5th Month of 282 A.C. King's Landing
Knight Commander Brandon Stark
Darkness was growing over the city, Brandon could feel it, deep within his bones, he had known it truly from the moment he had ridden into the city and seen the divisions. The Red Keep was a prison for the king and those who knew their true purpose, but why it had become that way he did not know. Something deep was going on here, he knew Prince Rhaegar had broken rank alongside Tywin Lannister, and now, well gods alone knew what was going to happen. Since arriving in King's Landing he had only seen the king once, and even then that meeting had been brief and fleeting. And now, now he was meeting with Grand Maester Pycelle, for some reason or the other. He did not trust Pycelle had never trusted Pycelle, but the man had his uses.
Brandon sits lounging in a chair in the grand maester's chambers, he feels bored, and he knows there is something the man is hiding he is just not sure what. "So tell me maester, what is it that ails the king so?"
"My lord?" Pycelle asks sounding confused.
"The king, what ails him so much? I have asked to see him some four times now in the past month that I have been here, and yet every time I am denied access to his person. As a member of the order, that should not be the case. So I ask, as his maester, what is wrong with him." Brandon states.
From the way the man shifts uncomfortably Brandon knows there is some lie coming. "His Grace regrets that he could not see you, but it seems that he has been ailing with some sickness for some time. As a consequence he has increasingly put the power into the hand of the king."
Brandon laughs. "Merryweather? Come now Pycelle, I am not a fool, there is more to this than meets the eye. We all know that Merryweather is a fool who does what he is told and nothing more. So I ask again, what is wrong with the king?"
The Grand Maester looks at him something akin to anger in his gaze, Brandon remains unfazed, he merely stares at the man waiting for his response, and when it does come, Brandon does not believe the words. "The King has been ailing my lord, and as such has requested that none see him until he is better."
Whether it is impatience or anger that is making him snap right now, he does not know but that is what happens. "And pray tell me how long that will take? My sister is missing, and the king has said that he shall aid me as best he can, so far that help has not materialised."
The Maester's face changes into a smirk briefly, so briefly one might think it was nothing, but Brandon knows how to read people, and so he sees it. "The king is trying his hardest. Until such time, I suggest you leave it to the hand to sort out."
Just as planned, a knock on the door takes Pycelle's attention and he hobbles toward the door to open it, in that time Brandon leans across the desk and takes the first piece of paper he finds, which has a lion's symbol emblazoned on it. He reads it quickly and then puts it down. Something brewing within him. The Maester walks back to him and says. "I am afraid my lord that I must ask you to leave. Council business."
Brandon stands then. "Of course, not to worry." with that he walks out of the room and back toward his own chambers, when he enters them he finds Ethan there waiting for him as asked. "What did you find out?" he asks his squire.
There is a moment's silence and then his squire responds. "I spoke with Myles Mooton, and I know that Elbert spoke to Richard Lonmouth. Rhaegar did not include them in his plans, but Arthur Dayne and Oswell Whent were there when Rhaegar took Lady Lyanna. It seems he became obsessed with her following Harrenhal, and might well have been obsessed with her before."
That takes Brandon by surprise. "What? How could he have even known who she was, before Harrenhal?"
His friend looks somewhat uncomfortable, but then says. "Dreams. According to Myles, the Prince used to dream about all kinds of things, and in one of his dreams he saw a maid with the head of a wolf. He took that to mean your sister and as such decided to act on it. He spoke with various members of the court, those who Lord Rickard had entrusted to come here, and ensured something was set up."
Brandon considers this and then dismisses it. "Impossible. My father would never turn on the king, the prince might have been about to remove his father, but my father was the main obstacle in his path." It hits him then. "The bastard. He took Lyanna as a warning to father. He is trying to force father's hand."
Ethan looks confused then. "Why would he try to do that?"
"Because it would force father to consider voting to remove the king, if Lyanna is in the prince's custody then father's hands are tied. He cannot use his position as Knight Major to overrule the prince, if Lyanna is the man's wife. That goes against the very tenant of the order. Damnation, this has Tywin's hands all over it." Brandon says.
"Tywin Lannister?" Ethan asks confused. "Why would he want Lady Lyanna married to Prince Rhaegar? Surely he would want his own brat of a daughter married to the prince."
Brandon nods. "Normal logic would dictate that with Princess Elia having failed to give the prince a son, any daughter that gave the prince a son would be most valued within the kingdom. And Tywin has always wanted to have his blood on the throne, and yet, this, this is a better strategy."
"How so?" Ethan asks.
"Because it makes it look as if Lyanna tricked the prince into running off with her, it hurts Dorne and Princess Elia, and it turns the commons against my family. And their love is hard won." Brandon muses. "A well thought out strategy."
"And it seems that it is working." a voice from the door says. Brandon turns round to see Jeoffrey Mallister standing there, his silver hair gleaming slightly in the light.
"What do you mean? Have you had word from outside?" Brandon asks.
His friend nods. "The talk of the riverlands, Lord Rickard killed Walder Frey and his men butchered their way out of the Twins. Some of Prince Rhaegar's faction are calling for justice, whilst others are merely looking through the wreckage. Lord Rickard is being summoned before the king to answer for this."
His father's actions shock him, but he knows that his father would never act in such a way without good reason. "What happened? Why did my father resort to such methods?"
There is a moment's silence, and Brandon can feel something akin to horror growing within him, until his friend responds. "Because Lord Walder was going to kill him. There are many curious tales being told about what happened at the Twins Brandon, but that is what I have been able to gauge. My mother sent me word of this, and so I've acted on it."
Brandon is surprised by this, his friend's mother, Lady Daenys Mallister, granddaughter of King Maekar Targaryen, rarely got involved with her family's problems and yet now, now here she was. "How did she know what to do and how to get it passed the city watch?"
His friend grins then. "Because she rode to King's Landing from Duskendale, she was staying there when my brother wrote to her. It seems that people are still afraid of her here. And well, she wanted to speak with you."
His friend moves to the side then and Brandon feels himself exhale then at the sight of the woman before him. Lady Daenys Mallister, a great beauty in her youth, and still a great beauty now, even though she must be the same age if not older than his father. She stands there looking at him, and then he remembers his manners and kisses her outstretched hand. "It is an honour to see you once more my lady. You look lovely as always."
The woman merely laughs. "You and your father always are ones for courtesy. Enough of that now Knight Commander, I say we speak about these things properly. I will sit down, and you will close the door Jeoffrey."
They follow her instructions, no one in their right mind would refuse Daenys Mallister, not if they wanted to live. And so once that is done, they all look at her expectantly, and Brandon remembering what his father had once said, speaks first. "So, Jeoffrey, tells me that you have come from Duskendale. Do you know what happened there during the defiance?"
The woman looks at him a moment and then says. "Not only do I know what happened there, but I know who instigated it. And it was not that girl Serala of Myr, oh no, it was someone else entirely, and I do believe we all know who it was."
She does not need to say a name before Brandon comes to the conclusion himself. "But why? Why would he do that?"
"Because the king was growing too confident on his own, and our dearly beloved Lord Hand does not like that. He has always wanted to be a member of our family, and as such would have done anything to bring himself closer, and so he wanted to show his former friend just how useful he could be. It was all done at Tywin's instigation and when the king was captured, well, that was just fine, for there was Prince Rhaegar who had agreed to marry Lady Cersei." Lady Daenys says.
"Wait, Prince Rhaegar agreed to a marriage?" Brandon asks incredulously.
"Yes, there was a signed record of it as well, I believe it is somewhere here within the Red Keep, buried within the vault as it were, by the Prince." Lady Daenys responds.
"And of course Tywin would never mention it once Aerys was brought out of Duskendale, because it would mean risking everything. Better to work with the mad king and bring him down from inside than to risk everything on a gamble. But then, that does mean that Princess Rhaenys is not trueborn." Brandon muses.
"It means nothing of the sort," Jeoffrey says. "Rhaegar and Princess Elia were married in front of the gods and men, their marriage is legitimate as is any offspring that it produces."
"Actually, that is not true." Lady Daenys says, and she holds up a hand when her son goes to protest. "In congruence with Maegor's marriage pact of 43 A.C., a betrothal is quite binding, and therefore unless formally broken between the two parties, nullifies any other marriage pact made. This was done deliberately by Prince Rhaegar and Tywin, they wanted to throw one last insult towards Dorne and Princess Loreza."
Brandon considers this and wonders over it. "I cannot use this formally without the solid proof there for the king to look at. Hells, none of this will matter unless I can see the king, and I do not know if that will be achieved."
Lady Daenys looks at him a moment and then says. "Perhaps you might go about it a different way. Do not go charging in Knight Commander, go in as if you were going for a dance. And then you might find what you are looking for." the woman stands then and walks out of the room accompanied by Jeoffrey, leaving Brandon and Ethan alone.
Brandon looks at his squire then and says. "Perhaps it is time we paid a visit to the vault. After all we must make sure that all of the order's papers are there, and that that fool has not taken anything. And then a conversation with the eunuch is in order."