[King's Landing - Red Keep, Tyrion's Cell]

Tyrion drank wine that had been smuggled in by his brother, Jaime. They were waiting for the sound of the bell, signalling the trial by combat.

"Wine alwys helps. I thank you for it. Trial by combat. Deciding a man's guilt or innocence in the eyes of the gods by having two other men hack each other to pieces. Tells you something about the gods. How much longer?"

"Soon."

"Do you think Oberyn has a chance? The Red Viper of Dorne. You don't get a name like that unless you're deadly, right?"

"I've nevr seen him fight."

"Oh, he's going to die. I'm going to die."

"Oberyn believes in himself."

"That's putting it mildly. What's the punishment for regicide? Drawing and quartering? Hanging? Breaking at the wheel?"

"Beheading."

"Seems rather ordinary. And he was my nephew as well, so what is that? Fratricide is brothers. Filicide is sons. Nepoticide. That's the one. Matricide, patricide, infanticide, suicide. There's no kind of killing that doesn't have its own word."

"Cousins." Jaime replied.

"Cousins, you're right. There is no word for cousin killing. Well done. Do you remember cousin Orson? Orson Lannister?

"Of course. Wet-nurse dropped him on his head. Left him simple."

"Simple? Used to sit all day in the garden. Crushing beetles with a rock."

"Khuu! Khuu! Khuu!" They chanted together.

"Nothing made him happier." Tyrion added.

"Nothing made you happier. You'd think being tormented from birth would have given you some affinity for the afflicted."

"On the contrary. Laughing at another person's misery was the only thing that made me feel like everyone else."

"The joke wore thin, though." Jaime noted.

"For you. You drifted away."

"I had other interests."

"Yes, other interests. But I stayed with Orson."

"Why?"

"I was curious. Why was he smashing all those beetles? What did he get out of it? First thing I did was ask him. "Orson, why are you smashing all those beetles?" He gave me an answer. "Smash the beetles. Smash 'em. Khuu! Khuu! Khuu!" I wasn't deterred. I was the smartest person I knew. Certainly I had the wherewithal to unravel the mysteries that lay at the heart of a moron. So I went to Maester Volarik's library."

"Volarik. Tried to touch me once."

"Turns out, far too much has been written about great men and not nearly enough about morons. Doesn't seem right. In any case, I found nothing that illuminated the nature of Orson's affliction or the reason behind his relentless beetle slaughter. So I went back to the source. I may not have been able to speak with Orson, but I could observe him, watch him the way men watch animals to come to a deeper understanding of their behavior. *picks up a beetle* And as I watched, I became more and more sure of it. There was something happening there. His face was like the page of a book written in a language I didn't understand. But he wasn't mindless. He had his reasons. And I became possessed with knowing what they were. I began to spend inordinate amounts of time watching him. I would eat my lunch in the garden, chewing my mutton to the music of "khuu, khuu, khuu". And when I wasn't watching him, I was thinking about him. Father droned on about the family legacy and I thought about Orson's beetles. I read the histories of Targaryen conquests. Did I hear dragon wings? No. I heard "khuu, khuu, khuu" and I still couldn't figure out why he was doing it. And I had to know, because it was horrible that all these beetles should be dying for no reason."

"Evey day around the world, men, women, and children are murdered by the score. Who gives a dusty fuck about a bunch of beetles?"

"I know, I know. But still, it filled me with dread. Piles and piles of them, years and years of them. How many countless living crawling things smashed and dried out and returned to the dirt? In my dreams I found myself standing on a beach made of beetle husks stretching as far as the eye could see. I woke up crying, weeping for their shattered little bodies. I tried to stop Orson once."

"He was twice your size."

"He just pushed me aside with a "khuu" and kept on smashing. Evey day until that mule kicked him in the chest and killed him." He set the beetle back on the ground. "So what do you think? Why did he do it? What was it all about?"

"I don't know."

Bells began chiming in the distance.

Jaime stood to leave. "Good luck today."

Tyrion was led out toward the arena. The Lannisters were there as well as Aelinor. Oberyn was also there getting ready for the battle.

"Looks like very light armor." Tyrion noted as he passed Oberyn, still in handcuffs.

"I like to move around."

"You could at least wear a helmet." He said, watching as Oberyn downed a glass of wine. "You shouldn't drink before a fight."

"You learn this during your years in the fighting pits? I always drink before a fight."

"It could get you killed. It could get me killed."

"Today is not the day I die."

"You're going to fight that?"

"I'm going to kill that."

"He is the biggest man I've ever seen."

"Size does not matter when you are flat on your back."

"Thank the gods," Tyrion murmured.

"In the sight of gods and men, we gather to ascertain the guilt or innocence of this...man Tyrion Lannister. May the Mother grant them mercy. May the Father give them such justice as they deserve. And may the Warrior guide the hand of our champion..." Pycelle pronounced.

Tywin, in his boredom, sped up the process. Horns sounded to start the fight.

Oberyn kissed Ellaria.

"Don't leave me alone in this world." She pleaded.

"Nevr."

Oberyn made a show, spinning his weapon, doing leaps. He is clearly very good with it. The crowd cheered, impressed.

"Have they told you who I am?" Oberyn asked.

"Some dead man." The Mountain lunged forward and the battle began. Oberyn skipped back, twirling his spear.

"I am the brother of Elia Martell. Do you know why I have come all the way to this stinking shit-pile of a city? For you." He struck The Mountain with a series of blows before jolting back as his opponent made one of his own. "I'm going to hear you confess before you die. You raped my sister. You murdered her. You killed her children. Say it now and we can make this quick."

The Mountain charged forward and Oberyn deflected his sword, guiding it away from his body, before spinning around his much larger, and slower, opponent, knocking his helm off.

"Say it. You raped her. You murdered her. You killed her children." The Mountain advanced and Oberyn returned to his defensive maneuvers, including two leaps, increasing the distance between them. "You raped her! You murdered her! You killed her children! You raped her! You murdered her! You killed her children!"

He was knocked down momentarily but quickly returned to his feet.

He advanced, trying to search for an opportune area to attack, when The Mountain caught his spear, breaking the tip, and causing Oberyn to hit the ground.

Though, not for long. To avoid one of his opponent's strikes, Oberyn again performed a leap, bringing him close enough to grab a spare spear he had brought.

Unfortunately, he was thrown to the ground a third time. However, he still managed to evade his opponent's attacks, grabbing his spear and stabbing The Mountain in the gut.

Aelinor sat beside her mother, who was noticeably tense, clutching her necklace.

There had been a few close calls and still no end in sight.

The Mountain charged again. Ducking out of the way, Oberyn used his spear to make a cut on the back of his leg, dropping him to a knee.

Oberyn made his way near the dais holding the Lannisters, before turning and charging at his opponent, landing a deep thrust of his spear into his body.

Everyone looked down, surprised.

Oberyn pulled his weapon out of the Mountain and started walking around his body.

"Wait. Are you dying? No, no, no. You can't die yet. You haven't confessed. Say it. Say her name. Elia Martell. You raped her. You killed her children. Elia Martell. Who gave you the order? Who gave you the order?! Say her name! You raped her! You murdered her! You killed her children. Say it. Say her name. Say it!"

The Mountain tripped Oberyn and grabbed him in his massive hands, punching his teeth out, getting on top of Oberyn, squeezing his head.

"Elia Martell. I killed her son while Amory killed her daughter. Then I raped her. Then I smashed her head in-"

Seemingly out of nowhere, The Mountain suddenly went limp following his confession.

Aelinor stood from her seat, rushing over to her uncle, embracing him in a hug.

It was over. Her uncle would be free.

Oberyn staggered to his feet and faced the crowd with a smile on his face. He had done it. He had gotten justice for his sister and her children.

Just when all seemed well, Oberyn suddenly collapsed, causing Ellaria to scream.

Tywin stood. "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."

Aelinor released her hold on her uncle, turning to face her grandfather.

No, it wasn't right. Oberyn had toppled The Mountain. Tyrion was innocent.

She watched as guards approached her uncle, pulling him away from her.

She was also grabbed as she tried to rush to defend him. "No! No, he's innocent! He didn't do it!"

Her pleas fell on deaf ears.

All she could do was watch as her uncle was led away to be imprisoned until his father found it fit to execute him.