A/N: Hi, guys! Hope you are all doing well and staying safe and healthy!
I'm about to get a lot busier with stuff going on, so this might be last week for two chapters per week. I'm not saying that I won't do it, as I will try to keep up when I have the time, but be prepared. Thanks for understanding!
MERN II
Mern sat across Prince Seamus Lannister, the heir to King Loren, in the solar of Cider Hall. The King of the Reach was surprised when the heir to the most senior line of House Lannister had appeared at his army's encampment with five thousand men, all of whom traveled the Ocean Road from Crakehall towards Highgarden. After being treated to the hospitality of his capital, with his wife and queen Victaria acting as a most gracious host, Seamus marched to Cider Hall with his small army.
When asked on his reason for being there, Prince Seamus responded with, "My father had heard that you were struggling against the dragonspawn in your own lands, so he sent me to help."
Mern had known exactly what he meant by that, and the recent setbacks caused by Aegon Targaryen and Jaenyx Belaerys represented too great an opportunity for Loren to regain some of his authority after his own losses. The fact that he sent his son at the head of an army, no matter how small it was, hammered home that fact.
But why five thousand? Why not more? If Loren really wanted to assist him, he would have sent at least ten thousand men. Mern thought that maybe Loren wanted to protect his own kingdom and whatever lands he had left, but given how much has happened between them and the High Septon removing some favor from the King of the Rock, Loren Lannister must've deliberately held back his army so that the Reachmen would know the burden he had to shoulder in the first stages of the war. That's something he would do, and his treatment of Orys Baratheon showed to all that he was not above petty.
And his heir showing up at Cider Hall, raised more questions, ones that he would ask soon.
"Good to finally make your acquaintance, Prince Seamus," Mern started.
"I'm honored to be in your presence, Your Grace," Seamus knew when to show respect, but he was a royal and thus did not grovel. Good start.
"I must admit that your presence here is unexpected," Mern offered him some wine, which Seamus accepted. Clinking their cups, Mern carried on. "Not that I am unhappy at you being here with your troops, but I am not sure what prompted your father to send you all the way here."
"King Mern, my father has decided to send some troops he could spare to aid you right here in your kingdom," Seamus answered. "With the northern half of the Mander in enemy hands and the former Storm kingdom devoid of Reachmen, your position has become quite complicated."
"Nothing that I haven't reflected on," Mern shrugged. "I've already sent orders to raise more men, and the southern parts of my kingdom will send reinforcements."
"Led by Lord Hightower, Your Grace?"
"Correct," Mern confirmed.
"Is that a good idea?" Seamus asked, surprising Mern.
"What do you mean by that, Prince Seamus?" Mern was poor at hiding his emotions.
"The last that I have heard, Orys Baratheon, against all expectations, was able to sail around Dorne and was sighted off of the Arbor. Considering his reputation, Your Hightower, Lord Hightower would imperil his own seat of power if he left it undefended against the dragon bastard," Seamus told him.
"I know that, Prince Seamus. And I wouldn't worry about Oldtown being besieged. Even if most of the forces there have been removed, Orys Baratheon would not be able to storm the city without sufficient numbers and equipment, both of which he doesn't have. Also, he would face stiff resistance even if he did manage to storm the walls, which is only a slight possibility for the reasons I have just state, because he would have to fight the faithful. And that's only if he even got that far," Mern explained.
"What is this first obstacle facing Orys that you speak of, Your Grace?" Seamus inquired.
"He will have to face the Redwyne fleet, which is the finest navy in all of Westeros. Those from the stormlords only had one year to get used to the sea, while the men of the Arbor had centuries to master the ocean. Orys faces overwhelming odds by facing Lord Redwyne himself. With the ironborn ships added to their strength, the dragon bastard will face too many odds and will be defeated," Mern spoke confidently.
"I don't doubt that, Your Grace," Seamus agreed. "Then again, you'll also have to consider that Orys Baratheon also knows that fact, so he wouldn't have sailed to your shores if he didn't have something planned already. Considering his exploits despite being two fingers less, he's not someone to be trifled with."
"I have considered that, Prince Seamus," Mern nodded.
"Also, are you willing to trust the ironborn, of all people, to fight alongside Lord Redwyne, Your Grace? He might have the numbers, but knowing Orys Baratheon from what we have both seen, he'll put up a good fight and the ironborn are known to crack under the slightest pressure," Seamus pointed out.
"The ironborn have been causing me trouble as of late. If many of them die from Orys Baratheon's hand, I will have solved the problem by making sure that there are less of them in the world and thus making it easier to fight them when I will retaliate. Although… I'm sure the men of Lannisport have more reason than I do to take their revenge on them," Mern stated.
"Of course, King Loren," Seamus smiled. "If you want, my father is prepared to offer you a loan so that you can replace any losses you incurred on the high seas from Orys' hand. You just need to ask."
"Tell your father that I appreciate his offer, but I am not in need of his gold as of yet," Mern politely declined.
"Another question, if I may, Your Grace." Mern gestured for him to ask. "As I am the heir to my father's throne and have led troops to your camp here at Cider Hall, will I be given a place at your commanders' table? After all, the men of the Rock will not answer to anyone else but one of royal Lannister blood, so you need someone who can be privy to any planning in the field?"
Is that your purpose here? Some nerve you got, Mern thought silently, but Loren wouldn't have sent his son and heir to feed him information only. "You'll have to prove yourself on the field alongside us, but I will see what I can do."
"I appreciate that, King Loren," Seamus nodded.
"And I must ask. What does your father, King Loren, intend to do with the riverlands? I've just heard that he appointed Weslar Reyne as his Warden of the Eastern Marches, even though his son is in the cells of Casterly Rock. Will he be trying to retake them soon?" Mern inquired.
"We have a responsibility to protect our vassals in the riverlands and we still hold Riverrun, so we possess a foothold from which to retake that region when the time comes," Seamus spoke. "However, the riverlands will not be our main focus at this point."
"Why is that?"
Seamus relaxed. "It seems as if the fight has been shifted elsewhere, mainly to this kingdom and the Vale. There is no point in taking over the riverlands, as it has changed hands three times and will undoubtedly have suffered a lot of damage. But as this war raged on, a few things have become clear in the enemy's strategy."
"What is that?"
"If the Reach falls, this war will balance towards the enemy's advantage, as they will control the breadbasket of Westeros. If the Vale falls, they'll have secured their entire eastern flank and thus be in a much better position to fight us. No offense to the Valemen and Sharra Arryn, but I'm not sure how long they'll last all by themselves," Seamus chuckled. "In addition, Queen Sharra is one of yours and I'm not sure if a woman from the land of flowers has the sufficient will to lead the mountain men of the Vale against the likes of Visenya Targaryen, Rhaenys Targaryen, and Torrhen Stark's bastard brother."
Mern brushed off Seamus' light insults, for he had grown used to the rest of Westeros not having a good opinion of the fighting capabilities of the Reach in general. As if they know what it's like to deal with sorts from the Hightowers and so on. "So, what are you trying to say, Prince Seamus?"
"My father, King Loren, has decided to reinforce you with an army and the force that I've brought with me is a token of his good will. He will then follow me with a larger army, which will be set to arrive in Highgarden, but of course, they will be awaiting your permission and your consent to our conditions," Seamus said.
Mern crossed his arms. "What sort of conditions? And how large is this army?"
"How does twenty-five thousand men sound to you, Your Grace?" Seamus posed.
Twenty-five thousand? With those numbers, he could shore up his gaps and be able to launch another offensive again. But before he got excited, he had to hear the conditions. "What is your father looking for?"
"The men that will support you in your kingdom will be part of the agreement that my father seeks with you, which is comparable to the one you tried to seek with Argella Baratheon for your son Edmund," Seamus drunk his wine.
Mern had some idea of what Seamus was referring to, but he wanted him to say it aloud. "Your father seeks a marriage with my family?"
"The men of the Rock will not fight alongside unless their rulers, their kings, are connected to you by marriage and by blood," Seamus continued. "And my father believes that a marriage contract between our two houses will further strengthen our bonds and help the Faith also."
There was only one daughter of House Gardener that was eligible, which made Mern more worried. "Your father seeks a union between yourself and my daughter, Princess Vevienne?"
"That's correct, Your Grace," Seamus confirmed. "You tried to incorporate the last of House Durrandon into your own house while gaining a foothold on Storm's End, but that didn't work out and now you've lost more troops trying to fight them. If a marriage occurred between myself and Princess Vevienne, the power of both of our families' crowns will be combined into something greater. We will both a true force to be reckoned with in Westeros, powerful enough to rival the dragons possibly."
With all of the setbacks and going on, Mern wasn't in a position to be selective with his options, and he needed the men of the Rock to help shore up his defenses if he wanted to have a kingdom at all.
"I love my daughter very much, Prince Seamus. While you do make good points, I will not so willingly give her hand away. Also, she's still in mourning for her brother, Prince Gawen, so to press her on matters like marriage at this stage would not be healthy for her," Mern had no intention of making it easy for the Lannisters, even though they had made good points.
"I understand," Seamus bobbed his head. "However, and please excuse any lack of respect that I might display right now, but all of us are in no position to mourn our dead. The dragons are winning victory after victory, and I don't give the Vale a long time before they would suffer irreversible damages. It's just us two now, Your Grace, our two families, who can really carry on the work of the Faith, the Starry Sept. Having strong belief in the Seven can get us far in our lives, but with respect to the gods themselves, they don't live amongst us and us rulers have to deal with the more practical matters of the world."
"Spare me the reminder, Prince Seamus. I know exactly what my duties are as king," Mern interrupted him.
"And with respect to Your Grace, I can appreciate you being considerate to your daughter's… delicate state in mourning, but she must know her duty and she can be useful in helping us be of service to the Seven," Seamus added.
Mern was not keen on what the heir of Loren Lannister was saying, but he couldn't ignore it. "As we're being political, Prince Seamus, I'll say this. Even if I were to agree with you on the merits of marriage between yourself and my daughter, there will be consequences. She is my only daughter and besides being one of the objects of joy in my life, she is also important in keeping my vassals happy. It was always my intention to marry her off to a Reach house because at least the most influential ones all come from Garth Greenhand and she would be influential in keeping those bloodlines pure. Also, my daughter wants to remain in the Reach, which only makes my task in finding her future husband easier."
Seamus sighed. "There is no such thing as pure bloodlines, Your Grace. You should know that your ancestor invited the Andals in and your own stewards, who share your blood, were not originally from Westeros. So… your thinking of preserving bloodlines doesn't really hold up in the scheme of things."
Mern swallowed. "And most importantly, the men of the Reach might not react very well to a Gardener princess being sent to Casterly Rock, mostly because of practical considerations. We have the produce, but you have the gold, and they'll keep telling me that your family will overtake us with your gold bullion if I invite you in."
Seamus was really confused. "I'm not sure where your lords got that idea, but the men of the Rock also understand that gold is useless without food. But we're really getting off-topic, Your Grace."
"Right," Mern agreed. "If your father wants me to consider marriage, I require ten thousand more troops and five tons of gold and silver."
"That's going to be difficult for him to meet, considering that you are already taking our gold and have five thousand men with you right now," Seamus noted.
"He has the troops, and he has the gold and silver to do that. We'll cover the terms of the dower later," Mern stated.
"Dower?" Seamus was surprised. "You are asking a lot for you to make up your mind, and you want more from us?"
"I told you that I treasure my daughter very much, and if your father is being serious about marrying her to you, he has to be willing to do what it takes," Mern shrugged.
Seamus laughed. "I guess that the King of the Reach is just like my father in a way, in that both of you are extortionists."
Mern blinked. "What did you just say to me?"
"I will relay your terms to my father, but be prepared, for he might not respond well to them. He might be a gambler, but he's also very tight with what coin comes out of his coffers," Seamus answered.
Mern scoffed. "And you people think so low of us for living amongst flowers. There is a fine line between being prudent and being stingy."
"Oh, my father is stingy, but the same could be applied to you, Your Grace. After all, you send us part of your harvest that keeps us from starving but doesn't allow us a full belly," Seamus finished with. "When will the commanders' council be held, Your Grace?"
"Tonight," Mern replied. "I will see what I can do to get you there, but don't expect them to welcome you with open arms. You're a newcomer, you're young, and you're a Lannister, all of which will not set you on good ground with them." Seamus kept listening. "But I warn you, Prince Seamus. I only tolerated your tone with me because your father has been doing his part well. If you talk to me like this in front of the others, I will respond in kind. I might not be the most bloodthirsty king in the world, but I am not weak. Do you understand?"
Seamus nodded. "Yes, Your Grace. I'll keep it in mind."
Mern watched as the prince from Casterly Rock left his solar. He poured himself another goblet of Arbor gold, trying to enjoy it while he still could. He figured that with the Arbor now under attack, there would be no more wine to enjoy and anyone with cases of Arbor gold would soon see how expensive they would come. Also, war has a tendency to decrease quality, so I might not enjoy this kind of wine after this is over.
But Mern's mind was filled with what Loren was thinking. He was still King of the Rock and was still potent. Moreover, his position had slightly improved with Mern's losses in his own kingdom and the High Septon was showing that he was increasingly nervous with the approach of the dragons as they inched closer to Oldtown. Mern had to reassure him that his troops would fight to the end if need be, only for another septon to say, "Well, let's hope that won't be necessary."
Mern thought that Loren was trying to regain some of his power in the alliance back by exploiting Mern's moment of weakness. Sending his son to try to marry his daughter was certainly a provocation, but Mern couldn't just push back because he took some of the gold mined from Casterly Rock to cover some of his immediate expenses. And as stated before, he needed reinforcements and the men of the Rock represented that opportunity. Will have to elaborate on who will command in the Reach. Won't take orders from any ruler from a rock, lion or not, Mern thought.
Mern prepared himself for the council to be held that night. As expected, the attendance of Prince Seamus, which Mern made them aware of beforehand, caused suspicion amongst the Reach lords regarding his intentions. However, as they were still officially allies, no one protested.
"Let's begin, my lords," Mern called the council into order. "As of right now, the important parts of our kingdom are still secure. We retain control of key fortresses in Oldtown, the Ring, Brightwater Keep, Goldengrove, the Arbor, Cider Hall, and Highgarden. As all of those fortresses make up the core of the Reach, the enemy have yet to make significant progress against us, as those lands can continue feed our armies and supply us with extra men if needed. However, certain conditions have… changed in that a rethinking of our overall strategy is necessary. I'll have my captain of the guard, Ser Rychard Roxton, elaborate on our setbacks."
The lords paid attention to the second son of Lord Roxton, who stepped closer to the table and made his possession of Orphan-Maker known to all. "My lords, Cider Hall has been secured, so any advance from the enemy onto Highgarden cannot be done without the enemy receiving reinforcements. However, they also know this and therefore have taken steps to rectify their problems. They might not be able to march further south, but there is nothing stopping them from advancing onto the rest of the northern parts of our kingdom. As of this moment, our eastern and western flanks are in danger of being attacked and thereby crushing us under the combined weight, while our shores are being threatened by Orys Baratheon. Although we retain a stable base from which to retake our lands, we have learned that we underestimate the enemy at our own peril."
Mern saw that the Reach lords nodded to each other, as the dragons were able to do wonders on the field of battle despite being outnumbered.
"The purpose of this council is to determine our next steps against the enemy. Make no mistake, my lords, they've come to conquer and whatever they intend to do with the lands they subjugate will be the end of everything we know," Ser Rychard continued. "As His Grace wishes, he wants everyone here to make known their opinions on what should be done."
Silence ensued after Ser Rychard finished. At the start of the war, the Reach lords had over seventy thousand men at their disposal. But the war in the former Storm kingdom and Gawen's failed incursion against the Blackwater Bay had decreased their overall strength to just thirty thousand. Mern had issued orders for any grown man in the Reach who could bear arms to report for duty, but that only brought them an additional fifteen thousand men, less than what they needed to make up for their losses. Mern had also contacted Oldtown and wanted to use the City Watch's men, but Lord Hightower refused and reminded him that the City Watch belonged only in the city, not to be used elsewhere. If it weren't for the threat posed by Orys Baratheon, I would have called Lord Hightower to Cider Hall to explain himself and then punish him for disobeying me.
"Your Grace," Lord Merryweather spoke. Ever since Longtable had fallen, he was seen with disdain from the rest of the lords for running away, but the King of the Reach wanted to make sure that everyone's voice would be heard. "If it's reinforcements that the dragons need, then their best hope lies in taking Ashford. If they're able to take Ashford, the stormlords would be to have a place from which to cross the Red Mountains and then link up with the forces under the command of Aegon Targaryen and Jaenyx Belaerys."
"I don't think that Ashford is worth holding, my lord," Lord Fossoway responded. "It is an important point in relation to the Red Mountains, but you've seen personally the effects of the dragons at your seat. We have reports that the father and mother of Aegon Targaryen, Aerion and Valaena, are also dragonriders and are guiding the stormlords through the Red Mountains. If we expend resources to defend Ashford, resources that we must use sparingly, then our overall position will become much more untenable."
"I don't think that will send a very good message, Lord Fossoway," Lord Ashford made his presence known. "What will the others think if you so willingly allowed them to fend for themselves?"
"You would think that, my lord. It is your castle that is at risk, but unfortunately, much must be sacrificed in war," Lord Rowan told him.
"And what would you say if the dragons appeared at Goldengrove, Lord Rowan? Would you be so dismissive then?" Lord Ashford spat back.
"My lords, please. Let's not get carried away with our insults," Mern pleaded. "But he does have a point, Lord Ashford. There will be no way that we can hold onto Ashford without us suffering another loss of an army. And we still haven't produced sufficient numbers of the new weapons that could be used against the dragons, so to face them in battle with nothing to show for it is unwise."
"Your Grace, you would leave my lands and my castle undefended for the stormlords to take?" Lord Ashford was shocked.
"Right now, we must preserve as much of our strength in this war as possible. And we must choose our battles wisely," Mern answered. "But after this war is over, I will compensate you for all of your losses. I can promise you that."
Lord Ashford leaned back against his chair, not liking what was being said but he also was wise enough to argue with his king in front of others.
"Lord Osgrey," Mern turned to the Marshall of the Northmarch. "What is the situation in the Northmarch?"
"Compared to the threat against Ashford, we have only seen minor activity from the enemy," Lord Osgrey responded. "Only some cavalry and some infantry, all of them led by Jaenyx Belaerys. But without siege equipment or more men, they would not be able to storm Standfast. The one danger that they pose, besides their dragon, is against the farmlands there. Besides that, we have nothing to worry about, Your Grace."
"Make sure that there isn't, Lord Osgrey," Mern directed him. "But do take care to ensure that you don't fall into complacency against them. They're very good at exploiting us that way."
Mern then turned his gaze to Lord Addam Hightower, who came on behalf of his father Lord Manfred. "Addam, what news from Oldtown?"
"Your Grace," the heir to Oldtown spoke. "With the presence of Orys Baratheon and his fleet of over seventy ships, we have been on full alert and trying to prevent them from attacking us and our docks. The main concern that we have right now is the threat posed from him against Blackcrown and the Three Towers. Should he able to storm and take those two castles, all sea access to our city will be cut off."
Mern nodded, as did the other Reach lords.
"Although that is true, Lord Addam, Orys will have to deal with the might of the Redwyne fleet," Lord Tarly said. "And since he's not here, where has he gone?"
"He's still at the Arbor, Lord Tarly," Mern addressed the Lord of Horn Hill. "As the Redwyne fleet only follows the command of their lord, he must be present when they make battle with Orys Baratheon. Also important, he has to make sure that he follows my command in keeping peace with the ironborn, as some of his captains will be very tempted to fight them as much as they want to fight against the conqueror of Storm's End."
"With respect, Your Grace, we never understood why you allowed the ironborn to fight alongside us," Lord Oakheart stated. "They might be a seafaring people and are good shipbuilders, but when it comes to actual battles and fighting against actual warships, they would easily crack under pressure." The Reach lords murmured in agreement.
"And you would know about ships, would you, my lord?" Mern asked pointedly, causing Lord Oakheart to be silent. "However, I can understand your concern. Yes, the ironborn are not good soldiers and yes, the only thing that they excel at is reaving, which involves attacking the weak and avoiding the strong. At the same time, they are a headache that we had to deal with constantly and I would rather have them fight on our side rather than continuing to attack us while we have to fight against the real enemy."
"Again, with respect, Your Grace, the ironborn have not committed much forces to even King Loren," Lord Oakheart eyed towards Prince Seamus. "Whatever armies they could have amassed were wiped out by the time Harrenhal was burned and they could field much less than what we can. In addition, they've been causing much trouble as of late, showing that they cannot be controlled."
Mern exhaled. "Would you rather have them cause more trouble then, my lord? It's better to keep them on the side than against us."
"I do agree with Lord Oakheart's concerns, King Mern," Prince Seamus leaned forward on the table. "The ironborn cannot be trusted and as threatening as the dragons are now, we must be able to have some solid plans to fight them when the time comes."
"You imply that they will threaten your family's interests in the riverlands, is that right, Prince Seamus?" Lord Rowan asked with a knowing look.
"The High Septon approved of our annexation of the riverlands, and we would have held it had it not been for the northmen," Seamus answered. "Also, we still have Riverrun and its surrounding areas along the Red Fork, thus allowing us to have a foothold when the time comes to retake them."
"How exactly do you plan on retaking them? Your father, King Loren, already tried to fight them on the field, Prince Seamus, and that didn't really work," Lord Addam said.
"As I have already told King Mern, our focus is currently not towards the riverlands," Prince Seamus surprised them. "My father and I have agreed that in order for us to win, we have to first fight alongside our allies in the Reach. My father authorized me to lead five thousand men right here, at Cider Hall, and there will be more men just waiting to arrive from my father."
"If that's the case, then why haven't we seen him yet?" Lord Oakheart inquired. "Your father made good on his word to join us when he showed at the Arbor, which leads me to think that you do not speak on your father's behalf."
"My father's word is good, Lord Oakheart, and he will send the necessary reinforcements to this kingdom provided certain conditions are met."
The Reach lords whispered to each other, while King Mern glared at Prince Seamus. What in the Seven Hells are you doing?
Prince Seamus also noticed his annoyance, but he had no intention of stopping.
"What conditions are to be met then, Prince Seamus?" Lord Ashford asked.
"There are other terms to be met, all of which are much too small to even mention amongst such an august council," Seamus attempted flattery, which didn't work as many Reach lords were unmoved. "However, my father has offered King Mern the opportunity to bind our two houses together through marriage, myself and Princess Vevienne. Only through marriage will the men of the Rock be willing to fight so far from their homes and amongst those that they still consider strangers."
Silence came upon the Reach lords again, before they erupted in protest. As for Mern, he clenched his fist, enraged that the heir to Kingdom of the Rock would even deign to commit sabotage like that. Whatever training he had in controlling his emotions, all of which came during his days of squiring, was slowly failing him from being so utterly cornered.
Mern pounded his hand on the table hard, causing the Reach lords to quiet down. "Enough! I will deal with Prince Seamus' offer, but I urge you all to begin planning for the next steps. Lord Ashford, begin to withdraw your men and your family from your seat. We're not going to fight against two dragons leading the stormlords and it's better to consolidate our positions before we contemplate action."
"Yes, Your Grace," Lord Ashford affirmed begrudgingly.
"Lord Osgrey, go back to Standfast and defend your holdings against the enemy. If you need reinforcements, let me know and I will see what I can do."
"Yes, Your Grace."
"Lord Addam, keep me updated on what's going on at Oldtown and have Lord Redwyne send me a raven. I can feel that battle will be upon him soon, so let him know if he needs any assistance."
"Yes, Your Grace," the heir to Oldtown dipped his head.
"Rest of you, make sure to continue to fortify Cider Hall. As long as we hold this castle, they could never advance on us."
"Yes, Your Grace," the rest answered.
When Mern and Seamus were alone, he pushed his chair onto its side. "What was that?"
"I needed to make sure that you understood the seriousness of your situation, King Mern," Seamus answered. "But even though they might protest, they'll come around given time. Whatever pride that they have will be put aside in response to the circumstances they face."
Mern scoffed. "And so, your solution to our problems is to try to go around me like this?"
"You had to get a push, Your Grace. After all, we cannot afford to spend as much time as we want in times like these," Seamus shrugged.
Mern knew that Seamus put him in a difficult position, since what he just said was going to happen eventually in regards to the Reach lords swallowing their pride. However, just like how Seamus was not going to make things easy for him, he was going to make it very difficult for Seamus to marry Vevienne.
"Very well, then. Leave your men here, while you go back to Highgarden," Mern spoke. "If you want to marry my daughter that badly, you best know her then. But unless she consents to you, I won't announce any kind of betrothal."
Seamus sighed before nodding. "Fair enough, Your Grace."
"Also, I just want you to know that you might face some competition from someone she had known her entire life," Mern wanted to reveal her companionship with Theo Tyrell out of spite.
"Your daughter would choose to marry a son of a steward over a prince?"
"I can't say that I blame her, given what you've just done," Mern sneered. "And why would she choose a stranger over someone who already knows how to be on her good side? But as I said, you can try."
Seamus gave him a nasty smile, one that resembled a carnivore being challenged. "Don't worry, Your Grace. I will not fail. And I'll make sure to remind that steward of his place in the order of things. I'll be sure to thank Queen Victaria for hosting me again." With that, he bowed and went out.
Mern took another drink from his goblet before slamming it down. He breathed in and out, all of which was shaky from how much anger he had. Thinking quickly, he took out a piece of parchment and wrote down the following:
"To Victaria,
Seamus Lannister is coming back to Highgarden and he just openly announced his intentions to try to marry our daughter. On the surface, it may seem like a good match, but how he approached it showed that he deliberated wanted to provoke our family and our kingdom. And given that he is acting under the orders of Loren Lannister, this could be his attempt at regaining some of the power he lost when the riverlands were retaken.
Victaria, act like the gracious host you were when you first saw him, but try to keep some distance between him and our daughter Vevienne. When Seamus comes, have Theo in her presence at all times. I might not approve of any match between them, but for once, their companionship can help save our house. And Theo is a good boy, so he'll know how to protect our daughter.
Also, please keep watch over Seamus. I don't trust him in our home and he might try to either spy on us or sabotage us if he believes our actions to be inimical to the interests of his father.
This is important, Victaria. Please help me.
Your king and dear husband,
Mern."
After sealing the letter and having the maester at Cider Hall send it on the fastest raven he could find, Mern reflected on how he could maneuver against Loren when he does come. Betrothal or not, he might be like his son in that he will show up to force his will. I must be prepared when that happens.
Mern then heard a knock on the door. "Come in." In came Ser Rychard. "Yes?"
"Your Grace, we have received a raven from the Arbor," he held out the message, which Mern snatched and unrolled.
"Your Grace,
Just recently, twenty ironborn vessels had engaged Orys Baratheon independently, and not surprisingly, all of them were sunk. I fear the consequences of what might happen if we do finally give battle with the storm fleet. Please advise on what I could do with the ironborn, for I cannot control my captains forever.
Signed,
Normund of House Redwyne, Lord of the Arbor."
Mern rubbed his forehead in frustration. "Get a raven to the Iron Islands. I demand an audience with Darvin Hoare."
"Yes, Your Grace," Ser Rycherd complied.
First Seamus, and now the ironborn problem has gotten worse? The Seven must hate me to inconvenience me like this.
Mern then wrote another message to the Starry Sept, asking the High Septon for additional guidance and also to get him to boost morale in any way possible.
The raven to the Iron Islands never got a response a few weeks later, which made Mern think that the ironborn were reneging on their agreement. If they start fighting us openly, I will kill every one of them I see, Mern promised.
A/N: Mern is definitely facing problems from all that is happening, and now they just bigger with Seamus and the ironborn added. And boy, does Seamus have nerve.
This was a chapter with no action, but a lot of plotting still.
Next, we see what's up in the Vale.