3rd Month of 300 A.C. The Eyrie
Alayne Stone
The journey to the Vale had been long and arduous. After Joffrey's wedding and death, she had fled with Ser Dontos to a ship on the dock, where Petyr Baelish, her father had killed Ser Dontos and then taken her aboard the ship and said that they were to go to the Vale and away from King's Landing. Throughout the journey Sansa had been sick just as her father had been when he had taken them by ship to the Vale once long ago. Petyr had been there for her though, whispering soothing words and saying everything would be alright. Along the way something had happened and Sansa had died and Petyr Baelish's daughter Alayne had been born. During the journey she had recited all Petyr had told her about Alayne, and so she had become Alayne, and had assumed all she could for the girl that would be her way out of the hell that had become her life.
Upon arriving at the Vale, they had stopped at the Fingers and it was there that Sansa had become Alayne, her hair had gone from auburn to brown and from being the highest of nobility to a lowly bastard whose father at that point was soon to be married to Sansa Stark's aunt Lysa Arryn. That marriage had occurred not in the Eyrie as her father had wanted, but in her own father's keep. And gods had Lysa Arryn been loud she had screamed and screamed with pleasure until there had been no more screaming. From there they had travelled to the Eyrie and another damned ship journey where Alayne had struggled to control her stomach. As her father had gone to deal with something with the ship's captain Sansa's aunt had come to tell her that she knew the truth and that a marriage to Lysa's own son Robert would happen. Alayne had nearly wretched from the news, she remembered Sansa Stark's cousin as being a sickly little brat. And she did not look forward to that.
Thankfully such a match had never come to fruition for Lady Lysa was no longer alive. She had tried to throw Alayne out of the moon door, and Alayne's father had come to the rescue just as he had in King's Landing and saved Alayne from the frightful fall. After soothing Lysa he had then turned his back and the mad singer Marillon had thrown Lysa from the moon door to her death. This had caused all kinds of trouble for them as the lords of the Vale had come calling to hear what had happened from both Alayne and her father, and after telling them account of what had happened, the singer Marillon had plummeted to his death much the same way Lady Lysa had.
Now she had to meet with her father to speak of the happenings in the Vale and in the wider kingdom. These were meetings she often dreaded and looked forward to in equal measure and today she was wondering what her father would bring up as many things had occurred since last they had met. Her father was sat in his solar as he often was and there were letters spread out across his table, but he stopped working when she walked in and said. "Ah Alayne sweetling do sit down do sit down."
Alayne sits down opposite her father and looking at the letters before him asks. "Has there been any further word from the Gates of the Moon father?"
Her father smiles. "Yes there has been my sweetling. It seems the Lords Declarant have decided that no supplies will get through their blockade unless I meet their demands and give up the Lord Protectorship."
Alayne feels her heart begin beating quicker in her chest. "You are not going to do that are you father? After all if you do that then Robert will not be safe."
"No of course not. You need not worry sweetling. Apart from Bronze Yohn Royce, the rest are just blowing hot air. Gilwood Hunter is not going to commit any sort of action towards us, as his brothers are aiming to remove him from power, just as he did to their father. Anya Waynwood does not have the coin to sustain such action against us. Her debts are growing, and a simple offer to her to buy up her debts on our part would earn us her loyalty and of course make it far easier for the betrothal with Harry the heir to be made." Her father says.
Alayne nods and then asks. "But why would this allow for a betrothal to be made father? Harry is the heir to the Vale and I am just a bastard, no one would allow for such a match to be made with any common sense."
Her father chuckles. "Ah Alayne sweetling, when it comes to money and debt, most people do not have an ounce of common sense. Lady Waynwood will be so relieved that we have taken her money troubles away from her she will agree to what we ask so that she can remain in our good books."
"What of Lords Redfort, Belmore and Templeton. Surely they are going to remain strongly behind Lord Royce and not do anything to go against him?" Alayne asks.
"Belmore can be bought off with gold. He is constantly in need of it. As for Templeton, well is kin to you sweetling. One of your great grandfather's sisters married a Royce who had a daughter who married a Templeton and Ser Symond Templeton is their so. This does mean that when we reveal who you truly are, he will be honour bound to serve you. Family ties often negate political grievances. And the Templetons are always about family. As for Lord Horton Redfort, yes it is true he will remain steadfastly behind Bronze Yohn, but he is an old man who is not in the best of health and his sons are ambitious. That ambition will be how we keep them away from us and Sweetrobin." Her father says.
"Will the Corbrays remain loyal now as well father? Now that Lord Lyonel has married the merchant's daughter? There is no need for Lyn to continue his charade." Alayne says.
"Lyonel will do as I ask of him yes. As for Lyn, that one is a loose arrow, he will hover from one place to another doing as he thinks best for Lyn. For the time being he is loyal to me, the more debt he places himself in to me the more power I hold over him, but the more he comes to realise that the more he will look for other ways in which to break free." Her father responds.
Alayne nods and then asks. "And what of Harry father? When will I meet him? Winter is soon to be here, and if we do not do something quickly then the chance to marry and retake Winterfell will disappear."
Her father is silent a moment. "There has been a slight interruption with our plans sweetling. Word has come from King's Landing that Tyrion Lannister survived his trial and is now coming to the Vale to look for you. It appears Tywin Lannister has gotten wind of where you might be."
Immediately Alayne feels her heart begin to beat faster. "How do they know where to find us father? I thought no one would know? You said no one would know."
Her father stands then and comes to kneel in front of her, he takes her hands and says soothingly. "Worry not sweetling. Tywin Lannister believes you are here because your aunt ruled as Lady of the Vale and because your uncle Jon Arryn still had people who would have wanted you safe. He does not know for certain that you are here, nor will he. Tyrion Lannister will never reach the Vale let alone the Eyrie."
"How? How can you be so sure father? He is a Lannister, they always get what they want." Alayne whimpers.
"Because the man's father and sister still want him dead. There are people out even now following Tyrion Lannister looking to kill him at the first opportunity that presents itself. He will not make it to the Vale because neither his father nor his sister want him to. Furthermore, even if they fail, I have men ready to attack him. The very men going to aid him are mine own. He will never see you again sweetling I promise." Her father soothes, kissing her cheeks then before standing up.
"And once he is dead, I am free to marry Harry, and can take the north back from the Boltons?" Alayne asks tentatively.
"Yes sweetling. None will be able to refuse you, the living daughter of Eddard Stark and Catelyn Tully. The lords will rally to your side and we shall show the Boltons what it means to cross you. The knights of the Vale will ride with you as well. And with your new husband in tow, you will retake the north." Her father responds smiling a smile that does not reach his eyes.
Alayne thinks for a moment and then says. "I know of a way myself and Harry could meet without raising too much suspicion." She pauses and her father looks at her expectantly. "A tourney. Harry has recently been knighted has he not? Well why not give him a chance to prove his skills to the Lords of the Vale. And furthermore, Sweetrobin has been wanting to have his own personal guard to rival King Tommem. This tournament could be the best chance to get knights and lords to compete for the places in the tourney. It would be a good way to ensure their loyalty."
Silence and then her father says. "A clever idea my sweetling. Think through the details of the tourney and then we shall put it into action. Meanwhile I want to know what you have been able to gauge from Ser Shadrich the mad mouse."
Alayne shivers at the thought of the mad mouse. "He is a strange man father. Truly I do not like him, there is something about him that does not feel right. None of his smiles reach his eyes, and none of his jokes are remotely funny. There is something dark about him, and he hungers after gold for more than one reason."
Her father nods. "Aye, he hungers after gold like Lyn Corbray does. I have reason to believe he might well be working for Royce. Though he would like to pretend he is all about honour, Yohn Royce has not survived as Lord of Runestone all these years by being honourable. He would not be above using a man like Shadrich to learn about our weaknesses. Has your friend Randa said anything about the man?"
Alayne frowns at the thought of Randa, who had started sleeping with the man to find out more about him. Her friend had talked a lot about the man's man parts but apart from that nothing really stood out apart from. "She told me that he often talks in his sleep. It seems he keeps talking about a spider or something of the sort. And how he will be given dragons for doing what this thing wants him to do. She does not know what to make of it, nor do I truth be told father."
Her father is silent a moment and then asks. "Who was called the spider in King's Landing sweetling?"
And then it hits her. "Varys? You think Varys knows I am here?"
"I would not put it past him to guess. He has men and people everywhere. His little spies are called mice after all. I do believe it is time we spoke with Ser Shadrich and found out what he wants." Her father responds.
"Will you kill him father?" Alayne asks.
Her father looks at her and the look in his eyes scares her. "If he does not comply I will give him a fate worse than death."