End of an Era

[Adamat]

As Robert woke, he needed a moment to adjust his eyes to the light. Every fibre in his body hurt, or so it seemed. He felt awful. But at least he was alive. The maester that had kept vigil over him bowed over Robert for a moment, opening one eye further with his thumb, before excitedly scurrying away.

He would soon return, with two of Baratheon's personal retainers in tow. "We must get you dressed, my King," Ser Jeffory spoke. "The gathered Lords demand your presence, and King's Landing is for the taking. Word is that its garrison has surrendered, the defenders dispersing among the commoners." Robert sat upright, supported by the other knight. The pain was bad, but not unbearable. "Then my presence is what they'll get," Robert answered, after taking a deep breath and standing up.

They were still under the walls of the capital, its gates yet closed. It felt ceremonious, the gates of the capital would open for its king. As the sun fell on Robert's face, he took to the platform that had been erected while he'd been tended to. He watched over the battlefield, seeing many banners. The Westerlands, his own yellow Stag, the now bannerless Crownlander army. But also others, ones that hadn't been there before the duel. Arryn. Stark. Tully. It seemed the victorious alliance had arrived in force.

"All kneel!" A crier shouted after the deep sound of a horn had blown across the field.

[Dirty Chai]

Jon Arryn and the Valemen knelt before the hastily constructed dais; the blue-spangled falcon banner was center left, from Robert's view. The lords of the vale, following the Eyrie, removed their bascinets and visors, placing them on the grace ceremonially, revealing many heads of well-kept hair, some shaved short to kill lice while others were cut long and finely just below the jaw. Arryn's head was shiny in the sun, his bald head plain for all to see as he knelt down before the boy he had essentially made.

[Poach]

The garrison of the city, mainly Crownlanders but also Dornish, watched curiously from the walls. It appeared some sort of truce had been declared, with banners of known rebels and loyalists fluttering side by side. A crowd was gathering before a platform, upon which a man stood: some knights among those gathered on the walls said he might be Robert Baratheon.

* * *

Donnel joined the large crowd, impressed that Robert was able to walk and talk so quickly after what must have been a near death experience in the duel.

[Lord Dread]

Lord Mallister along with his vassal lords and knights attended the celebrities, kneeling in front of Baratheon.
It barely mattered for Jason, whether Baratheon would declare himself King of the Seven Kingdoms or someone else.
After all not only this war would be ended, but as well the murder of his brother by Aerys was finally avenged.
The Prince of Dragonstone, who also had responsibility for Jeffory's death in some way had also died.
What else could the Lord of Seagard wish for than peace and order returning to the realm?

[Pericles of Athens]

The Northmen made camp a distance from the southern hosts, many of them feeling uncomfortable beside the Andals. Ned and his closest lords, alongside a slew of guards had made their way to the camp of Robert, now King Baratheon. Ned knelt, a simple gesture his ancestors had made to save their kingdom and preserve their way of life, and one he did out of both necessity and desire. But there was business yet unfinished, Lyanna was missing, Aerys yet to be judged, as well the Princes and Princesses were at large. Unsettling.

[Pontifex Maximus]

The Lords of the Westerlands also knelt. Tywin rose and expected that he might be honored for giving Robert the opportunity to act so decisively to eliminate Targaryen resistance, not to mention his own victory over the Martell troops. He still held Doran Martell hostage. He listened to hear what Robert would say, he who was nursed to health by the hand of his own maester.

[Adamat]

"We stand before our final challenge, my Lords, Sers, soldiers," Robert's voice still reached far, though slightly less so than normal due to his injuries. "The walls of King's Landing, the seat of the Mad King. We will take them." He turned around, now facing the immense walls. As he addressed the men on it, a rider moved toward the gatehouse waving a banner of truce. After all, Robert's voice could not outrange an arrow. "Will its gates open for the righteous, or will we open them? Will the men on the walls admit honorable defeat and lay down their arms, or will we have to slaughter them like pigs?" He turned back to the immense host that was gathered. "Loyal followers shall be rewarded, do not fear. But I shall do so in Maegor's Holdfast, where we shall hold court in the Great Hall of the Red Keep! Where I, Robert Baratheon, shall sit atop the Iron Throne!" Robert, quite exhausted, stepped down the stage. "I need a seat and a jug of wine," he growled.

[Poach]

"We are loyal to House Targaryen!" shouted the man on the gatehouse, clearly the captain of the gatehouse, "We demand to speak to Prince Rhaegar! We can see his banners! What is the meaning of this truce?"

[Pontifex Maximus]

"The Prince is dead." Tywin called out. "Slain in a duel between the Prince and Robert Baratheon to determine the whole fate of the war. In so losing, Rhaegar lost his claim to the throne in favor of Robert Baratheon."

[Adamat]

Robert, having found some wine, did not even rise from his seat. Instead, he just said, "Show them."

Before long, Rhaegar's mangled body was dragged out before the walls. The crushed helmet had been left on, but the remaining gemstones on the battered breastplate did not leave much room for doubt. If this man was not Rhaegar Targaryen, it was most certainly his armor. Silently, Robert hoped the man on the gate would demand the helmet be taken off. He wondered how bad it really looked, a skull crushed in a metal can.

[Pontifex Maximus]

Tywin's men obeyed the King's command, showing Rhaegar's broken corpse.

[Poach]

It took a while, clearly the defenders had called a conference. Eventually, work could be heard ongoing behind the gates, and they eventually swung open slowly. A group of Crownlands Lords came out on horseback.

"Rhaegar is dead, five Kingdoms fight against the King, and you stand here seemingly proclaimed King by those same five." said the lead man, "The city is yours, your Grace."

[Pontifex Maximus]

The Westerland host invests the city, rushing towards the Red Keep.

[Adamat]

Robert would have wanted to be the first to set foot in the capital, but alas. The Lannisters were eager, too eager. The Baratheon would not forget this slight, but he could not do anything about it either. And so, he mounted a carriage and moved into the city, too weak to ride his own horse.

[Pontifex Maximus]

The Westerland host conveyed Robert to the Red Keep in a litter, after the capital had been determined to be safe. Tywin Lannister and his brother Tygett stood outside the Red Keep, awaiting the arrival of the King before entering.

[Lord Dread]

Lord Jason would follow the King along with his Tully overlord on horseback, carrying the banner of House Mallister by himself, while his bannermen would also show their own banners. Being guarded with enough household knights to protect their overlords in case of need, they would proceed, while remaining behind Baratheon and his followers, eventually riding among Lord Hoster's side.
No blood had to be shed by Mallister blades to take this city - to some part it griefed Lord Jason, but on the other side the Lord of Seagard neither hungered for blood. He fulfilled his duty, justice was done and he aided his overlord in all tasks, with whom he was entrusted. In his eyes there was nothing more he could have done, given the circumstances.

[Dirty Chai]

The thousands of Valemen stayed outside the city walls, in their camp on the horizon, but Jon Arryn followed the procession into the city with a large party of nobles and knights, carrying the falcon banner among others through the streets of the city. He had done so because the men had lusted after prize and conquest, and so he forbade his plunder-hungry army from entering the city, only taking his nobles and his knights.

[Pontifex Maximus]

The thousands of Valemen stayed outside the city walls, in their camp on the horizon, but Jon Arryn followed the procession into the city with a large party of nobles and knights, carrying the falcon banner among others through the streets of the city. He had done so because the men had lusted after prize and conquest, and so he forbade his plunder-hungry army from entering the city, only taking his nobles and his knights.

The Vale forces caught up to Tywin's troops as he was preparing to enter the area of the Red Keep. The Leffords were present, as Tywin noted, and now pale blue banners joined them. "Lord Jon." Tywin intoned. "Welcome to King's Landing." The gates and drawbridge to the Red Keep dropped and were opened. "It would appear the city is ready to fall."

[Poach]

Donnel, now in overall command of the Lefford forces following the death of his father, was prepared. Tywin had instructed that the Westerlands would be at the van upon taking, or entering, the city: the men were poised and ready. As soon as the Crownlords opened the gates and signalled their surrender, cohorts of Westerman cavalry began their swift trot through the gates, followed by columns of infantry already arrayed and pre-briefed to march. Swarming up the walls and through the main thoroughfares towards the strategic points of the city, ensuring men loyal to Tywin first and foremost were the gatekeepers to the city's most important locations.

Donnel himself joined the group making for the Red Keep, somewhere they had been told may yet be holding out, but it was not so: its gates too lay wide open. Parties ventured in tentatively, expecting ambush, slowly probing further into the fortress, finding only frightened servants and Goldcloaks who offered directions, rather than resistance. As the van reached the Great Hall itself, Tywin and Robert were called for: it had been given in the strictest of terms that those two Lords be there to enter the Great Hall.

Donnel waited at the door.

[Adamat]

Robert walked in, his left leg slightly dragging. "My Lords, this is it," he gestured at the doors to the Red Keep. He was the first to cross the drawbridge, Tywin and Jon seemingly not more than a step behind him. The keep seemed deserted. Eerie.

"Open the doors," Robert commanded two of Tywin's guardsmen as the small party finally reached the Great Hall. The Iron Throne was mere paces away from him, but Aerys, what happened to Aerys... The doors swung open, and there sat the Mad King, head removed from his body, but still atop the throne. In front of it, a man in a white cloak. "What is the meaning of this?!" Bellowed Robert.