what he'd seen, he just admitted that Lord Hornwood was telling the truth. Viserys didn't know if he should ask anymore questions. Part of him knew there was more to the stories that Lord Hornwood has revealed, but that didn't mean that he wanted to know the smallest details. Viserys knew his own sins. He married Aemma too young, her being one and ten him being five and ten, two children pushed into a marriage neither of them knew what to do with. He put babe after babe in her until it killed her. He neglected his brother and ignored his wishes. He spoiled his daughter rotten and allowed her bad behavior and tantrums. He allowed rats to sit at his table and give him council. He was guilty of all those things, but he couldn't imagine doing what Lord Bolton did to those girls. Viserys liked to think that even though he wasn't a septon he wasn't a monster either.

Seeing his unmovable sister looking like that gave him shivers down the spine. She wasn't moved when his Baleon died, nor was she shaken when Daemon killed Mysaria. To see her like this when he knew she saw unspeakable things in her visions was unthinkable. She was pale when she came out, she didn't eat at dinner nor did she speak of what she'd seen in the room. She didn't sleep either, but when morning came he could see the rage in her eyes. The dragon blood boiling beneath her skin. He knew no matter what happened at this trial Lord Bolton was going to die.

Lord Bolton arrived just after noon, in his party was his son and heir, his daughter and her husband and a handful of knights. The man didn't looked panicked or worried about the reason he was called. Viserys wondered if it was because of the confidence he had in his scare tactics or because the man was not in his right mind. Bolton looked more dead than alive, no spark in his eyes, no emotions on his face, nothing. Viserys had seen statues with more life in them than Bolton. His daughter on the other hand looked dreadful. Wide dead eyes, a black eye and a swollen cheek, purple and green bruises on her neck and arms. She looked like she wasn't present, locked in her mind somewhere. She was a living doll. She didn't talk, didn't courtesy, didn't even look in their directions. She just followed along after her father, like a shadow.

All Bolton men were quickly subjugated by the Stark and Hornwood knights. Ser Harwin taking a hold of the Bolton heir and putting his sword to the man's neck when he began to struggle. The girls husband was on his knees, some Hornwood knight being a little rough with him. Viserys didn't mind.

Viserys sat at the table his brother to his right and his sister to his left, ser Harold a silent shadow ready to cut down anyone was behind him. Lord Stark and Hornwood at each side of his siblings. The man in front of him watched the scene happening around him, the only emotion that Viserys could detect was a little curiosity. His daughter on the other hand finally had a reaction, her mind snapped to the present and her eyes were surveying the room around her.

"Lord Bolton you were brought here, today to answer to the crimes you committed." Viserys began.

"I would like to know what crimes are those, my King." Lord Bolton replied.

"You stand accused of murder and rape. You stand accused of breaking His Grace's, the King's, law. You stand accused of continuing the tradition called the First Night, that was abolished by the order of the Old King, King Jaehaerys I. You stand accused of flaying people for no other reason than being of low birth and mutilating servants for your pleasure. How do you plead?" Maenera said.

"Flaying was not outlawed." Lord Bolton replied.

"Really? That is the part that you try to defend?" Asked Daemon incredulous. On the faces of those around him was disbelief and anger.

***

Daemon would admire the man for his hold on emotions if he was not a complete lunatic. The accusation seemed to have no effects whatsoever on him. After Daemon exclaimed his disbelief and the men and women in the room showed their disgust, he saw his sister getting up from her chair and whispering something in Viserys ear. Maenera made her way to Lord Bolton's daughter and took her by the shoulders and moved her where the rest of the wronged women were. The men quickly took their eyes from the pack of females that were staying at the side of the room.