5th Month of 298 A.C. King's Landing

Robb Stark

Robb felt fortunate to have grown up in two different places. Winterfell was and always would be his home, it would be his one day far into the future when his grandfather and father were gone, but for now he was content to see it as something to aspire to. Winterfell was where his mother and his siblings apart from Sansa were, it was a place that held fond childhood memories for him. Memories of swimming in the hot springs, laughing as he learned how to swim, running through the grounds and snow ball fights as the summer snows landed. King's Landing was where he had grown into a man, a man who knew things he would not have learned in Winterfell. Robb felt he knew how to read people, of course, being the grandson of Lord Rickard Stark he would not have been much of Stark had he not learned that. And of course he had his friendships here, with the King, with Arthur, with Harwyn and many others. He had had loves here as well, Dany was foremost amongst them, but she was a friend now, and gods alone knew what the future would hold. He looked forward to it with eagerness, and as he looked at his friends, gathered as they were in the King's solar, he knew they did as well.

As was often the case with their group, Robb is the first one to speak. "Florent was an absolute fool at the wedding. What are you going to do with him Your Grace?" Greywind, a direwolf and a nameday gift from his parents' rests at his feet.

The King looks quite serious as he considers the question. "I think I might well have the man stripped of his lordship and sent into exile. At least that is what I would do, if we did not need Florent."

Robb quirks an eyebrow at that and asks. "Why do you need Florent? Or rather why do you need the man instead of his son?" Lord Florent was an old and boorish man, not the sort of person one would want in Brightwater Keep, his son seemed far more malleable.

"Because he seems to be the only one who could keep his family in order." The King responds.

As if to answer the unasked question, Queen Margaery speaks then. "Lord Florent might be a mess of a man, but he is someone the Florents, or rather the wider Florent family can respect. His son does not have that respect. He has not proved himself in the same manner."

Curious, Robb asks. "And what would he need to do to prove himself to them?" He finds himself thinking of the north and what he might need to do to prove himself worthy of the title.

The Queen seems to hesitate for a moment, and then she replies. "I think he'd need to have more of a backbone then he currently has. At present he seems only too willing to do whatever his father tells him to do. And whilst that is what we are all expected to do, he does not even seek to fight the commands, he merely does it."

"So you think if he were to become Lord of Brightwater Keep, he would not last very long?" Robb questions.

"Yes." The King and Queen say in unison. The King looks at his wife, who nods and then the man continues. "Ser Axell might have no children, but he is an ambitious man. Ser Ryam even more so. You can be sure that should Lord Florent die and his son take his place, there will be infighting within the family before the year is over. And that is not something we can afford."

Robb nods, seeing the sense in that. Then thinking of something he overheard the other day, he says. "I think I can see what you are saying. Especially with Lord Hightower having married a Florent. Do you think the man will stir from the Hightower?" Robb remembers hearing all the whisperings about what could be going on within the Hightower, where Lord Leyton, a giant of man remains shut up for no apparent reason.

The Queen replies then. "I think Lord Leyton is doing something that he deems important. He has not thought to share it with anyone, and so he remains within his tower. I do think he might move from there if asked."

Robb sees a look exchanged between the King and the Queen and he knows they have done just that. He does not comment on it though, instead he merely nods and says. "The Hightowers will be important for us, when it comes time to deal with the Faith. I still cannot believe that this High Sparrow fellow has disappeared."

Daenerys speaks then, her voice soft. "Well it is not all that surprising. The attack during the coronation, has no doubt turned many people against him. His puppet Septon has also been removed from the post of authority. He has nothing to do now."

Robb nods, the news of the High Septon's death had come earlier that morning, it seemed that the man had died in his sleep, and the rumours have already started. "So long as they do not chose another fool, we should be alright." Robb replies.

"I would not be so sure of that." The Queen states. "The old High Septon might've been a puppet, but he was one who gave as good as he got. If they choose someone who has no brain, then we are in for a difficult time. The Sparrow will emerge once more; of that you can be certain."

The King nods, voicing his agreement. "Margaery is right. We cannot allow them to choose someone who would undermine the very thing they seek. We cannot allow the people to think we had something to do with that. It does not help that Viserys brought back a red priestess."

Seeing the King's grimace, Robb asks. "You've met the woman?" he finds himself wondering how he was not aware of this, there's hardly anything that occurs within their little circle that they don't keep one another informed of.

The King nods. "Not of my own volition mind. She just sort appeared when I was here, she wanted to talk about something or the other, and so I listened and then sent her on her way."

"What was she like?" Robb asks, feeling his curiosity grow.

The King shrugs. "She was strange, ethereal I suppose you could say. She certainly seemed as if she believed in what she was saying."

"And what was that?" Robb asks.

"That there was a darkness coming, that she would see me again soon." The King replies.

"Where is she staying now?" he asks.

"Dragonstone. I told Viserys to keep her there. I do not want her here." The King says simply.

Robb nods seeing the sense in that. "Makes sense, and it ensures that the Faith can't cause any unnecessary problems. Why did Viserys bring her back?" As far as he knows the Prince is not the sort of person given to flights of religious fancy.

The King shrugs once more and says. "I think they're sleeping with one another. Truth be told, I don't much care." There is a moment of silence and then the King turns to Sansa and asks. "How are you feeling about your betrothal cousin?"

Robb stiffens slightly, it's not that he doesn't like Arthur, he does, he sees the boy as if he's a little brother, but the betrothal had come out of nowhere, especially when he knows, or rather suspects Sansa likes someone else. To her credit, Sansa replies without a hint of bitterness. "I think it will be a good match, and Arthur is a nice lad, he is a friend of mine as well."

The King nods. "Aye that he is. He will make a good knight and lord when the time comes. Though, I do think he might be back in King's Landing before long."

That peaks Robb's interest and he asks. "Oh? What do you have planned for him Your Grace?"

The King raises one shoulder and lowers it, in a manner that indicates that he knows what he has planned, or has the beginnings of an idea, but is not quite sure what it will entail. "Oh, a little bit of this, and a little bit of that. If he deems himself worthy, he might get more positions within the court, if not, well then he has done nothing wrong."

His curiosity is peaked further, but Robb knows that the King will not elaborate and so instead he merely nods. Then he says. "You know, I do think that the more time we spend talking about things, the more I think that there is something else going on within the capital." He does not know what makes him say the thoughts he has had recently, but the words are out there.

Daenerys looks at him curiously and asks. "What do you mean by that?"

Robb thinks for a moment and then replies. "Well it can't be a coincidence that after the incident during the coronation and then at the wedding, that Lord Sunglass has retired back to his keep. He complains about ill health, but I am not sure I am completely sold on that. The man is devout to the point of stupidity, I am sure he must have done something more. And then there is Florent, we all know the man is a fool, but to be as loud as he was during the wedding, he must have been doing so for a reason."

"What do you think that reason could have been?" Daenerys asks.

Robb hesitates then, now this is something he is not completely sure about, but he sees the King looking at him intently, and he sees how Daenerys is looking at him in a way she hasn't looked at him in a long time and he speaks. "I think Florent might have been acting the way he was as a distraction for something or someone. I think they're planning on doing something, and I think whatever happened regarding the Sparrow's disappearance has Florent involvement all over it."

"You think Lord Florent is working with the Sparrow?" Daenerys asks disbelievingly.

Robb holds up his hands and says. "I am not saying he definitely is. All I am saying is that I think he knows more about certain things, than we think he might do. And furthermore, I am saying that Sunglass definitely knows more than he is letting on. I think they need to be looked into."

Silence follows his response, he half expects the King to dismiss his thoughts out of turn, but instead the King says. "I think you might be onto something here Robb."

Daenerys looks at the King and asks. "What makes you say that?"

Robb looks at the King intrigued to see what the man will say. His words are calm and measured when he replies. "Sunglass did return to his land under strange circumstances, and Lady Ellaria has since found out that he met with members of the Sparrow's group to talk about something, what that was we do not know. But he is definitely working with them. As for Florent, well the man is a grasping buffoon who seems to want more than he is owed or deserves. So I would not be surprised if he is working with the Sparrow as well. That figure wants chaos more than anything else."

Robb nods, glad that the King agrees with him. "I think he and that Baelish fellow are more alike than we might think. Their origins are mysterious, but we know they got to where they are now through the help of their betters. I think Baelish needs to be looked into and dealt with."

He can see the doubt in the ladies' eyes, but the King merely nods and says. "I quite agree. I think Baelish will need to answer for certain…shall we say irregularities."