“The Clash of Kings Begins”
I love this title.
“he had forgotten to lock his chamber doors”
Never, ever let your guard down, Tyrion. You’re surrounded by people who would love to see you dead.
“crossbow in hand, with a manic look on his face”
In my opinion, GL-Joffrey does not treat Tyrion quite the same as he treats everybody else. Unlike in Canon, he has likely spent much more time with his uncle due to being fostered for five years at Casterly Rock where Tyrion lived. I am very curious to learn of the dynamic that formed between the two, as without Cersei around to keep them apart and to loom over their every interaction (Tywin may have kept them apart as well, but not to the degree that Cersei would have) Tyrion and GL-Joffrey are certain to have a different relationship from what they have in Canon. I’m guessing that Tyrion is a direct eye-witness to Tywin’s grooming, mentoring and disciplining of young Joffrey. Tyrion is already one of the most important characters of ASOIAF, but something tells me he’d be even MORE important in this story. If anything, this chapter probably shows the first hints/signs that instead of Tywin, it may in fact be Tyrion whom GL-Joffrey fears most. As he is not as stupid as his Canon counterpart, Joffrey in this story may be able to see that Tyrion is one of if not THE cleverest member of House Lannister.
“before I shoot your eye out”
Something tells me that was no boast; that he CAN shoot her right in the eye if he wants to. He’s been trained and taught by Tywin after all. It’s frightening to consider that Joffrey in this story is not inexperienced with the sword OR the lance.
“the poor girl, who was forced to hurry out before she could even get dressed”
People are going to learn of and talk about this, but knowing how Tyrion is perceived by almost everyone, chances are he’d be the one to take the blame for it.
“What game do you think you’re playing uncle imp?”
I love this. Joffrey is AFRAID of him, and that does NOT reassure Tyrion; the man would prefer to be underestimated.
“Don’t speak to me as you speak to everyone else!”
GL-Joffrey, having lived in Casterly Rock for half a decade, is probably aware of how witty and snarky Tyrion can be. Tyrion is arguably one of the best at throwing insults and japes in the realm, and can roll with insults being thrown at him as well. I wonder if GL-Joffrey ENVIES Tyrion’s dangerously high charisma, wit and intelligence. He may even suspect/know that Tyrion is actually the one member of House Lannister who is most similar to Tywin.
“I expect only honesty from you at all times”
And he’s demanding it at crossbow-point too. This is a FASCINATING change from Canon, as Canon-Joffrey is mainly unconcerned with ruling, preferring to indulge in his cruelties, while GL-Joffrey is much more involved in watching and making decisions regarding the affairs of the realm. And he clearly does not like it when people who are meant to serve him go around behind his back. Which means Tyrion would have to tread very carefully while he is the Acting Hand of the King.
“had him replaced with Ser Jacelyn Bywater”
Would Ser Jacelyn remember this action from Lord Tyrion?
“who had served with valor during the Greyjoy Rebellion where he’d lost a hand”
Jacelyn is a war veteran. Interesting. Also, looking at his Wiki of Ice and Fire page, it seems that he is loyal to Tyrion over the rest of House Lannister. Would he survive the events of this story instead of perishing by an arrow to the throat?
“Over the past few weeks the boy’s attendance of Small Council meetings had become irregular to say the least”
Tywin certainly wouldn’t stand for such behavior. If Joffrey wants to be a King, he’d have to start acting like it.
“As your grandfather told you by raven”
Ouch.
“I was contemplating killing him myself soon. Personally I mean”
…I shuddered at this. Joffrey is a sadistic, bloodthirsty psychopath.
“Do you fear me nephew?”
I am dead-certain that Tyrion already knows that the answer to this question is ‘yes’.
“A man only kills what he’s afraid of, not what he holds in contempt”
In Canon, Joffrey threatens Tyrion with words and at the Purple Wedding ordered Tyrion to kneel to him. But in this story…he threatens Tyrion with a loaded crossbow. In my opinion, that is VERY different. Man, to think that Tyrion may be one person in all of Westeros whom Joffrey fears most, NOT Tywin…and if so, Joffrey would actually be WISE to fear Tyrion to such a degree. The man is way too devious and crafty.
“he’s disappeared”
In Canon, Tyrion not only condemns to Castle Black all six of the potential successors listed by Lord Janos Slynt to replace the latter as Commander of the City Watch, he even orders that Allar Deem – one of the six – be thrown overboard during the sea journey to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea. Have I mentioned that Tyrion is a very dangerous man?
“nobody can tell me anything of his fate. A shame”
Joffrey knows, doesn’t he?
“Oh, so I’ve heard”
The dialogue in this scene is so good.
“a dead whore is no loss to the realm”
He granted Eddard Stark a royal pardon in public, while in private ordering the murder of infants.
“mother gave me the idea”
Of course she did…
“well bastards deserve no better of course”
I love that GL-Joffrey KNOWS he may be a bastard but doesn’t remotely care about it. He has little to no admiration for Robert Baratheon in this story!
“How do you think it looks”
Joffrey is concerned about his public image and reputation. Doubtless Tyrion would use that. I wonder how Tyrion would feel about Sansa Stark being manipulated by Joffrey.
“Probably Jaime is my father. I don’t care either way”
I would LOVE to know what Cersei and Jaime’s reactions to that would be; Joffrey revealing that he doesn’t even care about being their child.
“Joffrey looked exasperated”
This made me laugh.
“you know as well as I”
Tyrion actually being a Hand to Joffrey, advising him and such…this is amazing. This fanfic is amazing.
“She’d be a hostage and nothing more”
Wrong, Joffrey. In Canon, Myrcella is manipulated by the Martells and grows to covet the Iron Throne for herself…
Oh man, imagine Cersei’s reaction if her children were to start going to war against each other.
“the Starks and Tullys entering the war on the side of Stannis”
Eddard has bent the knee to Stannis. In my opinion, that is nothing short of a goddamn disaster for Joffrey. The Warden of the North acknowledging Stannis as the true King and denouncing all others as pretenders and traitors…and Tywin is busy fighting in the Reach. Joffrey would have one heck of a challenge on his hands keeping the Northerners and Riverlanders from moving against him.
“If Lysa Arryn is going to take a side, I can’t see it being against her sister”
In Canon, Eddard never interacts with Lysa after the latter became Lady of the Eyrie.
“Dorne is more like to join up with Renly”
Not as long as Mace Tyrell is Lord Paramount of the Reach. Mace HATES Dornishmen.
“He is too honorable a man to murder a ten year old girl”
…Tyrion. I think you may be making a bad mistake here. You may be misreading Doran BADLY. Oh, Doran may not kill Myrcella. Instead, he may turn her against her own family…
“Joffrey seemed to think everything over”
I love this so much. GL-Joffrey is an awesome character.
“while you’ve been busy pulling the wrings off flies”
Joffrey is probably aware that he shouldn’t be doing things like that when the entire realm is about to be engulfed in war, but he likely just couldn’t help himself. He has to do SOMETHING about his need to carry out violence on other living beings.
“Do you think to deny the Martells if they accept our offer?”
…King Aerys II Targaryen grew increasingly jealous of the then-Hand of the King Lord Tywin Lannister, and it did not help at all that many people whispered that Tywin ruled the realm in all but name. Would something similar happen between Joffrey and Tyrion? Like Aerys, Joffrey wishes to become the greatest ruler that Westeros has ever had.
“It seemed that every time he talked to Joffrey these days”
That’s because Joffrey is afraid of you, Tyion. And with good reason. Let’s not kid ourselves, if Tyrion decides that Joffrey has to die, it would be EASY for him to murder the boy.
“stormed the Reach like lightning”
Mace Tyrell was likely caught with his pants down and his bannermen had to do most of the necessary work for him.
“sent Gregor Clegane to ravage the land indiscriminately”
…while in Canon it is the Riverlands that suffer horribly during the War of the Five Kings, it seems that instead it would be the Reach. HOWEVER, unlike the Riverlanders, the Reach could (apparently) muster more military troops than all of the other kingdoms combined.
Also, considering the horrific suffering that the people of the Reach both low and high-born must be going through, people like Loras and Margaery Tyrell may become hardened, grimmer or otherwise and may go through character developments that are different to what they experience in Canon. In this story, they’d be fighting to protect their people and their homes against one of the most ruthless and prideful men in all of Westeros; the Rains of Castamere himself, Lord Tywin Lannister.
“putting it to the sword”
…oh my God. Has House Oakheart been wiped out?
“Renly had had no choice but to quickly send some of his host back west to reinforce the seat of House Tyrell”
It’s sink or swim for young King Renly. He either steps up and proves that he is made of similar stuff to his brothers Robert and Stannis, or he doesn’t. In Canon, Renly dies early in the war thanks to Melissandre. I wonder what it would have been like if he actually got a chance to try to prove his worth. I’m glad that this story is getting to explore that.
“stopping multiple times to feast and hold court”
God damn it, Renly…
“House Caswell at Bitterbridge”
The yellow centaur-archer. Interesting. And Orbert Caswell was Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch.
“that ingrate, Eddard Stark had betrayed him! Again!”
HA!
“In the unlikely event that the captain of the galley Joffrey had sent north ever returned alive”
If he is alive, I’m guessing the captain would want to switch sides to Stannis, seeing as Joffrey would surely have him horribly executed for his failure.
“He’d apparently somehow managed to get his ship spotted”
…something stinks about this. Could Stannis have been alerted about Eddard being put aboard the ship?
“Lord Stark and Ser Barristan…publicly declaring their support for Stannis”
That’s not good…two of the most respected and seen-as-honorable men in the realm? Eddard on his own might be decried as a traitor and an ingrate, but with Ser Barristan standing behind him and saying the same things Eddard is saying? I am very curious to learn of what happened aboard that ship.
“There had been no word of Meryn Trant”
Hmm. At this point, anything could have happened to Meryn. He could be dead, or somehow escaped, or a prisoner in Dragonstone.
“the continued treachery of Eddard Stark had really shocked him”
I love that Eddard may become more devious and ruthless in this story than he is in Canon. Joffrey has MANIPULATED AND SEDUCED HIS DAUGHTER, after killing all of the Stark bannermen who were with him in the Red Keep.
“Then he’d written a frantic letter to Robb Stark”
This made me cackle. I suspect that only one thing would pacify Robb at this point; the return of his sister Sansa.
“There was a very real possibility that they, and possibly even Lysa Arryn and the Vale…could go over to Stannis”
If that happens, assuming they stay united and not fall into internal conflict, Joffrey probably would have no chance of winning the war.
“so was Arya”
So Arya Stark is likely now in Dragonstone, where she may meet the Florents, Selyse and STANNIS. I say Stannis with capital letters because I love the idea of Stannis having one or both of the Stark sisters under his protection during the War of the Five Kings.
“most everyone else in the Red Keep either ignored her or treated her with open contempt”
In Canon, while Sansa is regarded with pity due to Joffrey tormenting and beating her in public, nobody dared to try to help her save Sandor Clegane, out of fear of Joffrey’s wrath. That does not mean that her circumstances are any better in this story…
“Varys wasn’t the only one with hidden ears and eyes”
Have I mentioned that GL-Joffrey is terrifying? What does Varys think of him?

When Angry Joffery has a harder time to keep his cruelty at bay.

“It was a week from Lord Eddard Stark’s confession”
How fast does it take for a raven to fly from King’s Landing to Winterfell or the Twins?
“If nobody counted Lord Stark’s household guard at least…not enough of a pretext for war”
Joffrey…Eddard’s not going to do nothing after what you’ve done, especially now that you have his first daughter. He will be back, but he won’t be as gullible or careless nor underestimate you a second time. You better be ready for him.
“he hadn’t fought a single battle before…He’d never made it past the Twins”
Anything could happen. Who knows what the Northern (or Riverlander) Lords may pressure Robb to do. In my opinion, Robb will NOT do nothing about Sansa’s life being tied to Joffrey’s.
“he knew very little about his uncle at all”
Know your enemy, Joffrey. Stannis won’t be an easy opponent. Just ask the Tyrells and Redwynes who were at Storm’s End, or Victarion Greyjoy who was at Fair Isle.
“closed the Rose road to all shipments of food to King’s Landing”
In Canon, House Lannister has little choice but to ally with House Tyrell as they are dependent on the latter’s troops and supplies to sustain them due to Robb Stark inflicting so many casualties on the Lannister armies.
“began his march to Joffrey’s capital”
The Tyrells are easily the greatest of Renly’s allies, not to mention Lord Randyll Tarly, one of the best military commanders in Westeros. If it comes to war, House Lannister would be hard-pressed to defeat House Tyrell.
“Tommen certainly hadn’t inherited his father’s skill with a blade”
Tommen is not cut out for battle. He’s a gentle soul.
“Your mother expects you to see him off”
In my opinion, Joffrey’s biggest enemy is himself, but his mother is sure to become a thorn in his side. He has gone against her advice and suggestions many times at this point.
“Let’s pick this up tomorrow”
Tommen and Myrcella supporting him may go a long way toward securing his reign.
“Stark had the look of a defeated man…it was easy”
Don’t get cocky, Joffrey. You’ve given him his life and freedom, but don’t think for one second that he’d choose his reputation over his daughter.
“Ser Barristan and Ser Meryn Trant…accompany Stark back to Winterfell to make sure that he wouldn’t go running to Stannis”
…something’s going to happen on the voyage.
“they would be passing Dragonstone”
Uh-oh. If Stannis learns of this…Joffrey said it himself, he knows very little about that particular uncle.
“joining up with his son’s Northern army”
Joffrey…Robb is EVEN MORE DANGEROUS than his father. You’re seriously underestimating him. There’s no telling if Robb would turn back north or continue to march south.
“small field today, and poor”
How is Joffrey going to settle the debts owed by the crown to the Iron Bank of Braavos?
“blood-soaked southern fields”
The Reach and Storm Lords are likely urging Renly to march on King’s Landing ASAP. I doubt they’d want to fight a war in their own lands.
“wasting time and resources on such splendor in wartime”
Yep. Renly is like Robert, only even worse. Robert is good for war and partying. Renly is just good for partying.
“Joffrey felt safer under the Hound’s close guard than he did under the protection of even his uncle Jaime or Ser Barristan”
In my opinion, this may be one of the most important developments of this story so far. Sandor Clegane is a very important character in ASOIAF who is extremely bitter, cynical and violent, disliking nearly everyone and everything. In Canon, he develops great sympathy and caring for Sansa Stark, and despite their relationship ranging from unfriendly to hostile, Arya still thinks of him from time to time while in the House of Black and White.
“Clegane had sometimes smiled and let him ride on his shoulders”
Joffrey likes Clegane, in as much as a person like him could like anyone. Being around him all the time, Sandor is likely aware that Joffrey is far more cruel and sadistic than he lets on.
“Against this lot?”
All the best knights have been sent to war.
“Joffrey watched on, bored”
When he’s bored, he has a higher chance of doing or saying something foolish.
“the knight was so drunk”
Considering that his entire family line was wiped out with only him being spared in the Defiance of Duskendale, I could hardly blame Dontos for becoming a drunk.
“He relaxed his expression towards her”
Do not lose control of yourself, Joffrey, lest you lose control of Sansa.
“Ser Aron Santagar”
Interesting. That’s a Dornish family, if I’m not mistaken.
“Joffrey said the words awkwardly as Sansa seemed to study him”
I love this recurring theme of Joffrey trying his best to hide what he truly is.
“Joffrey looked up, annoyed”
I love that in this story, Joffrey has had to spend more time with Tyrion than in Canon due to having spent the last five years at Casterly Rock.
“The nerve of the old man, he muttered”
I grinned at this. You have been building up to if/when Tywin and Joffrey have their first scene together. I just know the payoff will be worth it.
“I’m the King now, I should be able to choose my own Hand”
This WILL become a problem; Joffrey wanting to be independent from his grandfather and resenting Tywin undermining him, while at the same time being forced to accept that Tywin still has his uses and makes good points from time to time.
“He dares disobey the King’s orders?”
While Joffrey understands the wisdom in Tywin’s actions, the latter’s sheer pride and arrogance would no doubt grate on his nerves.
“For now he has it, Joffrey said quietly”
I honestly don’t think Joffrey is going to be able to keep House Lannister from imploding like it does in Canon. There is just too much arrogance, pride, hate and strife within the family, and it’s not like he isn’t responsible for some of it.
“Always seems to know what he’s doing”
Tywin has no idea how big a favor Joffrey has done for him by granting Eddard Stark a royal pardon…unless Robb Stark decides to ignore that and keep marching south.
“We have sore need of you my lord”
Janos is only toadying to Tyrion because Joffrey had just stated that he would allow Tyrion to be his acting Hand.
“I grow weary of you all…I am my own best councilor”
I love this. This story is so good.
“but his mother and uncle remained behind”
He’s made it clear that he does not want to have to listen to the advice of his family members, only when it is absolutely necessary for him.
“I was very young”
Emphasizing with Sansa, making her develop more affection for him. GL-Joffrey makes my skin crawl.
“preparations for our wedding should be made all the faster”
He wants to have the wedding set in stone before the Starks get any closer to him. Smart. Also, I cannot help but wonder if it was a mistake of Joffrey’s to send Barristan with Meryn to escort Eddard back to Winterfell (or at least White Harbor).
“I’ll tell mother to hurry them up”
There’s no way that Cersei would put up with this forever. She is a narcissist who always wants to be in charge of everything.

Oh, poor Sansa.
But at least Ned and Arya got away safely... Well, they left the city, that doesn't mean they really arrived anywhere... Dun dun dun...
Thanks

I must say that my favourite part was Joffery's thought about Sandor, a memory from younger days.

thanks for the chapter

“My daughters”
The very first thing he said. GL-Joffrey now knows that so long as he has Sansa with him, Eddard would at the very least hesitate to make any move against him.
“the little savage one”
He underestimates Arya. Good. So long as he sees her as beneath him and not a threat, Arya may stand a chance. The second Stark daughter is more clever and resourceful than even she herself realizes.
“Joffrey’s grin grew bigger”
In that cell, Eddard fully realized just what a monster Joffrey Baratheon is. And that same monster is going to marry his first daughter…
“Your son marches south with an army”
I’m worried about Robb. He may be so determined to get Sansa back that he may attempt to override his father’s authority.
“He’s only a boy”
Little does Eddard know how capable Robb is. Heck, no one, not even Robb himself, knew. And that includes GL-Joffrey. If Tywin didn’t see it coming, I doubt his grandson would.
“since I’m not going to kill you, your son will have no choice but to lay down his sword and march back north”
GL-Joffrey’s actions here have, for now, seemingly prevented the North from declaring war on the Crown. Unfortunately, it is clear that many, many Northern families wish to finally be free of the Iron Throne. In Canon, Robb was practically pressured to declare himself King in the North. If Eddard were to be similarly pressured and refuse, perhaps by insisting that Stannis is the rightful King, it might cause disgruntlement and/or resentment. Then again, to be fair, the Northerners’ spirits and morale were sky-high due to Robb scoring victory after victory against the Lannister armies.
“In case you’re thinking that’d you’d rather die than confess”
Channeling his grandfather here.
“Can you hear the gods laughing”
He enjoys gloating and taunting a foe…that he’s going to leave alive. GL-Joffrey is assuming that Eddard isn’t going to become a future threat.
“You should be thankful that I’m not Stannis”
Uh-huh. Right. Like you are a better person than Stannis.
“If I’m to bend the knee to you”
GL-Joffrey just missed a chance there. He clearly doesn’t trust Eddard to keep his word. It’s EDDARD. The guy is so honorable that it gets him killed early on in Canon.
“in this rotten city I believe I can trust”
Jesus Christ is he a sociopath. Well, considering who raised him and who mentored him…
“Still, he thought”
At times, he resents having to control himself and to put on an act. He clearly wishes he could just unleash the full extent of his cruelty and sadism. But Tywin has obviously taught him that someone who indulges themselves without restraint usually doesn’t last very long.
“suddenly feeling a strong desire to flee these dungeons”
Eddard is going to try to kill Joffrey. He won’t allow Sansa to spend her life married to such a monster.
“they looked at her as if she had the grey plague”
Even in real life’s current age, it is often a widespread practice to blame the children for the crimes or sins of the parents.
“Grand Maester Pycelle intoned”
There’s no way GL-Joffrey isn’t going to loathe Pycelle.
“Sansa hid her face in her hands”
She now believes – or at least is telling herself – that her father was deceived by perhaps Stannis or Renly Baratheon and had been acting in their stead out of misguided loyalty to Robert’s brother(s).
“I plotted to depose and murder his son and seize the throne for myself”
…I suddenly have an ominous feeling; that Eddard, in his prison cell, may have made a vow to himself; that if he must become a villain and a monster, if he must commit atrocities in order to protect not only Sansa but the whole North from a King who would surely not tolerate anything but total control over the realm, then so be it.
It’s something I’ve always been curious (and frightened) of regarding Eddard Stark, considering that he dies quite early in Canon. There is a saying: You either die a hero or live long enough to become a villain. In Canon, Sansa and Arya as of The Winds of Winter are still alive, but their morality has been thoroughly twisted…
“Baelor the Beloved”
You mean Baelor the Fanatical Nutcase?
“The High Septon”
A Lannister creature, paid for and bought with Lannister gold. Nice going, Robert. Great job keeping corruption down during your reign.
“My mother bids me let Lord Eddard take the black. Lady Sansa has likewise begged mercy for her father”
GL-Joffrey just publicly stated that he has chosen Sansa’s plea over that of Cersei’s demand.
“willing and with regret in his heart, is to receive a full royal pardon…continue to serve me as Warden of the North until the end of his days”
…yeah. By doing this, GL-Joffrey ensures that if Eddard is ever seen to make any sort of move against him again, his name and reputation would plummet throughout the realm. He may become known as Eddard the Ungrateful, or something similar.
Worst of all, I suspect that at this point Eddard does not care. GL-Joffrey’s decision to visit him in his cell, rub the deaths of his household guard and staff in his face, threaten his daughters and overall just gloat and taunt him have caused him to HATE the boy. I think it’s safe to say that Eddard would NOT let this go and slink off in defeat. He now wants to kill Joffrey with his bare hands. The North Remembers…
Also, Starks are said to have the ability to skin-change…
“He didn’t understand it, and at that moment he felt a burning hatred for the masses of people cheering him”
Is this how Aerys felt? Christ, that throne just drives people mad.
“Yes, he knew the plan was to…he simply shook his head”
Cersei in her paranoid and twisted mind may now fear that her son is genuinely enamored with Sansa.
“Why was she crying? He’d given her what she wanted”
Joffrey, there’s this thing called ‘empathy.’ You may want to look it up.
“Nine out of ten cases were simply too boring and irrelevant to command Joffrey’s attention”
The smart ones may note that the King only seems to get involved when there is a chance for him to dole out ‘justice’.
“or Baelish”
I’ll bet Baelish hoped that Eddard would be forced to take the Black. Number One, it’d mean Catelyn Tully would be single again, and Number Two, there is absolutely no way that Eddard is going to forget that Petyr betrayed him and put a knife to his throat.
“or Pycelle”
Likely sending a raven to Tywin. If Tywin decides that Sansa is a liability, he may arrange for her to have a fatal accident. (looks at Cersei) Goddammit, that idiot would probably try to have Sansa killed for no reason whatsoever.
“fell on her knees to plead…Disgusting behavior”
I wonder if Tywin feels the same way.
“If you loved a traitor, you must be a traitor too”
Wait until Catelyn hears of this…
“it was quite accurate and rather funny”
GL-Joffrey no longer respects or idolizes his father. Man, what did Tywin do to him? What sort of person WOULD GL-Joffrey idolize?
“Joffrey’s head had been killing him since morning”
…interesting. It makes me think of Gregor Clegane.

I really like the concept of this fic. Can't wait to read more.

That ch was awesome. Esp the last paragraph. True Joffrey should see sansa as being loyal where most are not.

A good mix. He can somewhat handle his cruelty at least when he feel that he must.

Very good chapter!
He granted mercy because it served his purposes, but he did get inner satisfaction from inflicting pain and harsh punishments when he wanted.
I like how he makes all the punishments he deals out sound like the most natural thing.
Thanks!

I really like how you make Joffrey smarter without making him a good person. He shows his mercy and good side to important people and doesn’t care about the masses.

Joffrey's dad robert actually said something nice to him. Yay.

Yay lady lives

I like this idea