Dragon Mothers // Jorah Mormont

46. Stayed in bed

When jorah woke up he was surprised to see Neely fast asleep in his arms. A leg draped over his and a hand over his heart. Her head nuzzled into him he held her close a little longer. He pressed a long slow kiss to her head smiling down at her. Savoring the moment the feel of her against him. So this was what forever looked like. He could get used to this. He placed a gentle kiss on her lips she mumbled a moan snuggling in closer to him. A smile curved his lips as He closed his eyes running a hand along her side. He could have stayed like that with her forever but they had all the time in the world and there was work to be done. Begrudgingly he pulled away from her getting dressed he admired her form contently laid out sheets wrapped loosely around her. He tried to memorize her. He ran a hand down her cheek softly before heading out.

He should have stayed in bed that day.

+

So all the masters of meereen were taken down to be buried.

'Ser barristan?' a little boy questioned coming up to him with a scroll

'Who sent you?' Barristan questioned and he showed him the hand seal on the scroll, the little boy handed to him running off Barristan opened it up reading it through. A look of horror crossed his face.

'Ser Barristan,' Jorah said looking up from his work.

'Ser jorah.' He answered stiffly.

'Have I forgotten the council meeting?'

'No,' he said putting the scroll before him. Jorah looked down to it cautiously noting the hand seal

'What is this?' Jorah questioned swallowing the lump in his throat.

'A royal pardon signed by Robert Baratheon,' Barristan told him Jorah looked it over. His face pinch as he read it 'you're spying on her and both of them?'

'Who gave you this?' Jorah questioned.

'Does it matter?' Barristan questioned holding out of hand for it back

'Have you told her?' Jorah questioned nervously.

'You mean have I told Princess Deaneel? I wanted to show you first rather than go behind your back.' Barristan told him

'Let me speak with her in private-' Jorah pleaded.

'You'll never be alone with her with either of them ever again.' Barristan told him walking away and Jorah felt his heart drop out of his chest.

++

But Tyrion spoke up catching everyones attention.

"Father, I wish to confess. I wish to confess!' Tyrion declared.

'You wish to confess?" Tywin looked pleased as he leaned forward in the Iron Throne. Tyrion turned to the crowd.

"I saved you. I saved this city. All your worthless lives. I should have let Stannis kill you all." Everyone watching happily turned angry, yelling and shouting in outrage.

"Tyrion, do you wish to confess?" Tywin said loudly to get the crowd to quiet down and get his sons attention.

"Yes, father. I'm guilty. Guilty. Is that what you want to hear?"

"You admit you poisoned the king?"

"No. Of that, I'm innocent. I'm guilty of a far more monstrous crime. I'm guilty of being a dwarf." Tyrion informed him. Tywin scoffed.

"You are not on trial for being a dwarf." Tywin reminded him.

"Oh, yes I am. I've been on trial for that my entire life."

"Have you nothing to say in your defense?"

"Nothing but this... I did not do it." He then turned to Cersei, his anger bursting out of him, "I did not kill Joffrey, but I wish that I had! Watching your vicious bastard die gave me more relief than a thousand lying whores!" Tyrion then turned to the crowd his eyes ablaze with anger, "I wish I was the monster you think I am! I wish I had enough poison for the whole pack of you! I would gladly give my life to watch you all swallow it!" his audience started shouting again.

"Ser Meryn! Ser Meryn, escort the prisoner back to his cell!" Tywin shouted over the crowd. Tyrion glared with complete hatred towards his father.

"I will not give my life for Joffery's murder and I know I'll get no justice here, so I will let the gods decide my fate. I demand a trial by combat." The crowd erupted with anger shouts and cries demanding his head. Tyrion would live another day but still he felt defeated as he was escorted back to the dungeon.

+++

"We met, you and I. Many years ago." Oberyn told Tyrion.

"I think I would have remembered that." Tyrion said distractedly.

"Unlikely. You had just been born. Our father brought me and my sister Elia with him on a visit to Casterly Rock. My first time away from Dorne. I didn't like anything about the Rock. Not the food, not the weather, not your accents. Nothing. But the biggest disappointment, you." Oberyn informed him.

"You and my family have more in common than you might admit." Tyrion told him.

"The whole way from Dorne all anyone talked about was the monster that had been born to Tywin Lannister. A head twice the size of his body, a tail between his legs, claws, one red eye, the privates of both a girl and a boy." Oberyn went on Tyrion looked up at him with a chuckle

"That would have made things so much easier." Tyrion joked lightly.

"When we met your sister, she promised she would show you to us. Every day we would ask to see the monster. Every day she would say, "Soon." Then she and your brother took us to your nursery and... she unveiled the freak. Your head was a bit large. Your arms and legs were a bit small, but no claws. No red eye. No tail between your legs. Just a tiny pink cock. We didn't try to hide our disappointment. "That's not a monster," I told Cersei, "that's just a baby." And she said, "He killed my mother. And she pinched your little cock so hard, I thought she might pull it off. Until your brother made her stop. "It doesn't matter," she told us. "Everyone says he will die soon, I hope they are right; he should not have lived this long."" Tyrion let out a sharp breath, cersei had always hated him.

"Well... sooner or later, Cersei always gets what she wants." Tyrion remarked.

"And what about what I want? Justice for my sister and her children." Oberyn informed him.

"If you want justice, you've come to the wrong place." Tyrion told him

"I disagree. I've come to the perfect place. I want to bring those who have wronged me to justice, and all those who have wronged me are right here. I will begin with Ser Gregor Clegane, who killed my sister's children and then raped her with their blood still on his hands before killing her, too." Tyrion held his breath not daring to believe what he was about to say, "I will be your champion."

++++++

'Say her name! You raped her! You murdered her! You killed her children! Say it! Say her name!" they waited anxiously for Oberyn to finish off Gregor. Oberyn smiled over at Ellaria.

"Say it!" Oberyn demanded but he got too close to Gregor. Gregor tripped him over. A gasp escaped Ellaria's lips as Oberyn started to get up, but Gregor grabbed his throat and punched him in the mouth, breaking his teeth. She gasped out for her lover. Oberyn slumped down stunned, his mouth bleeding. But Gregor was on top of Oberyn, grabbing his head with his massive hands, forcing his large thumbs into Oberyns eyes, gouging them. Oberyn screamed in agony.

'"Elia Martell!' Gregor said finally. 'I killed her children! Then I raped her! Then I smashed her head in like this!" Gregor Clegane roared with laughter, then crushed Oberyn's skull between his huge fists with a sickening thump. Ellaria screamed out in horror. Gregor, severely injured, collapsed next to his dead opponent. A stunned silence swept over the crowd. But a smirk appeared on a very triumphant Cersei. Tyrion closed his eyes, unable to believe that his champion was killed so close to victory. Tywin stood turning to the crowd.

"The gods have made their will known. Tyrion Lannister, in the name of King Tommen of the House Baratheon, First of his Name, you are hereby sentenced to death."

Tyrion couldn't speak, he stared in astonishment at Oberyn's dead body.