Its been a whole year, A YEAR without his soothing presence. His majestic long silvery hair fluttering in the wind, his purple eyes shone like the brightest Amethyst, his every move refined and noble. We were not related by blood but I KNOW deep down I am the brother he needed and he was the brother I wanted. I still remember the day they took him, that dark midnight when they spirited him away. I didn't even get to say goodbye, when I woke next morning, I cried and begged my father to let me go to Essos with him. I didn't care about land, titles, or wealth, at that moment, all I would have given everything in the world to be with my prince, my Daemon.
A long year and countless sleepless nights later, I have not forgotten him but my priorities have since changed. I am Ser Alyn Cockshaw, heir to the Lordship Bardsholm and a knight in service to Lord Gormon Peake in Starpike. Lord Gormon has trained me in various disciplines of war, sword combat, horsemanship, archery and various forms of siege craft, politics and economics however were another matter completely...
"Lord Gormon Peake, I protest this unjust and unsound taxation on the properties of the Sept. Four thousand years, from Arbor to the Wall, no Sept has ever had to pay a single copper to anyone other than the Most Holy High Septon. This latest act is but one travesty in a long list of attack upon the Sept, nay upon the Faith itself! I demand you cease this at once unless I bring up this matter with the Most Holy himself."
The great hall of Starpike was filled with eerie silence after Septon Hobbler made his righteous pronouncement. Lord Gormon Peake sat emotionless on his throne with Mayor Binkledge and Ser Hartwell behind him on both sides. The hall was filled with people from all over the Lordship, prominent merchant families, lesser nobles of Starpike, church men of various stature and even a few foreigners from one of the free cities of which I know nothing of. Their stations in life differ, but I know they are all in Starpike for one thing and one thing only: Money.
After a minute of awkward silence, Lord Gormon motioned Maester Hardwyck to bring in from the courtyard an elderly man clad in the Rainbow raiment of a Septon. Confusion washed over Septon Hobbler's face until he realized to his horror that this was none other than Lord Gormon Peake's uncle Edmure Peake. The elderly man trembling bowed before Lord Gormon before presenting Lord Gormon with a piece of red sealed paper.
"For crimes of Simony and Usury, Valaar Hobbler, you have been found guilty by the High Septon himself and henceforth you shall be stripped of your station. The High Septon has viewed my donations most favorably and has named Edmure Peake to be the Starpike Septon. As for you, you shall serve as an example of my fair and noble rule. Ser Boswell! See to it the good septon finds his way to his gibbet."
"I protest, this is an outrage! You have no right! By the sevens, let me go, let me go, I demand an audience with King..." As he was dragged away, the Septon was being stripped of his cloth and blood began to spew out of various orifices from the punches Ser Boswell landed on his face.
Satisfied with the pale and sullen faces in front of him, Lord Peake spoke thus: "I am a generous man to my friends and a scourge to mine enemies, but most important of all I am a reasonable man. I know that I owe the prosperity of my realm to all of you in this room and for that I am truly grateful. As all of you know, many misfortunes have conspired to bring low my once noble house, and in these troubled times we must all make sacrifices to strengthen the realm. The taxes MUST be paid and the debts MUST be renegotiated, I trust you all will find the truth and justice in my words."
"Bwhaha, haha, hah aha..." A sudden burst of bellowing laughter made me shudder. I did not know who dared to do such a foolish thing in front of my lord but I felt in my bones that he would live to regret this insolence. Everyone in the hall followed the voice to a strangely garbed man. He wore the most colorful robe I have every seen with embroideries so refined I could distinguish the individual animal patterns, pearls, diamonds and various other precious stones decorated him from head to toe. Yet despite the glitter, what caught my eyes were the unnatural purple beard on his face and the blue hair cascading down his back. "Definitely a Tyroshi" I thought to myself. Behind him stood two giant strong built dark and brawny men half naked with naught but leather shorts and sparkling rings on their fingers. Empty handed though they were, they looked every bit as menacing as a full plated knight.
"Who dare to mock our beloved lord! You cur, you will regret this, GUARDS!" Ser Hartwell drew his sword while motioning the four closest guards from the hall. Lord Peake sat silently on his throne, his face stalwart as usual not betraying any sign of emotion. As I was about to draw my sword, CRAAAASH, one of the banner man who first laid his hand on one of the dark men went head first into the wall, armor and all making a frightful sound. BOOM, POW, SWISH, the second man dodged two of the guards only to lay his enormous hand on both of their head, BAANNG, their heads collided and they fell lifeless on the ground. Seeing his comrades dead or beaten, the last guard charged with his spear towards the Tyroshi. I could almost imagine the pike driving into Tyroshi's throat when I heard a loud PAA! Almost like magic, the Tyroshi's hands appeared out of no where and caught the spear mid-air only to break the tip off and threw it into the guards' face.
"Enough of this! YOUR LORD COMMANDS IT!" Just as Ser Hartwell let out a whistle to summon all the guardsmen, Lord Peake suddenly stood up and his shout deafened everyone in the hall. Both the Peake men and the three Tyroshi stopped and look towards Lord Gormon.
"Who are you? Speak!"
The robed Tyroshi swung around, bowed his head and began to calmly speak: "My Lord Peake, I apologize for the troubles we have caused you but unfortunately we were attacked unprovoked. I am Promaithus Brachay, a humble servant of the Brotherhood of Moonsingers, these two are Brackio and Horatio. We are here at the command of the great Iron Bank who sent us to remind my noble lord of certain obligations."
"Is this how the Iron Bank greets its customers!? With contempt and bloodshed?! You might fight well, but you are in MY realm, take care I don't send your heads as my reply"
"Most noble lord, we serve at Masters' pleasure. The Iron Bank has foreseen your current problem, but we are sent not as debt collectors, my lord, we are sent as gifts. With our help, the debt will be the least of your concerns. Daemon the Black dragon might be dead, but his sons..."