Game of Thrones Tales: The Ultimate Game:Book I-Back to the Throne Room

Part X...

Game of Thrones Tales: Back to the Throne Room…

Summary: There's only one solution when Tyrion and Sansa have found the new King as mad as the Mad Targaryen and cynically evil, once on the throne, as Joffrey. So evil he's happily allowed the world to be invaded by unspeakably hideous creatures from some little planet out on the spiral rim of the Galaxy, to secure his reign of terror.

Part X…

"We're back at the Council Chamber of the United Kingdom of Westeros …" Lady Janine began, beaming to the camera's red dot. "The Ministers have arrived as you can see up front on the dais…" she paused to let the camera take in the group on the dais moving to stand by their various chairs… Guards of their various Houses or of the Citadel's Maesters standing by each… "And the Councilors of the Kingdoms are entering now…" the camera moving to show as many of the entering Councilors, taking their own seats in the hall at various tables…The various surviving and new leaders of those Houses not among the Ministers of the Realm, and the elected Representatives of the People one selected from each of the Seven Original Kingdoms and the new Republic of the Far North, where no hereditary, ancient or as result of the wars, new House ruled.

If one could call any of them…"Rulers"…Tyrion thought as he stood by his chair…A modest one, undistinguished from the other Ministers except by its proximity to the battered Iron throne.

"On the dais you see Lord Hand of the King and Minister of Defense, Tyrion Lannister with Minister of Finance Tyrell ..." Lady Janine continued.

Tyrion nodding to Mace Tyrell's smiling nod as Tyrell stood next to him…

The old survivor, Tyrion thought…With some degree of amusement…

Whatever one may think of him personally…One must give him that…He has survived. Seen his daughter keep the throne he coveted for her and his House. And kept his Highgarden more or less intact through all the war and disaster of these grim, awful years. And though he may feel the loss of his mother, that wise old witch, keenly, he actually is a rather able man in what matters he's allowed to deal with. Of course the Dirters control all the new resources…And he…And to be fair, most of us, wouldn't comprehend much of what they do or take, but all the old financial dealings, supplemented just a bit by the new global trades, our relations with Danerys ' Cities, the Iron Bank, to the degree it's still able to function, he handles with a certain finesse. And he is actually not without a certain ability in understanding people, to the extent of understanding it's wise to meet their needs and try to alleviate their sufferings…He has compassion and a certain way with winning hearts, mainly due to his unassuming nature in that he has some idea of his limitations and can poke fun at himself. Many another great lord, famed for valor or skill in the field would fail to do so well in governing. And despite suspecting I'd been willing to kill his daughter along with Joffrey, he honestly wanted to see justice done at my trial then, nothing more.

We could do much worse, especially given he can still provide considerable financial support in the old ways…Though I will not breath a word of our plans to him, till the day we make our stand. Not out of fear he'd betray us voluntarily…Simply, well…With all his good attributes, and the affection his nature can engender he does remain the oaf his mother used to call him.

"Minister of Science…Grand Maester Pycelle…" Lady Janine, as the camera view swept slowly across the dais. Pycelle gravely and stiffly nodding to the others, bowing slightly to the greater Council in the Hall…

Our other survivor*, omitting yours truly, Tyrion thought, nodding to his stiff nod… "Minister…"

"My Lord…"

Clearly loving the idea of having his image as wizard-wise, elder statesman sent round the entire Kingdom courtesy the wizardry of our Occupiers. How does the vain old bastard manage it? He's just intelligent and clever enough to be a problem to anyone in power while no match for Father or Lord Varys or even that twisted wretch Littlefinger...And with little or none of Ned Stark's honest loyalty and concern for the general welfare, despite his vague claims to both. And yet he's outlasted them all to become, yet again, my problem as well as my ally, however reluctant the alliance on both sides.