The Small Council gathering started and Brynden and Shiera's other colleagues were anxious to find out the reason the meeting was called.
"My lords, after careful thinking and a bit of luck, I think I found the solution to both our problems. As you know, the Warden of the North Beric Stark has four children: two sons, Benjen and Rickard and two daughters, Lyra and Wylla. He requested his daughter Wylla to be accepted as Queen Aelinor's lady-in-waiting here, in King's Landing."
Lord Estermont, always eager to contradict Bloodraven, replied:
"And how is that helping us? A girl of seventeen can't possibly be the solution to any problems we have!"
Lord Manderly smashed his fist on the table:
"Gods be good, are you a fucking dimwit? We can insert Lady Wylla in the king's bed if she will arrive in the capital. She will be something of a novelty and we all know that our king deeply enjoys novelties. Besides, I personally know the girl and I must say, she is the most beautiful girl in all the North. My eldest son, Gareth, is so madly in love to her that he planned to steal her from Winterfell and bring her to White Harbor. I talked him out of it. Also, his younger brother, Robett, tried to buy her from Lord Stark. Eighty thousand gold dragons he wanted to pay to Lord Beric, but he almost killed my son for proposing to buy Wylla like a whore. I managed to convince Lord Stark that it was a youngster's foolishness so he let it slide."
Lord Brax raised his hand, his custom whenever he wanted to speak. The other lords turned their heads towards him.
"If you want to use a lady as bait for our king, I believe there are more suitable ladies in the south than any direwolf pup. I don't trust the Starks."
Bloodraven frowned:
"Lord Brax, it is not necessary for you to trust House Stark, or even interact with the girl. As for the region she comes from… It is necessary to be from the North."
"Why?"
"Because the girl's arrival to King's Landing is part of my plan to bring the smallfolk back to the Crownlands. A few thousand of them went north when the drought began. I will write a letter to Lord Stark and say to him that we accept it in exchange of him sending the smallfolk refugees back here."
Estermont laughed:
"Yes and Beric Stark will accept this because of what? He is a Stark, honorable fools they are. He will never accept this."
"Oh, but he will accept it. Lord Beric's maester is… friendly to our cause."
"Who is he?"
"As you know, I lived for a few years with my mother's House in the Riverlands, at the Raventree Hall. My grandfather, Lord Ryger Blackwood, had four children. Quentyn, who died at that tourney here in 206, Alyn, my mother Melissa and their youngest brother, Lyman."
Lord Manderly smirked:
"Lyman is Lord Stark's maester. He saved the life of his son Benjen when he fell from a horse three years ago. Since then, Lyman became his closest friend and advisor."
"Exactly, and he is my uncle. I will write two letters: one for Lord Stark, one for Maester Lyman. If he will manage to pour our words into Lord Beric's ear, all will be good, the smallfolk will return to the Crownlands and we could possibly have a royal wedding in the future."
The plan was good and the people in the Small Council agreed, except for Lord Estermont who really doesn't agree of any idea of Bloodraven, even though it is a good one.
After the meeting, Brynden proceeded to write the two letters and Grand Maester Wylard sent them by raven to the North. He then went towards Shiera's room, who left the Council room early only to find her in bed with Ser Walton Tully, one of the Kingsguard.
"Ahem…"
Ser Walton had short, auburn hair and blue eyes, due to his Tully blood and was one of the finest swordsmen in the realm. Bloodraven was not surprised to see him bedding Shiera, as she fucked almost every lord, knight, blacksmith and stable boy in King's Landing.
"My lord, I…"
"Leave us. If Lord Commander Yronwood asks about where you have been, you were with me in the city."
"Thank you, my lord."
Ser Walton put on his clothes and left the room quickly, fearing that the Bloodraven will change his mind. Brynden however had other things on his mind.
"Is there any Kingsguard member you did not fuck?"
"That boy who died in the rebellion, what was his name? Calyn? Calen?"
"Caylen Westerling."
"Right. I never fucked him, he died before I could get a chance."
Bloodraven's jealousy was boiling inside of him, but he decided to cool down, as anger will only darken his judgement.
"While you were here making love to Walton Tully, I managed to sell the plan to the Small Council. Estermont was loud mouthed as ever but he was outvoted. Also, I contacted my uncle, the maester of Lord Stark. He will convince his master to accept the deal."
"That's good. But Estermont will not back down, he will do anything within his power to thwart us. He has a plan, and other conspirators beside him will help him accomplish it."
"A plan? How do you know?"
"I found out days ago from my spies that Lord Dormund is meeting with certain lords in secret. He plans to have you poisoned and, after your death, to make sure Maekar becomes Hand of the King. Also, he is feeding information to our nephew. He personally sent a raven after the last Council meeting but that bird was shot down before even leaving the Crownlands. Ser Tully was the one who killed the raven, because he is my creature. What have you just seen is his reward for a job well done."
"Well, well… I never thought Estermont will have it in him. Certainly, his craven fart façade is just a ruse. Do you know who his co-conspirators are?"
"Yes, I made you a list. Is in my drawer over there."
"Thank you, Shiera!"
Bloodraven kissed his sister on the lips and cuddled her naked body with his hand. She responded to his touches by caressing his marked cheek.
"Right now, we must make sure to get rid of Estermont and his cronies. But it must not be traced back to us."
"Absolutely. I also found out that a Kingsguard, Ser Harald Grandison, will be the one who is supposed to poison you, at dinner."
"Stormlands fucks… Let me think about it for a minute… I know!"
Without saying another word, Lord Rivers left his lover's room, planning to quash this soon-to-be rebellion before it even began.