TDC: Missing Scenes and What If Scenarios
By
Arrow4131
And
Leilani972
What If Scenario #1 : What if Petyr Baelish had made it to Highgarden? (Part 1)
Summary: Littlefinger had been tasked by Robert Baratheon to go to Highgarden to seek Margaery's hand. In the original timeline, he never made it to the keep after finding out the dragons were back and that Jon Arryn wanted his head.
What if he hadn't heard the song? What if something, or rather someone, prevented him from finding out? A chance encounter with Celesse, a young lady from the Reach, will change Petyr's Baelish's course of action.
The Rose Road, 298 A.C
Lady Celesse Footly of Tumbleton
She couldn't believe her luck. Or his lack of, depending on who they would be asking. Her mother had received the missive a few minutes before Celesse's departure and had given her instructions on what to do in case she would meet him on the road. She was a Lady, she was in charge of her convoy, so she shouldn't do what a man would have done. Celesse's mother was a former Lady-in-waiting at Highgarden, so she knew everything about being a cunning woman from the Mistress herself: Olenna Tyrell. Celesse had listened intently to her mother, kissed her goodbye, and then had gone straight to her wheelhouse, feeling a bit impatient to travel to the Tyrell's Keep.
Their main forces had already left with her father and brother to answer the dragon's call. But her mother, fearing for their close position to the Stormlands and the Crownlands, had asked Lady Alerie to allow Celesse to stay at Highgarden for the duration of the war. Suffice to say that Celesse was not happy about the arrangement. Mostly because she did not want to leave her mother alone with only a very small force to protect herself and their home. But her Lady mother had also learned how to be stubborn from the Queen of Thorns so the argument was over fairly quickly.
While she was too stubborn to admit it to her mother's face, the opportunity to travel by herself and to do something in service to King Jaehaerys by hopefully catching Petyr Baelish filled her with excitement. The Master of Coin had caused quite a few problems for the king and had annoyed Lady Olenna greatly on several occasions. How he managed to do all of that over the years without getting himself killed was a mystery all on its own. But if that song Celesse had heard had even a grain of truth to it, then Littlefinger's luck had finally run out. He had nowhere to go with very little if any standing at all since more than likely Lord Arryn has already stripped him of his position. The look on his face when he would find out that he is the master of nothing would be a sight to behold.
But that moment would have to be for another day. For this plan to work, Lord Baelish must not find out about the Hidden Dragon until after he had arrived in Highgarden. So until that time, Celesse and her men would have to play a mummery and put on a false smile for the fallen mockingbird.
"My Lady, Evin is back." Said the captain of Celesse's escort Ser William Flowers.
"Then let us see what he has found," Celesse said, feeling some anticipation.
After they had pulled the wheelhouse over to the side of the road earlier that evening Celesse had sent one of her guards Evin to ride behind them in order to see how far back Lord Baelish and his own men were. The report he would give would either set their plan into motion or break it apart before it even started.
"What did you see?" She asked when Evin rode up to them.
"Three guards and the man you had described, my Lady. They would be a few hours behind us in the morning if they do not ride very fast. Right now the man is sleeping soundly. What should we do?"
"Nothing for now. Let us move our camp a little ahead of us while it is still dark and ask for their help in the morn when they finally catch up with us."
Her guards complied and went ahead to move the wheelhouse further up the road. They began to dig a hole around one of the wheels, not too deep but just enough to make them look in distress and Celesse had found it hard to fall asleep during the night with the glee she felt.
What an adventure this will be!
As soon as the first light of dawn appeared she began pestering her accomplices and put on the image of a helpless, spoiled Lady. This was very good timing because their victim showed up pretty quickly, only slowing down and not seeming to look ready to help out a damsel in distress until she waved him down. She used her most desperate attitude and ran in front of his horse.
"My Lord, my good Lord, please! You have to help me!"
"What seems to be the problem, my Lady?" Baelish asked a little too sweetly to her taste.
"My incompetent men ran my wheelhouse through a hole and they can't manage to get it out! Oh, Gods! Lady Olenna will have my hide!"
"Olenna? Lady Olenna Tyrell?"
"Yes, my Lord! I am to become a Lady in Waiting for her granddaughter Margaery and they're waiting for my arrival in Highgarden and I'm already running late. I will be eternally grateful if you could help me."
"Well, my Lady, I suppose you are in luck, since we seem to travel the same route, I will have my men to do so," he replied as he gestured to his men to join hers in their effort.
"Oh, thank you! Thank you, my Lord…"
"Baelish. Lord Baelish."
"The Master of Coin?" she fake gasped and then gave one of the best curtsies she's ever done. "It's an immense pleasure to meet you, my Lord. I'm Lady Celesse Footly."
"The pleasure is all mine, My Lady."
It didn't take long for the six men to dislodge the wheel, and soon she was back inside the wheelhouse.
"I don't know how to thank you enough, Lord Baelish."
"Think nothing of it, my Lady. It was a pleasure to help."
"Since we're traveling to the same place, perhaps you do me the honor of joining my party?"
"I wouldn't wish to impose, Lady Celesse."
"Nonsense, my Lord! After what you did for me, the least I could do is to invite you into the wheelhouse. A man by your standing who travels that far could use some respite from horse riding. Moreover, I'm in need of company. These journeys are boring when you have no one to talk to!"
"Well, in that case, I would be honored to accommodate you, my Lady," Baelish replied and Celesse had to repress a shudder when he kissed her hand.
Baelish ordered one of his men to tie his horse to the back of the wheelhouse and then, with a practiced flourish he climbed in and sat across from Celesse. It took everything she had not to roll her eyes at him, how this man was tolerated in Kings Landing was yet another mystery. Hopefully, this man wouldn't be too insufferable since he was in the presence of a naive young Lady and not a confident Lord or a cunning older Lady like Olenna. Whatever the case might be, suffering in this man's presence would be worth it. Lady Olenna and King Jaehaerys would both be very happy, and a chance to trick a member of the Small Council into becoming a prisoner was just too good to pass up.
But in order to make absolutely certain that the plan will work, Celesse had ordered one of her men, whose name was Steffon, to ride far ahead of them to make sure that the road was clear of any Targaryen banners. If the road ahead was clear and safe to travel day or night, Steffon would leave a small green flag by the side of the road, but if there were any problems then he would leave a red flag to signal to the group that caution was advisable and the group needed to make camp.
"So My Lady, tell me about yourself and your family. I must admit that I don't know much about the history of House Footly beyond your family's suffering during the Dance of Dragons." the Lord asked with a smile that seemed false in Celesse's eyes.
She smiled at him and proceeded to tell him many stories about her House that her father had told her since she was a girl. He then told her stories of his own, how he came to be the ward of Lord Hoster Tully and, thanks to his friendship with Lady Lysa, rose to be Lord Arryn's most trusted advisor as the Master of Coin. How she managed not to snicker at his use of the word 'friendship', she didn't know. This man was not discreet at all when he talked about his association with the Tully sisters. Jon Arryn might very well not care about his wife if he had to wait for a song to realize their affair. Men were not subtle when they thought they had people fooled, and this Littlefinger thought himself the best player of the game.
But men like him tend to severely underestimate those they believe to be not as clever as they are. And it would appear that Lord Baelish also had a tendency to look down on Lady Olenna despite her well-earned reputation. While underestimating him would be a very dangerous thing to do, tricking him should be both fun and hopefully fairly simple. All Celesse needed was an opening that would allow her to fool him into thinking that she could be manipulated.
Thankfully it did not take long for the opening to be presented to her.
"My lady, if you do not mind me asking, how old are you?"
"I do not mind the question at all. Especially since I just celebrated my 4 and 10th nameday about a moon past."
"Is that so? Then allow me to congratulate you on such a momentous occasion! Your family must be very proud!"
"Oh thank you, my Lord. You are too kind." She said with a small blush that she managed to force its way to the front.
"I'm sure that your betrothed is very proud as well." He said offhandedly.
"I'm sorry, my betrothed? I don't have one, my Lord." Celesse said in genuine confusion wondering why he was bringing that subject up. When she looked into his eyes she could see a little twinkle that most people would've missed if they didn't know what to look for.
"Let's see where this goes." She thought to herself.
"Oh my apologies my Lady, I hope I didn't offend you. I just assumed that a young woman as beautiful as you would be preparing for a wedding already." He said with a false look of shock.
"Oh don't worry my Lord, you couldn't offend me. I was just a little surprised by the question since the only people that I ever talk to about my betrothal prospects are my father and mother." She said while giving him a reassuring smile and then suddenly an idea sprouted in her head and grew into something quite devious that would start with a question. "Can I tell you a secret, my Lord?"
"You can tell me anything, my Lady." He nodded to her with a creepy smile.
"Celesse."
"Please tell me your secret Celesse."
"Well, I'm not supposed to know this because I was eavesdropping on a conversation that my father was having with my brother Arnol several moons ago. Apparently, my father wants me to marry someone from the Stormlands just like Lady Selyse did with Lord Stannis. As a way of 'bringing the two kingdoms further together,' he said. Plus it helps that the two kingdoms border each other so we would be able to visit each other much more easily compared to a Vale Lord. But he's been a little worried since they are only a few lords that he would consider and so far very few of them seem interested in getting married."
"Did he mention any names?" Lord Baelish said with what seemed to genuine interest.
"He did but I was only able to catch a few names. Sebastion Errol, Arstan Selmy, Brus Buckler, Ronnet Connington, and Andrew Estermont."
"Those are good choices."
"They are, except for a couple of problems. For starters, Ser Ronnet doesn't have a very good reputation and he already has a bastard son that I would have to take care of. Second, both Ser Brus and Ser Andrew do not have keeps of their own so that only leaves a few other lords as a possibility and my father doesn't believe that any of them would be interested in a small house like ours. But I don't believe that for a moment. You see, plenty of lords from large houses have married ladies from smaller houses all throughout history. So father worries too much. He just needs to know where to look."
"And what lord have you set your eyes upon, Celesse?" he asked with a knowing smile.
"Have you heard that Storm's End has been standing since the Age of Heroes?" she hinted not so subtly, waiting to see if he would catch the bait.
"I see… Well, if my visit in Highgarden is successful, you might be able to visit Storm's End pretty quickly and perhaps… permanently?"
"May I ask what is the purpose of your visit, my Lord?"
"I don't know if I can -"
"Please! I shared my secret with you, the least you can do is to share yours too! Perhaps I could be of help!" she falsely cheered.
The look in his eyes made his thoughts very clear to Celesse. He was having an internal battle in mind about how to respond. On one hand, he had just met her and knew that speaking of his mission could prove to be a problem. But on the other hand, the thought of having a Reach lady speak on his behalf to Lady Olenna and Lady Margaery was very tempting. But the battle only lasted a brief moment and the words he spoke made it very clear which side had won.
"Well… if you really think you can help me…" he trailed off in false hesitation to draw her in.
"Oh yes! I'll do whatever I can to help you in Highgarden since you've helped me!"
"Ok then, but you can't tell your guards. My own men don't even know the purpose of this journey because I can't take the risk of anyone accidentally talking to the wrong person."
"Well, I suppose that makes sense considering your important position and all. So I promise that I will not tell any of my guards the nature of your visit." Celesse said with a fake cheery smile on her face, while on the inside she was smirking at this fortunate turn in the conversation.
"Alright then, here it is, I've been tasked by His Grace King Robert to offer Lady Margaery his hand in marriage. If all goes well, then your Lady will be the new Queen in just a few short moons."
Celesse made her eyes go wide in shock and then she pretended to get giddy with excitement before saying "Oh my! No wonder you want to keep this a secret! This is so exciting! Lady Margaery will make a wonderful Queen! And since I'll be her Lady in waiting soon I'll most definitely be able to help you. I can talk to Lady Olenna about how you helped me and that you've been a wonderful travel companion."
"Then my mission will most certainly be a success." He said with a smile that seemed to have some truth. Probably because he thinks that it will be very smooth sailing in Highgarden.
"Wait a minute, you said that I might be able to visit Storm's End very quickly if your trip is successful. Do you mean that I could possibly marry Lord Renly after Lady Margaery becomes Queen? Is that even possible since he's the King's own brother?" She asked with genuine curiosity since even under normal circumstances the chances of her being able to marry a Lord Paramount were very slim. Even more so considering how small her house was compared to the Florents and the Redwynes.
"Anything is possible when you have the right connections Celesse. As it so happens, you have a connection through me since Lord Renly and I have been working closely together for the past few years. So I can introduce you to him and even speak to him on your behalf after the wedding. Besides, you'll be a Lady in waiting to a Queen, so that position on its own will give you a much stronger chance of being able to marry him compared to the other ladies in the realm."
While Lord Baelish did make a good point, there was still something off about his explanation. For one thing, if even half of the rumors regarding Lord Renly were true then he would not ever wish to marry Celesse just based on her sex. In fact, he might prefer to marry his squire instead. So there were only three possibilities. Lord Baelish was lying and had no intention of introducing her to Renly. He didn't know about Renly's preferences. Or he knew and he was planning to blackmail Robert's own brother to force him to marry a woman whose family would be in debt to the Master of Coin.
"It would be a dream come true," she sighed dreamily before faking worry. "But I'm afraid Father wouldn't let me go to King's Landing. I don't know if Lady Margaery should go either… You know, after everything we heard, those things about King Robert killing everyone…"
"A tragic event, indeed, but I'm certain that everything will change with Lady Margaery as Queen. We all know how lovely she is, and I'm sure that with someone like her by his side, King Robert will never have to worry about another incident."
"Are you sure it will be safe for her?"
"I wouldn't have suggested the match if I wasn't confident, Celesse."
"You really suggested it?" she gasped and he nodded. "And the King followed your advice? So when you say you will speak to Lord Renly on my behalf..."
"I can talk to your father. Help me convince Lady Olenna and Lady Margaery that they should ally with the Crown in marriage, I'll help you get whatever you want from Lord Renly. A favor for a favor."
The offer was tempting and she would have contemplated it for real if she wasn't aware of all Littlefinger didn't know yet. He was obviously trying to push the Reach on King Robert's side of the war by offering a marriage proposal to Margaery, and he saw the opportunity of having another family from the Reach tied to the Baratheons. It also comforted her in her suspicion that Petyr Baelish could manipulate Renly as he wished.
"I will help you," she lied, making the Master of Coin smile brightly. "Because I believe Lady Margaery was born to be Queen."
"As do I, Celesse. As do I."
She thanked the Gods and her mother for her teachings. She was still young and naive, but she had been prepared since she was very young not to blindly trust men like Petyr Baelish. The words of her House had never seemed more fitting.
Tread Lightly Here.
Politics was an important thing in the Reach and the Tyrells and their family valued the importance of kinship. If they wanted the main branch to grow strong, they all had a part to play and they would all benefit from the results of their joined efforts. Celesse didn't lie when she said that her distant cousin was born to be queen, only it was to a Dragon she should be married to, not that sad excuse of a man that Robert Baratheon was.
She had been disgusted to learn what he had done to Queen Cersei. Whatever wrongdoing she had committed, Celesse didn't find the double standards fair. After all, the King wasn't faithful to the former Queen, so why couldn't she have a lover, too?
"This is the way of the world, my child," her mother had replied. "Women are expected to be obedient and not to desire other men. When a man commits adultery, he is only punished if the woman is also married. But whatever the case, a woman who's guilty of that crime will always pay. That is why we ladies are told to hide our intelligence, because it is considered a sin to be more competent than our husbands. Never forget this lesson, my dear, nor our words."
She waited for Lord Baelish to fall asleep and wrote a short message to Lady Olenna, warning her of the Master of Coin's intentions. Soon, they would be in Highgarden and she couldn't wait to see what the Queen of Thorns had in store for the Mockingbird who thought he had everyone fooled.
Highgarden, 298 AC
Olenna Tyrell
The raven she had received from the Bitterbridge while breaking her fast had been a surprise to her when she saw that the sigil was of House Footly. But her surprise quickly turned into glee when she read the words. Who would have ever thought that the clever Mockingbird would be fooled so completely by such a young girl?
She already knew what Littlefinger had planned thanks to Margaery. Jae had warned her granddaughter who immediately told her the news, hence why she had sent word to the Houses of the Reach to get Baelish for her. Nevertheless, young Celesse had subverted her expectations by not only managing to keep the man unsuspecting of his fate, but by also showing skills that impressed the Queen of Thorns and the latter would ensure to reward House Footly for their loyalty.
At first, Olenna had wanted to imprison Baelish as soon as he arrived. How dare he think that after all of the insults they'd received over the years and the offer of marrying a second son rather than the then heir to the Throne, they'd settle for an old disgusting Stag? The Baratheons were the ones in need of their forces. They were the desperate ones and they would bring them nothing else to the table than a marriage proposal to someone who'd just killed his previous wife and her son?
She was relieved that Jae had already made his move, though. She would have feared what Mace would have done if he had been the one to decide the fate of their Golden Rose. Knowing her foolish son, he more than likely would've accepted the offer from Baelish if he hadn't been told the truth of things regarding Jae.
No, just simply throwing him in the dungeons the moment he walks through the door is too easy. He needs to suffer and be brought low. But what is the best way to go about that?
Suddenly, she heard some chatter out in the garden, the voices sounded like Margaery and Sansa talking about a song? Normally Olenna would never try to eavesdrop on their conversations. But this time was a bit different considering that the subject of the discussion was the very man she was plotting against.
"Did you hear of the new song that all the bards are singing now?"
"The Mockingbird one? Aye, I've heard of it. Do you think there's any truth to it?"
"It wouldn't surprise me if it was. When I met Aunt Lysa in King's Landing, I got the impression that she wasn't very… stable to say the least. And Lord Baelish gave me the impression of a man who is very good at manipulating people.
"They sound perfect for each other."
"I agree. But there is something about this song that confuses me."
"What's that?"
"Well, if the song is true, then wouldn't Lord Arryn have noticed something? I can understand Robert not noticing what Cersei was up to since he's such a drunken idiot, but his Hand is supposed to be much smarter than that."
"Just because he's smarter doesn't mean that he's not incapable of having similar faults when it comes to paying attention to his own wife."
"That's true and I've heard that the old falcon barely spent any time with Aunt Lysa and cared very little about her. So it makes sense to me that he never noticed until someone started singing that song."
Olenna chuckled as she listened to their conversation. Sansa was right in more ways than she could imagine right now. Once word reached the Tullys, they would be very hesitant to fight alongside the Vale making Robert's forces even smaller than it was when this whole mess began. Plus the Knights of the Vale would now have Harold Hardying as the new heir. A young knight whose reputation and overall behavior made him the complete opposite of an ideal knight. The Falcon's bannermen would not be very pleased about this. Thus the board was very much against both the Stag and his hand, and poor Littlefinger wasn't even aware of it.
Wait! That's it!
Oh, it was so simple that Olenna kicked herself for not thinking of this sooner. The Mockingbird had spent years thinking himself the cleverest man in the realm and looking down on everyone because of it. So why not take a page out of his own book of manipulating people and give him the same treatment? It would take some work but if she were to keep Mace busy and have the young ones play their own parts then this would be the most fun that Olenna would have had in years!
She called for Alerie, Willas, Margaery and Sansa to the Lord's solar, taking the opportunity of doing so when her son was busy welcoming the other Lords. Of course, her grandchildren were instantly on board, while Sansa looked a little apprehensive, but willing to participate in her plan, making Olenna respect the child even more. Alerie, as usual, would keep her husband in check.
"We have to tread carefully with this man," Willas said. "I trust you will be careful when dealing with him, especially you, Sansa. Petyr Baelish has a strange obsession for your mother since his childhood and I don't like to use you as a distraction, but -"
"I will do it, Lady Olenna. For Jon, I will do it."
"Very well, but if he does anything untoward -"
"She won't be alone with him, Brother," Margaery assured, making him calm down.
Olenna observed the little exchange with a small smile.
Men, she thought. They wouldn't admit their interest in a woman even if it was spelled out in front of them. At least she could see the benefits of a union between the North and the Reach, and she would most definitely talk to Jaehaerys when the war would be over.
She dismissed her family and stared long at the cyvasse board in front of her. Her pawns were getting into place and soon Petyr Baelish would be trapped in a cage; awaiting the Dragon's judgment. It was a shame she had no time to make someone carve a Mockingbird piece so that she could make it fall.
She waited giddily for two days before the announcement of Celesse's arrival. She would have to watch from afar since the last interactions she had with Littlefinger were not so amicable, she couldn't risk him calling for guest rights. Not that it would prevent her from doing what needed to be done, since it wouldn't be against the rules to imprison someone as long as they didn't hurt him, but she knew how Jaehaerys would react to a possible violation of a sacred right and she didn't want to risk Littlefinger getting away.
Alerie, as usual, had played her hosting role with perfection, suggesting a hunt to Mace so that their guests would be entertained before they got the signal to march. She then ordered, as Olenna had asked, to hide anything related to their alliance with the Targaryens. The three-headed dragon's banners were brought down and the servants ordered not to talk about Jaehaerys or anything related to him.
Olenna watched with bated breath as the wheelhouse arrived in their courtyard. Margaery and Sansa were to welcome Celesse and their prey and had to feign surprise seeing Lord Baelish with their awaited guest. Left and Right were to watch over the girls while Olenna and Willas waited for their signal to make the accommodations for Baelish's arrival.
"What will we do with him?" Willas asked her.
"We keep him locked until Jaehaerys decides his fate."
"I don't like it, Grandmother. He's too deceitful to be left alive."
"We can't have him killed without our king being here, Willas. Knowing Jaehaerys, he will like to swing the sword himself."
Willas was about to respond when a knock on the door made them jump. Sansa then entered the room, her wolf beside her.
"How did it go?"
"So far, it went well, my Lady. You were right, he talked to me about my mother and how I look more and more like her. I told him that I would get Willas, I mean, Lord Willas so that the accommodations could be made for his rooms. I'm glad you've sent Fang away, she would have hurt him. She doesn't like him much, I have to say."
"Who does?" Olenna chuckled.
"Well, my Aunt Lysa apparently does." Sansa japed, making the Queen of Thorns laugh some more.
"I will show him his rooms, Grandmother. What should I tell him if he asks about you?"
"Tell him that I'm not feeling well and that you're the one in charge until your father's return. Make it look like we'll organize an impromptu feast in his honor tonight."
"So, tonight it is?"
"I was willing to toy with him, but my patience is growing thin."
Willas smiled at his grandmother and walked out of the room with Sansa, leaving Olenna even more excited than before. A moment later, Margaery joined her for the afternoon tea with Celesse Footly, who seemed anxious.
"Have a seat, my dear." Olenna invited her. "You have done well for your family and your King."
"I thank you, my Lady."
"Now, tell me everything the Mockingbird told you. Everything."
Later that day, Olenna reveled in Celesse's details of her journey with Littlefinger. The man was truly delusional if he thought the opinion of a child would have made her change her mind, but that he was willing to throw Renly Baratheon to the wolves to do so proved how desperate he was.
Willas had told her that Littlefinger had approached him about wanting to meet Mace as soon as possible, but that he'd told the man that it wouldn't be possible before the feast, as the Lord of Highgarden had to make sure every banner had been called. That seemed to please the conniving man for the moment, even if he tried to ask whose side the Reach would fight for.
"What did you say?" she asked, intrigued.
"That we were getting ready to follow whatever our Liege would decide," Willas answered with a smirk.
"Well played, Willas. Well played."
"The feast is about to start in a few hours. Sansa has been assigned to accompany Baelish, as you wished."
"Very well. Now let me get ready. I'll need to be in my best attire for this occasion."
"Of course, I'll see you later, Grandmother."
Olenna took her time to get ready for that night's feast. The Lords coming back from the hunt couldn't have happened at a better time. They had brought back a lot of choice game, some significant, and the servants knew exactly what to buy at the market. She could hardly wait to see the look on Littlefinger's face when he would be served all that she had planned for dinner.
She was escorted by her grandson and was pleased to see everyone already present with the exception of Lord Baelish and Lady Sansa. She sat down next to Mace, whose annoyed expression made her roll her eyes.
"I don't understand why we have to be courteous to this man," he grumbled. "If King Jaeahaerys knows of this, I fear…"
"Do not worry about what the King might think, Mace. We're doing it for him."
"But, Mother, I don't understand…"
"We need it to state the reason for his visit in front of all the lords and ladies present. We need proof of his treachery and witnesses to condemn Littlefinger without a shred of a doubt."
"And we need to play this mummery to get him to admit it?" Mace added, confused.
"Aye, it is necessary. If you're not sure about how to react, just follow my lead, will you?"
"Very well, Mother." he sighed loudly.
"Good. Now, are the bards prepared to entertain us?"
"Yes, Mother I have given them your instructions as you have asked." Mace once again sighed. "But what were those instructions exactly? The head bard said that you instructed him not to let me read the note I gave him."
"Let's just say that tonight will be very entertaining if you know where to look." She chuckled which caused her son to look at her in confusion. Before he could ask any more questions Garlan walked over and told Olenna that Baelish's men had been taken care of. Apparently these men were not very bright because it didn't take much money to bribe them into leaving Highgarden.
When she spotted the direwolf near the entrance of the hall, Olenna gave the signal so they could announce the beginning of the feast. Sansa had been tasked to accompany their guest that night and the Queen of Thorns had to suppress a shudder as she saw the Mockingbird staring at their ward with no disguised desire. She would make sure to give poor Sansa a token of her appreciation, too.
"Welcome to Highgarden, Lord Baelish!" Mace declared pompously, and for once Olenna was glad for her son's theatrical dispositions. "I am sorry for not being present for your arrival since we hadn't been warned, but I hope you've been treated well by my children."
"Absolutely, Lord Tyrell!" Littlefinger answered, his gaze still fixated on Sansa who had managed to escape and join Margaery. "They have been nothing but courteous hosts. A compliment to your House, truly!"
"This pleases me greatly. Well, I hope that tonight's feast will be to your taste. Please, join us in the High Table!"
Baelish complied happily and sat near Olenna.
"My Lady," he said, kissing her hand.
"Lord Baelish," she said curtly.
"I'm gladdened to see you in good health. Lord Willas told me you weren't feeling well earlier today."
"Aye, my bones." she lied. "When you're old like me, you find out that even if your mind works as well as when you were younger, your body isn't willing to let you behave like before."
"Nonsense, Lady Olenna. You look as sharp as your mind does."
"Flatteries will get you nowhere with me, Baelish. I thought you knew that already."
Mace called for the first meal and Olenna felt like a child inside, waiting for her nameday gift. She had planned the menu with her gooddaughter. Who knew that Alerie had a great sense of humor?
She ate slowly while their guest almost devoured his pie.
"How do you find the pie, Lord Baelish?" Alerie asked with a small smile.
"It is delicious, my Lady. Is it quail?"
"No, it's a pigeon pie. The falcons the men used for the hunt weren't able to find anything today, unfortunately."
"We should eat those falcons instead of feeding the useless things as a reward. What do you think, my Lord?" she quipped, watching with amusement as Littlefinger choked on his bite.
"I wouldn't know, Lady Olenna. I'm not one to hunt so I can't judge the usefulness of your falcons."
"Of course, Mockingbirds are not known for being birds of prey..." she joked.
Littlefinger said nothing but she could see him tense.
Good, let him feel nervous in this gilded cage we have built for him.
The next plate arrived as soon as they finished the pie and Alerie commented on it before she could.
"I hope you love trout, my Lord. They are common in the area this season."
"Oh, I'm sure he does!" Olenna japed. "I mean, you were raised in Riverrun, weren't you? So you must have eaten more trout than me in my life!"
"I was, indeed, my Lady. And there is so much a man can eat before he feels disgusted by it," he replied tersely.
"Apparently not when it came to fish. You're still close to Lady Lysa, aren't you?"
"I am, but Lady Lysa never really liked to eat the symbol of her previous house."
"I wouldn't like to eat roses either, Mother!" Mace laughed, killing her mood.
"Of course you wouldn't like to eat them, you Buffon! Who ever heard of eating roses?" She rebuked him, feeling annoyed with him. But despite the interruption, Olenna took a deep breath and decided not to let her nitwit son bother her anymore. After all, the feast just started and there is still more entertainment to come along with the main course.
"So, what brings you to Highgarden, my Lord? Without notice, furthermore." she finally asked.
"Oh, I come on behalf of the King, since we haven't received any ravens from the Reach, after the call to arms against the Westerlands."
"Well, as you can see, we've been busy assembling our troops."
"It's a relief, my Lady. We feared that, given your ties to Jaime Lannister and your grandson being a squire at Casterly Rock…"
"I don't like what you're insinuating, Baelish," she growled.
"I didn't mean to insinuate anything, Lady Olenna," he sighed. "We just wanted to ensure you would bet on the right side."
"You mean this time?"
"Mother, don't -" Mace started.
"Oh, I will! Say it, Lord Baelish! You wanted to make sure that we wouldn't wait like last time!"
A heavy silence fell upon the room and, for a moment, Olenna thought she had taken it too far, but then Celesse, to her astonishment, broke it.
"If I may, my Lady… I don't think Lord Baelish intended to offend you and your family…" she started hesitantly. "From what he told me when we traveled together, I think it's more of the opposite."
"And what did he say to you, child, to have you convinced to the point of contradicting your Elders?"
"I… I believe Lord Baelish should tell it himself." Celesse stammered.
"Well, don't stand there like a fish out of the water and say what you have to say, then!" Olenna then said to Baelish's attention.
"I was hoping we could talk more privately, Lord Mace, Lady Olenna…"
"You heard my Mother, Lord Baelish," Mace said pointedly.
"Very well. I came here on behalf of the king to offer you a proposal."
"A proposal? What kind of proposal?"
"He… He asks for Lady Margaery's Hand in marriage, my Lord."
The silence was even greater than it was before. So much so that one could've heard a feather fall to the floor. Mace looked more stunned than Olenna had ever seen him and the rest of the Lords in attendance were just as equally surprised. But slowly those looks of shock were turning into disgust and anger.
"I'm sorry, I must not have heard you correctly because you did not just say that the king wants to marry my granddaughter." Olenna finally with genuine anger in her voice. It was one thing to hear others tell her what Littlefinger's purpose for visiting was. It was quite another to actually hear the words from his mouth.
"I did my Lady. King Robert tasked me to bring forth this offer as a way to bring the Reach and the Crown closer together." He confirmed with some nervousness in his voice.
"And how do you expect us to respond to this 'grand offer'? With joy and happiness after everything the Reach has been through since his Grace has taken the throne after his rebellion? For years the Stag and the Falcon have treated the lords and ladies of the Reach like filth for being loyal to the dragons during that war. And now, after years of disrespect and constant insults, you dare bring us an offer of marriage in order to garner our support for a war that the crown initiated on its own? All because that Fat Stag decided he needed to kill his last wife after he had beaten her son to death right in front of her. You have a lot of nerve my Lord!"
"I don't condone what the King did, but he was submerged by the heartbreak he felt by Cersei Lannister's deception. That woman was the cause of almost all the troubles, the reason why you didn't get the betrothal to Joffrey when he was believed to be the Crowned Prince. She didn't want Lady Margaery anywhere near her sons. Now you have the opportunity to have a queen. The King could have asked for anyone else's hand, there are many eligible ladies in the Seven Kingdoms, and you have one as your ward. But he did ask for your granddaughter."
"Because he knew Ned Stark would never accept to have one of his daughters tied to a child murderer who's old enough to be her father. Who would he ask for if not the Reach? Dorne? The Martells hate his guts! The Stormlands? Would he marry his niece? Or one of the Royces girls from the Vale?"
"He never talked about any of them. Only Lady Margaery."
"Because he benefits nothing by marrying them. Our Golden Rose would bring him an army. So he is the one needing us, not the other way around. My how the tables have turned! If it wasn't so pitiful, I would be laughing at the irony!"
"Grandmother." Margaery intervened calmly. "Since we're already fighting for our king, we should keep it in mind and discuss this with calmer heads. Lord Baelish is simply the messenger here. There is no need to embarrass him further. Let us enjoy the rest of the night, please."
"Your daughter is the voice of reason as always, Lord Mace. That is why King Robert would like to wed the Jewel of the Reach." Littlefinger continued, his voice unsteady.
Mace looks at Olenna and she nodded, signaling that they should follow Margaery's lead.
"Fine. We'll listen to your proposal. But let's bring out the main course first along with some more wine. I have a feeling that we will need it." Olenna said, sighing loudly in mock frustration.
Littlefinger let out a sigh of relief and she internally scoffed. He thought himself out of danger for now, and maybe, judging by the looks he gave Margaery, that her little Rose wanted to be Queen. She did, in a way, but she would not be attached to the disgrace that was Robert Baratheon.
Finally, the piece de resistance arrived. It was so large that the cooks had to bring a table to put it on. She had never been more proud of herself than when she saw the discomfited face of Petyr Baelish and the growing smirk on Lord Tarly's. The man obviously understood the not so veiled insult in having two roasted stag venison on display with its antlers as decoration.
"It seems like we were lucky to find good game during our hunt," Olenna said as Mace walked to cut pieces of the legs. "It is tradition to give the first slice, the biggest one, to our guest of honor."
"Has this whole meal been designed to humiliate me and the Crown?" Littlefinger asked after a long moment of astonishment.
"We wouldn't waste our time or our energy for that. Need I remind you what I told you about subtlety and power?"
Mace placed a plate of stag meat in front of Baelish, who looked like he was about to pass out. His hands whitened around the cutlery he was holding. Everyone could guess the internal conflict inside him displayed by his facial expressions. Littlefinger knew he was stuck as all the Lords stared at him with not so veiled anger. He didn't know how Olenna had planned this, but she could feel he was starting to piece everything together.
"I find myself offended by this… this…"
"Oh come on! It is just meat! They went on a hunt to bring meat for the war effort. They couldn't possibly know we would have a stag to share tonight with you, especially since we weren't aware of your coming here. We are not that petty," she lied.
Of course, she wasn't going to disclose that she had sent Fang with Garlan to ensure for the party to find a herd of stags. That wasn't a waste of time, for sure, since the direwolf directed them quickly to their prey.
"My apologies but this entire ordeal has cut my appetite."
"Look around you, my Lord. Do you really want to disrespect us once more in our halls?" she finished, frowning at him while signaling with her hand for Left to advance. The look of fear on Baelish's face when he felt the sword at the back of his neck was so priceless that it took everything Olenna had not to laugh out loud and give the game away.
Her mood brightened even more when Lord Tarly stood up and said, "My Lady, normally I wouldn't object to this but are you not concerned about breaking guests right?"
"Lord Baelish didn't ask for it when he arrived." She answered with a chuckle.
"Oh, well in that case please do continue." The Marshes Lord said with the biggest smile she had ever seen on his face.
The fear that was bubbling inside became even more evident when the poor Mockingbird realized that his hostess was right. He couldn't get out of this unfortunate predicament he had found himself in thanks to his own forgetfulness while in Sansa's presence when he had arrived. But he still took some time staring at the meat, still fighting with himself about what to do, when one Lord began to chant "Eat the meat. Eat the meat."
With trembling hands and no choice left, Littlefinger began to cut the meat as more Lords joined in the chanting.
"EAT THE MEAT! EAT THE MEAT! EAT THE MEAT!"
Littlefinger gulped and slowly put the meat to his mouth. The gesture was met with cheers from everyone and disgust from the guest. If he thought it was torture, then he was in for another surprise.
"Maybe some music would appease the mood, Grandmother?" Margaery suggested
"You're right, once again, child. Bring the bard and let us enjoy some cheery songs! I definitely need something to ease up my mind…" Olenna replied.
The music was soothing at first, since everyone was eating and conversations flowed inside the Hall. The tension seemed to melt and Olenna waited for the moment her guest would relax to give the signal to the bard. He finished his song smoothly then played another one she had never heard before, but had been hearing about it from Margaery and Sansa.
"I think this one will please you, Grandmother!" Willas whispered to her.
High in the Mountains of the Vale
An old falcon had built a nest
A sturdy one, for his family
Where he put all his that he cherished
A mockingbird, young and stale
Wanted a place in said nest
Full of sweet words and duplicity
He got the falcon's wife bewitched
Littlefinger's head jolted and he almost choked on his meat. He stared at the bard in disbelief, realizing now that the song was about him.
They flew together to greener pasture
and made an even bigger nest
The old bird, too busy to see
that the young one was fooling him
Baelish blanched and Olenna smirked as he looked around him, his breathing erratic and panic clear in his eyes.
The falcon's wife gave him an heir
That she always kept at her breast
Not wanting the babe to see truly
The mockingbird that resembled him
"What is the meaning of this?" Littlefinger yelled, interrupting the song. "Who… Who dared… Who wrote this song?"
"I don't know, my Lord. It's just a common song that came from King's Landing." the bard replied.
"King's Landing?" He squeaked in fear and his face became whiter than it should've been possible.
"That's right. They've been singing this song in every tavern in the city for a couple of sennights now. I wouldn't be surprised if they have already started singing it in the Red Keep as well."
"Is something the matter, Lord Baelish?" Mace asked, oblivious to the fact that the song was about Littlefinger.
"I… I must retire. I need to…"
"Run now that everybody knows the truth about what you did, do you?" Olenna finished, smiling brightly. "But you have nowhere to run, Baelish. Jon Arryn has already called for your head."
Realization dawned on Littlefinger and anger soon replaced his panic.
"You knew! You knew I was coming and you planned all of this!"
"The Mockingbird who Fooled the Falcon, they call it. And the Falcon got into action as soon as he heard about the song. Your Trout friend is currently in the Black Cells, and so is her son. I suppose they are waiting for you to start the trial. Or he could borrow a page from Robert's book. Do you remember what the king did to the man who was sleeping with his wife?"
"What do you want from me? Why would you torture me so?"
"Why?" Olenna laughed bitterly. "You dare ask why? Do you remember our conversations about power? Did you really think we would have played to your tune after everything you and the Master you fooled did to us? You tried to manipulate things so that we would be at your beck and call by tying us with the second son of a man who despised us because you knew full well you needed our money to keep your lavish way of life. You've stolen money from the Crown, didn't pay taxes, and you thought you would be able to get away with this by fooling us as you did with the Falcon. I know all about you trying to ask money from the Lannisters while we loaned the Crown more than one million gold dragons. I know you've been the one calling for more taxes to be raised on the goods the Reach and the West were selling to Essos. Do you know why I knew that and why you didn't? Because, as I said to you a long time ago, when it comes to power, you are nothing but a minor Lord from a minor House who was trying to play in a game he had no place to be in."
Littlefinger tried to run, but Left and Right were standing in his path and soon he found himself grabbed by the two guards.
"Lord Petyr Baelish, you stand accused of treason against the Crown." Willas started.
"Wait! Wait! You can't do this!" Baelish yelled, thrashing violently to escape the guard's hold. "Guards! Guards! Help me! Help your Lord!"
"Your guards went away long ago," Olenna smirked.
"By both the orders of Jon Arryn and our King, you are to be taken into custody until trial," Willas said emotionlessly.
"Take him to the dungeons!" Mace, who finally got a hold of himself, ordered.
"No! No! You can't do this! I can… I can help you! Please!"
"Don't worry, my Lord. You won't have to wait for long. The king is probably on his way as we speak."
"The king? No! Noooo!"
Littlefinger's cries died down the further away he was led. The scene had caused everyone to stare with stupor and the happy Olenna, as if nothing happened, sat back and went back to her meal. The still shocked Lords mimicked her attitude, the heavy silence soon getting on her nerves.
"Bard, can you play something festive? Those glum looks are starting to affect my appetite."
The bard complied quickly and, for the first time in years, Olenna pictured herself dancing in the ballroom.
Highgarden, 298 AC
Lady Celesse Footly of Tumbleton
That feast had been surprising, to say the least. When Lady Olenna had told her of her plan to humiliate Baelish as well as to imprison him during the feast, but that they would confound Lord Baelish during the night and that they would need her help to make him talk in front of all the Lords, once again, Celesse had agreed to help, though she thought they didn't really need her to make Littlefinger talk.
What she took part in was essentially a Masterclass. Lady Olenna had been brilliant, both in how she toyed with Baelish and how she led the game, and Celesse couldn't help but be in awe of this amazing Lady. She'd almost missed her chance to be able to contribute but then she took it, regardless of the consequences. It turned out that she was right to do so, and if the fact that Lady Olenna herself thanked her for her intervention wasn't rewarding enough, that Margaery promised her an audience with the King surpassed her expectations.
She walked into Margaery's room that morning only to find out the Lady was already dressed and ready for the day.
"I thought I would be helping you get ready this morning, my Lady," Celesse said dejectedly.
"Don't worry, Celesse, you will have plenty of time to do this. I didn't sleep much yesterday, so I prepared alone."
"Is something the matter, my Lady? Do you need me to call the Maester?"
"No, no, Celesse. All is well. And please, I already told you to call me Margaery. We are kin, you and I, and I hope we'll become friends too."
"I hope so, too, my L- Margaery."
"Good."
"May I ask why you didn't sleep well?"
"Because I was excited. Jaehaerys will arrive today."
"The King? How… How do you know?"
Margaery tensed and turned away from her and for a moment Celesse believed she had said something wrong.
"There are… Things I can't tell you, even if I want to, Celesse." Margaery said. "I ask you to trust me on this."
"Always, Margaery," Celesse replied truthfully.
"Talking about trust, did you talk to your father lately?"
It was Celesse's turn to tense. Celesse's father hadn't been happy to learn that she was part of the mummery during the feast and that she didn't care to inform him of that. He had been so scared for her after she'd spoken on Baelish's behalf that she had been scolded harshly that night. Since then, she had been waiting for him to find a punishment up to the fright she'd caused him.
Margaery smiled reassuringly to her and Celesse shook her head.
"Not since the day after the feast."
"I'm sorry about that. Grandmother had summoned him to lift your punishment but I don't know if he will."
"I thank you both for trying."
"Did you know that Littlefinger tried to bribe him?"
"What? My Father would never-"
"I know, Celesse. He had said so to Grandmother. It was her idea to let the guards do what Littlefinger asked them. They reported directly to her and your father confirmed their story."
"What happened?"
"He told your father that he would see that you would be the Lady of Storm's End if he helped him escape to Essos."
"What?"
"Apparently Littlefinger has a lot of dirt on Lord Renly, so he promised to give your father the means to blackmail him into marrying you."
"I can't believe he did that! Even knowing that he isn't in the King's good grace..."
"He is desperate, Celesse, and he still believes you are on his side."
"What did my Father say? He would never accept a bribe, let alone from Littlefinger."
"You're right, he didn't accept it," Margaery said and Celesse breathed a sigh of relief. "He also agreed to testify against Littlefinger. The attempt of bribery will be another charge put on his case, along with the assassination attempt on the King."
Celesse's fists clenched as she thought about what Littlefinger and the Tullys tried to do to Jaehaerys. When dinner was over, Lady Olenna had stood up and given a speech to the still shocked Lords.
"My Lords, I know you must be confused about what just happened. First of all, I want to thank you all for keeping your composure and your mouths shut about King Jaehaerys. We didn't have much time to keep you informed about the mummery, but we needed a good reason to imprison Lord Baelish and to have you all as witnesses for when he will be put on trial. Not only has this man been guilty of helping Lysa Tully in committing adultery and, as the song stated, is believed to be her son's father, but he is also guilty of another crime. A crime that could have cost us everything."
"What is it, my Lady?" Lord Tarly had asked.
"I believe you all heard about the assassination attempt against our king a few years ago. We know for a fact that Lord Edmure and Lady Catelyn Tully had been behind the attack on Jaehaerys." Lady Olenna had answered, to gasps. "The assassin had been hired by Lord Baelish himself, making him complicit of the attempted murder."
"Are you sure about that? Do you have proof?"
"The man who should have ended Jaehaerys had worked for Ser Richard Lonmouth. He reported everything to him and King Jaehaerys."
"Why haven't you arrested him for this crime, then?"
"As you've seen, Baelish isn't aware of our allegiance to the Dragons. I'm not even sure he knows about Jaehaerys. Should he escape, we don't want him to disclose information about our side to prevent him from being killed by the other."
"It makes sense," Lord Tarly had supported. "I did not like how you played with him at first, but I understand better. When will the trial take place?"
"As soon as the King will be there, I think. We've already informed him of Lord Baelish's presence in our keep." Willas answered.
The Lords had nodded, some of them had glared intently at Sansa Stark. The poor girl held her head high despite the situation, and Margaery had told Celesse that she was already in the know and that she fully condemned her mother and uncle's action. Nevertheless, Lady Olenna had to make the statement that Sansa was not to blame and that she was still considered by the King as his sister. Hopefully, they wouldn't be too harsh on her in the future.
Celesse and Margaery spoke some more, soon joined by Elinor, Megga, Sansa and her direwolf. The Footly girl had to admit that the beast was impressive and Sansa had told her that her brother's direwolf was even bigger. They broke their fast together with Lady Olenna, who was as surprised as Celesse when Margaery told her that King Jaehaerys was to arrive that day, but the Queen of Thorns didn't seem to doubt her granddaughter so it was enough for Celesse not to question her kin. They warned Lord Willas to alert Lord Mace and the rest of the Lords of the Reach to gather in the west balcony in a few hours. While the request was once again most strange, it still didn't look out of the ordinary for them.
"You seem troubled, child," Lady Olenna said, making her jump from her seat.
The girl then realized that she was alone with the Queen of Thorns.
"No, I… All of this is new to me, my Lady. I don't know how to react or to behave, to be honest."
"It gets some time to get used to our antics. But do not worry, you are a clever girl and you will adapt just fine to my court."
"Your court, my Lady?" Celesse frowned while repeating those words.
"You will be one of my Lady in Waiting soon, like your mother was," Olenna informed her, to her surprise.
"But… But I thought…"
"I know you would prefer to be with Margaery. She is to be Queen after all, and she is around the same age as you are, but I talked to your father and I want you to learn how to rule by my side."
"How to… Rule?"
"Soon, you will marry, Celesse. And let's be honest, it would be a shame if you were to be tied to an insignificant Lord, with what you can offer. Times are changing and we will need to ensure the Major Houses' loyalty to King Jaehaerys."
"You want me… To marry… Into a Major House? Me?" Celesse stammered, astonished.
"Well, I don't know if it can be done, but it would be a good thing to have a kin marrying into Dorne, or the Vale…" Olenna stated, her mind already working on the future opportunities of her new ward.
"I… I would be honored to be part of your following, Lady Olenna. Even without the prospect of marrying into a Major House," Celesse said truthfully.
"Good! Now let us go to the west balcony. My bones are weary but I don't want to be the last one there to welcome the King!" Olenna chuckled as she stood up.
As they later stood on the balcony, Celesse saw that Fang was nudging Sansa and directing her to look at the sky. So she too looked up at the sky to see what Fang wanted her mistress to see. Then, in the distance, Celesse could see a shape coming towards them.
She heard a commotion behind them and saw that Baelish had been brought in shackles by two guards. The dark circles under his eyes made it clear that he hadn't slept much.
"There you are!" Olenna rejoiced. "We didn't want you to miss the King's arrival!"
"The King is already here?" he exclaimed fearfully.
"There he is!"
Celesse focused on the form which Margaery was pointing at, the same form that Fang had shown Sansa previously. It was bigger, far bigger than any falcon she had ever seen. Soon others began to notice and she saw more and more people point at the strange shape that she could now see was white, their voices rising as their attention was drawn to the shape that looked like a dragon.
That can't be right! Dragons have been dead for years!
But the closer the creature got, the more she realized that it truly was a dragon flying towards the keep. Moreover, she could see people on top of the dragon. Two of them were wearing white cloaks so they must be kingsguard. Which meant that King Jaehaerys was at the front.
A dragon rider. It shouldn't be possible. Yet everyone on the balcony was seeing the same thing and making their shock known.
"Is that?".
"It can't be."
"It's a dragon!" she heard someone exclaim.
"Come, it's time we met our king." Lady Olenna said after they had all watched the dragon disappeared overhead. She then watched as all of the lords began to move quickly, each one eager to grab the choicest slot to meet the king first.
"The king, but we're not ready." she heard Lord Mace say as he hurriedly moved and Celesse tried her best not to laugh as she too hurried to meet her king.
Before she did that, she turned around to see another spectacle, this one more hilarious. Lord Baelish had been brought to the courtyard as well. The man had fainted, probably as shocked as she was about what he'd seen, and his guards were arguing with each other over who had to pick him up to take him to the maester. The reason why they were reluctant to do so was that the caged Mockingbird had apparently turned deathly pale at the sight of the dragon and had thus produced a very foul stench.
Shaking her head in disgust, she walked away and tried to catch up with the Tyrells, walking quickly since running would be unbecoming of a Lady, especially one in the service of Lady Olenna.
Note from Arrow :
I hope that you all enjoyed reading this chapter as much as Leilani and I enjoyed writing it.
We had originally planned on doing the "What if" chapters later down the road but then I decided that we might as well do one a little sooner. Good thing I did because Leilani was literally hopping around in excitement when I told her what scenario I wanted to do. The amount of pestering for details and the fact that her fingers didn't fall off from the excited typing would astound you.
In any case, Celesse is a character that we created ourselves and Alperez loved her so much that he begged us to let him steal her. Well how could we say no to such an amazing writer. So if you want to read what he did with her then head on over to TDC and read the last couple of chapters.
Next week's chapter will be part 2 of this scenario where we show how this change affects different parts of the war.