With a sharp twist, Karl snapped Tybolt Kreher's neck.
The crack echoed throughout the hall.
Without a second glance, Karl bent down and pulled a silk handkerchief from a woman cowering beneath a nearby table. Calmly, he wiped the blood from his hands.
Tybolt Kreher's corpse lay directly in front of the terrified woman.
His lifeless eyes remained wide open, staring straight at her.
The horrifying sight shattered her remaining courage.
She let out a piercing scream before fainting on the spot.
Silence fell over the hall once more.
Karl casually tossed the bloodstained handkerchief aside and slowly surveyed the room.
"Kneel."
His voice was calm.
Yet in the deathly silence, it sounded louder than the thunder rumbling outside.
"Or die."
"You have only two choices."
Everyone present felt a chill run down their spines.
The smell of blood lingered heavily in the air.
Corpses littered the floor.
The calmness in Karl's voice made the threat even more terrifying.
For a moment, nobody moved.
No one dared to speak.
Then, the sounds of battle outside suddenly intensified.
Shouts echoed through the castle.
Steel clashed against steel.
A moment later, several soldiers burst into the hall.
Their weapons were drawn, and their armor was soaked with rain and blood.
Leading them was Sandor Clegane.
Even the Hound froze when he saw the scene before him.
The banquet hall had become a slaughterhouse.
Bodies lay scattered across the floor.
Blood covered the walls and stone tiles.
Severed limbs were strewn everywhere.
Most horrifying of all was the bastard of House Tyrell.
A greatsword had pierced his body and pinned him to the wall.
Blood flowed down the stone behind him like a gruesome painting.
Even Sandor felt a chill.
Before he could process what had happened, the sound of metal striking stone echoed through the hall.
Clang.
A sword hit the floor.
Then another.
And another.
Soon the sounds came one after another like falling rain.
Everyone understood the situation.
Karl's forces had broken through the castle defenses.
The battle was over.
Their lord was dead.
The young heir who had arrogantly challenged Karl was dead.
More than thirty others had been slaughtered.
Resistance was pointless.
One after another, soldiers, knights, servants, and noble guests dropped to their knees.
The women who had come only to attend the feast followed shortly after.
Within moments, nearly two hundred people knelt before Karl.
Many trembled in fear.
Some stared blankly at the floor.
Only a few brave women dared to sob quietly.
Among them was the wife of Earl Roland Crakehall.
In a single night, she had lost both her husband and her son.
Her grief-filled cries echoed throughout the hall.
Karl frowned.
The sound annoyed him.
"Silence."
His voice wasn't loud.
Yet everyone immediately fell silent.
The sobbing stopped.
The entire hall trembled under the weight of his authority.
Only after restoring order did Karl turn toward Sandor Clegane.
The Hound still looked somewhat confused.
From the moment Bronn had delivered Karl's secret orders earlier that evening until now, he had felt completely lost.
First there had been whispers.
Then fighting.
Now half the castle lay dead.
Nothing about the situation made sense.
Still, Sandor wisely chose not to ask questions.
Karl spoke calmly.
"Go outside."
"Tell the remaining Kreher soldiers that their lord committed treason."
"Tell them he has already been executed."
Sandor blinked.
Karl continued.
"Then repeat my words exactly."
"If they surrender now, swear loyalty to me, and join my army, I will pardon their crimes."
"If they continue resisting..."
Karl's eyes swept across the corpses littering the hall.
"They can share their lord's fate."
Sandor stared for a moment before nodding.
"Understood."
Though he had no idea what crimes the Kreher family had supposedly committed, this was hardly the time to argue.
Without another word, he turned and left with his men.
Watching him go, Karl lost interest in the battle outside.
The outcome had already been decided.
Most of the defenders would surrender.
Anyone stubborn enough to continue fighting would simply be eliminated.
That suited Karl perfectly.
The fewer troublemakers remained, the easier it would be to take control of the territory.
Once this matter was settled, the entire region between Casterly Rock and the border of the Reach would effectively be under his control.
More importantly, the wealth and resources of House Kreher would greatly strengthen his logistics.
It was a perfect outcome.
One stone.
Two birds.
Karl shifted his gaze toward the kneeling crowd.
"You have two choices."
His voice echoed throughout the hall.
"The first is to be judged according to the laws of the kingdom for treason, rebellion, and attempted regicide."
A wave of fear swept through the crowd.
"The second option..."
Karl smiled faintly.
"You already heard it."
The tension eased slightly.
"But understand this."
The smile vanished.
"If you wish to receive my mercy, then I expect to see your loyalty demonstrated during the upcoming war against the Reach."
The hall remained silent.
Everyone understood what he meant.
Karl had no intention of releasing them without conditions.
Mercy was never free.
Those who wanted forgiveness would have to earn it.
Loyalty had a price.
If they were unwilling to pay it, then their lives held little value.
In Karl's eyes, dead traitors made excellent fertilizer.
Fortunately for them, most people preferred living.
One after another, they lowered their heads and accepted his offer.
Soon, dozens of Karl's soldiers entered the hall.
The surrendered knights and soldiers were escorted away.
Servants were ordered to clean the carnage.
The bodies were gathered together.
The weather had been hot and humid recently.
If the corpses remained overnight, the stench would become unbearable.
Outside the castle, large piles of chopped wood were stacked together.
Before dawn arrived, the dead would be burned.
It was a grim end to what should have been a festive celebration.
The rain had weakened considerably.
Lightning still flashed occasionally across the night sky, followed by distant rolls of thunder.
At that moment, Karl left the hall.
A maid followed closely behind him, carrying a covered tray filled with freshly prepared food.
As he walked through the corridor, Karl found his thoughts drifting elsewhere.
To Ser Marlin Warwick.
Another Kingsguard had died.
Karl couldn't help but wonder if he carried some sort of curse specifically aimed at the Kingsguard.
Over the past year, seven members of the order had died.
Some by his hand.
Some while serving him.
Now only Ser Barristan Selmy and Ser Balon Swann remained.
The entire Kingsguard had practically been rebuilt from the ground up.
Most awkward of all was the fact that every one of those deaths had somehow involved him.
Karl sighed inwardly.
Marlin Warwick had died instantly after being struck in the head by an arrow.
Had he merely been wounded or poisoned, Karl might have been able to save him.
But resurrection belonged to gods, not kings.
Even Karl could do nothing for the dead.
Eventually, he arrived outside a heavily guarded room.
A room that had temporarily become Margaery Tyrell's prison.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)