Kingslayer [Game of Thrones] ✓

Sprouts of Evil

The mist had not yet settled on the water as the three Matosi ships set anchor at the shore of Kingslanding. Gliding through the thick mist Medusa Meer settles with both her sons in a completely covered carriage that takes her through the stinking city underneath the Red Keep, the marching of her soldiers assuring her of her safety. Her gaze falls onto a small child in rags sitting with his mother at the edge of the road. Reaching into her her dress pockets she takes out a small leathern pouch, opening the window. "You, mother." The woman looks up, filled with panic. "Feed your child. buy it new clothes, buy yourself a new dress, some shoes. This city is filthy. Do not let it break you and your daughter." She throws the pouch into the womans lap who opens it with shaking fingers. "My lady.. thank you. But I do not know your name, house or banner." "It is Medusa Meer, Supreme queen of Matos, princess of Pentos, the Kingslayer, the Serpent queen. Whatever you may call me by. And my banner is the snake biting its own tail.", Medusa says, keeping her voice gentle and kind intentionally. "You are so kind, despite the bad things said about you, my queen.." "Our queen killed the terrible king because he made businesses that had our children starve, our rich soil exhausted. She freed us and now cares for us like a mother for her children. Matos is blossoming. We do no longer have beggars as every man and women can afford housing and food. Our queen is good, woman and for her sacrifice we stand by her and our royal families side until death." The woman looks up at the group of foreigners with tears in her eyes. "Forgive me for..." "I did not take offence. It is the harmony between cruelty and kindness that makes me a good queen. Kindness to my own, cruelty to our enemies. Excuse us. We have a royal wedding to attend." The group sets in motion again and Medusa closes the window. "Mommy.." Brushing over her sons hair she smiles. "What is it?" "Why are people looking so sick here?" "Because they are, Avalon. Because here in Westeros people born to titles like us do not care about the people that work for them. But that is not right and we can never allow ourselves to become like them, my dear little snake. Matos is our home, the source of our riches, the crib of our lives and every life on our land is to be protected. We must take care of our people so that they can take care of us. We work for each other.", Medusa says gently, brushing her fingers through her sons locks. "How do I do that, mommy?" "By protecting them by making good choices. By making sure that no one needs to be hungry. Mommy has made sure to build cheap but good housing for people of low income. She made sure that there are kitchens in the city that hand our meals to people who can not afford them. That there are people caring for those old and sick or those too young to take care of themselves. Mommy pays seamstresses to make sure people can afford decent quality and sturdy clothes and shoes. Mommy created channels that allow dirt and waste to flow out underneath the earth so that the streets are clean and disease won't spread. You will be an even better ruler than I was, my sweet. Because me and your father will teach both you and your brother all we know. Love and be loved. Defend and be defended. That is what we do." Avalon tucks himself into his mothers side. "I love you, mommy." Kissing his head she smiles. "And I love you, my little snake. And I will always love and protect you."

Most of the royalty and nobility already had gathered at the great sept of Baelor when a man bursts through the doors. "My king! My queen! They came. The Matosi!"

The door is opened and two rows of guards part. Veiled in a golden glow reflecting from the metallic sparkling dress she wears the Serpent Queen enters the Sept. Her long, dark hair, graced by a golden, lavish crown decorated with sapphires and diamonds flows around her. The two white strands adding maturity to her beautiful youthful face. Her dark green eyes able to freeze anyone in place. But she is not alone. On her arm she carries an infant and holding one of her hands is a young boy. Both children are dressed just as opulently and it is clear that she had stolen the stage from both the queen to be and the queen mother. Even the young, sadistic king had fallen silent, frozen as he faces the true, royal serpent. She nods her head ever so slightly. "Never before have I seen a wedding party so quiet. Has it not been you who send me an invitation?", she asks, her voice, as always poisonous and yet sweet as honey as she glides down the stairs. "My queen.. I did not expect to see you here, much less with prince Avalon." Oberyn steps close and kisses her fingers, each graced by one or more golden rings. "It is time for people to know that they can stop speculating or trying to sneak spies and seductresses or seductors into my kingdom. I have a family already. It gets boring discarding of them and sealing the countless envelopes as I send them back here in parts, truth be told." "Another son... I do not doubt your mysterious partner to be his father. Your sons look like mirror images of each other. What is his name?" "Eden. His name is Eden.", Avalon blurts out, standing close to his mother. She smiles. "Yes. Eden. Avalon chose it." "The Serpent queen married... Why were there no news?" "My childrens father doesn't like fame nor titles. We did not celebrate an official wedding, yet we had our union announced before the gods. In Matos it is well known that I have chosen my One and that there are two heirs to the throne now.. however.. our matters have no business in the seven kingdoms courts.", Medusa speaks and her words ring in all ears, silencing every other question possibly arising among the gathered nobility. She pulls back her hand, taking that of her older son again. "Will you not at least give us a hint as to whom this man might be?" Medusa looks down to her son. "Do you want to give them a hint, my little snake?" He grins mischievously. "My daddy is a No One." The hint arises more questions than answers, yet Oberyn who remembers the Serpent Queen speaking of Braavos puts one and one together. "Truly?", he asks quietly. Medusa smiles. "A mans Queen does not need lovers. She has all she could ever desire in One.", she says just as quietly and Oberyn steps back a bit, unwilling to die for getting a single step too close to the only woman known to history to have made a faceless man her lover and who had birthed his children. He didn't even know whether or not these children were truly looking like a dead man whose face the assassin took or whether they were looking like the person that the assassin might have been before he entered the house of Black and White. To fall in love as deeply as she very obviously had with a person who could change their appearance at any given time was an incredible thought and if he hadn't seen the adoration in her eyes any time she thinks of her childrens father he would not have believed a person to be capable of such thing. Medusa Meer, the Serpent Queen of Matos was truly something else. Someone to be admired and someone he would be willing to lose both hands for in exchange for being able to make love to her once. But he knows better than to believe that both her and her lover wouldn't make sure he'd lose his life instead.