Chapter 20: The Viper's Embrace (146 AC)
The unified continent of Westeros, now operating under King Viserys I's centralized authority, had entered an era of unprecedented order and prosperity. The Royal Army was formidable, trade flourished under the Crown's direct control, and the Royal College had begun to reshape the very landscape of knowledge. Yet, for all his visible successes, Viserys, the former Marco De Luca, knew that even the most well-oiled machine could harbor unseen imperfections, and that true, absolute power required a hidden hand, one capable of striking swiftly and silently from the shadows.
Viserys had always understood the necessity of discreet eliminations in maintaining control. In his past life, such tasks were handled by a trusted, utterly loyal few. In Westeros, he needed a similar instrument: an elite assassination squad, directly beholden to him, operating beyond the reach of the Master of Whisperers and even the Hand of the King. These would be his "King's Vipers", loyal unto death, their existence a secret known only to their monarch.
He began their recruitment subtly, over several years. He sought out individuals from varied backgrounds: orphans with a natural talent for observation, disgraced knights with nothing left to lose, talented bravoes from the Free Cities seeking purpose, even a few skilled sellswords. Their common traits were absolute loyalty (forged through a mix of lucrative pay, genuine respect from the King, and a clear understanding of the consequences of betrayal), discretion, and an unparalleled aptitude for stealth, disguise, and silent killing. They were trained in methods far beyond Westerosi understanding: silent takedowns, the use of poisons that mimicked natural ailments, infiltration techniques, and meticulous evidence eradication. Their training was conducted in secret, remote locations, overseen by Viserys himself or his most trusted personal agents.
Their first mission would be a chilling demonstration of Viserys's absolute will and a strategic move to expand the Crownlands. The Riverlands, though compliant after the Ironborn devastation, had always been a fractured region, its lords too numerous and too often entangled in petty squabbles. House Tully, while ostensibly loyal, represented a deeply entrenched regional power. Viserys desired to bring the fertile, strategically vital Riverlands directly under Crown control, a vast expansion of his royal demesne. To do so, he needed to eliminate the existing ruling house, leaving no trace, no room for succession disputes, and no cause for immediate suspicion.
His target: all members of the Tully family, however distant their relation, without leaving any suspicions.
The planning was meticulous, a dark symphony of strategy and ruthlessness. Viserys personally oversaw every detail with his "Vipers." The executions would be staggered, seemingly unrelated, mimicking accidents, natural illnesses, or even isolated bandit attacks.
The operation began in 146 AC.
Lord Hoster Tully, the aging and respected Lord of Riverrun, was the first. He had been suffering from a lingering cough for months, a common ailment in the damp Riverlands. One cold autumn night, his cough worsened. The maester in attendance prescribed a common herbal draught. Within hours, Lord Hoster died peacefully in his sleep, the maester concluding it was a sudden, severe bout of "winter fever." No one suspected the subtle, odorless poison mixed into his evening tea, carefully administered by a seemingly innocuous new servant who had been placed in Riverrun months prior by the "Vipers."
Next came Ser Edmure Tully, Lord Hoster's impetuous son and heir. A few months after his father's death, Edmure, a keen hunter, was found dead in the Kingswood, near the border of the Crownlands. His body bore signs of a brutal attack by a wild boar, its tusks having pierced his chest. The accompanying hunting party, royal guardsmen who had been subtly swapped out with Viserys's agents, recounted a harrowing tale of a sudden charge and heroic, but ultimately futile, defense. No one suspected the King's Vipers, who had expertly lured the boar, incapacitated it, then ensured its tusks found their mark before meticulously staging the scene.
The remaining, more distant Tully relations across the Riverlands began to fall in seemingly unrelated tragedies:
* A distant cousin, Lady Joanna Tully, a pious woman, succumbed to a sudden, virulent "flux" after visiting a sept notorious for its unsanitary conditions.
* Another, Lord Brynden Tully, a gruff knight, died in his sleep from a sudden "heart seizure," attributed to his robust appetite and love for rich food.
* Even very young children or distant, obscure relations were not spared. A "tragic drowning accident" in a remote river, a "sudden collapse" during a horse ride, a "fever that took them in the night."
Each death was carefully orchestrated to appear natural, accidental, or unconnected to any foul play. The King's Vipers were masters of disguise and infiltration, leaving no witnesses, no incriminating evidence, and most importantly, no suspicion. They exploited existing ailments, bad habits, or known routines to make each death plausible. They moved like ghosts, leaving only grief and confusion in their wake.
The absence of any surviving Tully with a clear, immediate claim to Riverrun and the lordship of the Riverlands created a vacuum. With the lineage inexplicably extinguished, Viserys acted swiftly and decisively. He presented a decree to the Small Council, arguing that with the complete and tragic demise of House Tully, the most efficient and stable solution was for the Riverlands to be brought directly under the control of the Crown.
> "A region as vital and historically fractious as the Riverlands cannot be left without firm, stable leadership," Viserys calmly explained to his council, feigning regret for the "unfortunate series of calamities" that had befallen House Tully. "Given their strategic importance, their fertile lands, and their central location, it is only logical that they be governed directly by the Iron Throne, ensuring consistent peace and prosperity."
>
He appointed highly competent, College-trained administrators, loyal only to the Crown, to govern the Riverlands in the King's name. They were given specific instructions to maintain order, ensure bountiful harvests, and continue the economic integration already underway. He did not grant the lands to another Great House, nor did he establish a new Lord Paramount. The Riverlands became Crownlands, directly administered by royal officials, their ancient seat of Riverrun now a royal castle.
The reaction from the other Great Lords was one of profound, unspoken horror. They understood what had transpired, even if they had no proof. The systematic, silent extinction of an entire noble house, however distant its branches, was a terrifying new precedent. It confirmed Viserys's willingness to remove any obstacle, no matter how deeply rooted, how seemingly untouchable. The Riverlands, now directly controlled by the Crown, served as a chilling monument to the King's ruthless efficiency and his unchallengeable power. Viserys had expanded his direct territory, dismantled a major noble house, and demonstrated that not even the strongest family lineage was safe from the Viper's Embrace.
This chapter details a very dark aspect of Viserys's rule. How does this development resonate with your vision for "The Dragon's Gambit"?