A/N: My good friend Longclaw 1-6 is about to be a father, which has been among the best news that I received recently :)
Daenerys, along with Jon and Rhaenys, arrived at the Eyrie. As they trusted the fleet to remain on guard over the Blackwater Bay until they returned, they recognized the need to make things clear for the Vale. I'm going to the place where it sheltered Ned Stark before the rebellion, she thought.
The most recent report from White Harbor was very concerning, which pitted the Vale banners there against the northmen following Sansa, the wildlings, and the portion of the Jade Company being led by Benjen Stark. They could not afford to alienate the Valemen, which was becoming a likely possibility after Sansa declared that she was going to swear loyalty to House Targaryen. In order to ensure that the Valemen would not try to return home when they still had something to offer in terms of fighting capability, it was decided that the three of them would fly to the Eyrie and come to an agreement with House Arryn.
Ser Barristan, Daario, and Grey Worm were left in charge of Dragonstone until they came back, while Arya was allowed to come with them since Lord Robin Arryn was her cousin through their common Tully heritage. It was not known what sort of relationship Arya had with Robin Arryn, aside from the fact that Lady Lysa was not considered among the most stable ladies to have graced the presence of the Eyrie and the Seven Kingdoms as a whole, but they had to try something to get Robin Arryn on their side.
"I would not give Robin too much credit. He is a weakling and too easily influenced," Arya revealed.
"What makes you say that?" Rhaenys asked her.
"Robin is spoiled and whiny and he is very much a crybaby when his dolls are taken away or damaged," Arya started to explain for them. "He enjoys puppetry shows, as well as songs and stories about animals and the Winged Knight, which I found annoying. Robin likes to play come-into-my-castle, hopfrog, and spin-the-sword, although the people in the Eyrie allow him to win," she rolled her eyes at that, causing Daenerys, Jon, and Rhaenys to also groan. "He enjoys being told how strong he is, but does not know how to ride."
"All right. Now, I'm starting to remember the stories that I heard about him," Jon recalled, as he also heard about Robin from his childhood in Winterfell.
"And there is also the fact that he is sick," Arya continued. "I don't know what he has, but whatever it is, it causes frequent seizures. The maester at the Eyrie bleeds him with leeches and administers dreamwine and milk of the poppy to help Robin sleep. I also heard that sweetmilk helps Robin with shaking, but the maester is cautious because continuous use of sweetsleep has an increasing likelihood of poisoning him. He is not a bright bulb and is physically restricted, and he was not weaned from his mother's breast when she died, for crying out loud. And because Robin is delicate, my aunt Lysa kept a whipping boy at the Eyrie."
Rhaenys scoffed, while Daenerys and Jon found that their task of trying to persuade the one who was supposed to rule the Eyrie become very difficult. "Now, what do we do?"
"Maybe, there is a way that we can have the Valemen continue to fight for us," Jon started to remember. "When Robb escaped the Red Wedding, he was able to hide away in the riverlands until he made it into the Vale. There, he was given shelter by Lord Yohn Royce, who was Ned Stark's good friend when he was fostered there by Jon Arryn. From what Robb said about Lord Royce, he is among the ablest men to hold command over an army in the Vale. And from what I heard recently, he was among the ones who opposed Lord Petyr Baelish when he asserted control over the Vale. And given that he is still in the Vale and not with the Valemen who are in White Harbor now, we can assume that he has much influence in the Vale at present."
"So, should we first go to Lord Royce and then go to the Eyrie?"
"No, we should send a raven to him, telling him to be at the Eyrie in order to influence Robin Arryn," Daenerys saw Jon's plan. "Lord Royce can influence Robin Arryn towards our cause, as he is among the leaders of the Lords Declarant. If we can persuade him, then we just secured a good deal of the Vale on our side."
And that was the plan that they came up with. Lord Royce sent a response to their raven, confirming that he will be there when the dragons arrive, and that prompted them to arrive at the Eyrie. All three of them, along with Arya, knew the importance of dragons entering the Vale in such a manner. The first time that dragons flew over the Vale was when Visenya persuaded the Arryns to surrender without fighting, allowing her to take Sharra Arryn's son Ronnel on a ride on her dragon.
"The last time that a dragon had an effect on the Vale was during the time of the Rogue Prince," Daenerys let out. "We're about to have an effect on the Vale again."
"What do you mean by that?" Jon asked.
"That was back when Daemon Targaryen attempted to take Runestone for himself after suffering a very unhappy marriage with his Royce wife," Rhaenys reminded him.
"I know about the Rogue Prince. But what about him?" Jon was confused.
"You know about his first marriage, right?" Daenerys asked, to which Jon nodded. "He was stuck with a woman who did not make him happy, and his grandsire in the Conciliator forced him to be in the Vale because the Rogue Prince reminded him too much of King Maegor, so he thought him better to be out of his sight."
Jon's eyes showed that he was thinking. "I can see that happening. The very mention of Maegor was enough for the Conciliator to fly into a rage regarding Saera."
"Exactly, but I think that was big mistake, for the Conciliator should have utilized the Rogue Prince's talents more effectively and found him a better wife, which was proven with Laena and then with Rhaenyra," Rhaenys added before smiling coyly at him. "That is a mistake that we'll avoid."
Jon let out a laugh. "Guess I should learn more about my heritage."
They arrived at the Eyrie, or rather in front of it since there were not many spaces for the dragons to land comfortably. As she was getting down from Drogon. Jon moved to help her because the baby, which had grown extensively at this point. However, Rhaenys was quicker and helped her down.
"Careful now. We don't want anything to happen," Rhaenys reminded her.
"Come on. I'm strong enough, niece. You'll soon be in my position."
"I know. But allow me to take care of you before that," Rhaenys told her.
Daenerys could imagine when Rhaenys will carry her own child, and she will want to help her along as well. She might fight back, like me, she mused.
Daenerys, Jon, and Rhaenys walked towards the entrance of the Eyrie, the stone bridge over the chasm not making them afraid for one moment. As soon as they left their mounts, their dragons went back up in the sky, with Drogon telling her, Is this really the place where Vhagar flew around with Ronnel?
It is, Daenerys confirmed for her dragon.
If you need me to scare him, let me know. I'll make sure that I fly very fast.
Daenerys chuckled. I'll let you know if that's necessary.
The gates to the Eyrie opened with, with a middle-aged man coming towards him. He had the sigil of House Royce on his surcoat, which Daenerys studied among other things.
"Your Graces, welcome to the Eyrie," he addressed them.
"You are… Lord Yohn Royce?" Jon asked.
"Indeed I am, Your Grace," Lord Yohn confirmed. "Let me say this. It is an honor to welcome you all here, to the center of the Vale."
"Your welcome is accepted, my lord," Daenerys told him. "And this is Rhaenys Targaryen, my dear niece and the daughter of my brother Rhaegar."
"So, it's true, then. I hoped that the rumors about how you died were false, given that no child should be so brutally killed in that sordid manner, and I can thank the old gods and the new that my hopes came true for once."
Rhaenys smiled at him. "And I am glad that there is still one lord who remembers how things were, before everything went to shit."
Lord Royce nodded his head. "Indeed, shit. Which is why we are pleased to have the dragonriders here today."
"By we, do you mean yourself and Lord Robin?" Jon asked.
"Come inside. You will see who that I am talking about, Your Grace," Lord Yohn gestured for him to follow.
Daenerys, Jon, and Rhaenys glanced at each other before they followed him inside. But prior to that, Jon went up and shook Lord Yohn's hand firmly. "Thank you… for protecting Robb. I am indebted to you for that, for he is my brother in all but name."
Lord Yohn nodded. "I repaid a favor to a friend, Ned Stark. He would have done the same for me."
Jon nodded gratefully, with Daenerys and Rhaenys urging him along with smiles.
From what Daenerys remembered from her studies, she could see that they were in the High Hall, which was a long and austere hall, with walls made of blue-veined white marble. The High Hall was decorated with rows of slim fluted pillars and a blue silk carpet. At the end of it sat two thrones carved of weirwood, one the high seat of the lord and the other a lesser throne for a consort. It had narrow, arched windows, between which are torches mounted on high iron or silver sconces. The entrance to the High Hall is through carved wooden doors. And there was the infamous Moon Door, which was a narrow weirwood door that stood between two slender pillars halfway in the High Hall. A crescent moon was carved into the door, which opened inward and was barred by three heavy bronze bars. The door opened into the sky. Most executions at the Eyrie use this door, which opened onto a six-hundred-foot drop to the stones of the valley below. Not that it scares me, since Drogon will catch me.
On the high seat sat who she assumed was Robin Arryn, which the description Arya gave them. But then, there were five others who were there, all of them of obvious high standing from throughout the Vale. What is going on here? Daenerys thought.
"Your Graces, may I present Lady Anya Waynwood, head of House Waynwood, Lord Gilwood Hunter, head of House Hunter, Lord Horton Redfort, head of House Redfort, Lord Benedar Belmore, head of House Belmore, and Ser Symond Templeton, head of House Templeton," Yohn Royce introduced them in that order. "And we have decided to back House Targaryen in your endeavor to retake the Iron Throne."
Daenerys was confused for a moment, until she learned not to look at a gift too closely. "We are pleased that the Vale has decided to support us, but what is the reason for this?"
"We are only coming to our senses. We were justified in rebelling against your father, Your Grace," Lord Anya spoke. "But the one we supported made this realm only worse."
"We might have been able to stay neutral so far, but this can no longer be the case. We must do something," Lord Gilwood added.
"Hasn't the Vale already ended their neutrality with supporting Sansa?" Jon asked.
"That is only half of the Valemen that we were able to call upon," Lord Horton pointed out. "What you see before your eyes, Your Grace, is the full range of our might."
"And what does the Vale have to gain from supporting us?" Rhaenys asked.
"Forgiveness, Your Grace," Lord Benedar answered. "Forgiveness for the sin of supporting a usurper, and for making you three run into the wind. Who knows what kind of suffering that you all received, suffering that is unbecoming of royalty?"
Daenerys found herself not amused by the fat head of House Belmore, but she kept her mouth shut.
"And we are ready to support our words with action," Lord Symond finished. "But on a condition."
"What is this other condition, my lord?" Rhaenys asked.
"Have you ever heard of Lord Petyr Baelish?" Yohn Royce asked.
"We have," Daenerys confirmed. "What about him?"
"We don't have any doubt that you will win, Your Graces. We only ask that after the music has stopped, we would feel obliged if Lord Petyr Baelish doesn't have a role in the new realm," Lady Anya said.
"May we ask why?" Daenerys asked. She heard rumors about who he was, but she needed more confirmation.
"Unless you want your realm to be endangered, you will consider removing him," Lord Gilwood made clear.
"And what does Lord Robin have to say about him?" Rhaenys asked.
Robin cleared his throat. "I thought he loved my mother, but that was a lie. And Lord Royce told me of his greed, of him wanting to get everything. I don't want him near me."
Daenerys shared another look with Jon and Rhaenys. "That's all you're asking, my lords and lady?"
"Yes. We will support you, but his removal is our price," Lord Symond said. "We don't care how you do it, but he must be out."
Now, how shall we do this? Daenerys asked, not sure of how to remove Baelish in the manner that they require.
Arianne was surprised at the Yi-Tish man who entered where she held court at the Tor. From how both Oberyn reacted to his presence, it was clear that this man had history with House Martell, but as to what kind of history the man had with her family remained unclear. Arianne saw nothing that was worth her time besides the assembling of the banners of Dorne against the Lannisters, and she had to know what exactly what sort of relationship she had with her family.
"By the gods… it's you," Oberyn let out while approaching the blind Yi-Tish man.
"Yes, Prince Oberyn," the Yi-Tish man replied. "I can see that you have not changed since."
"But how can you see?" Oberyn asked him. "You're blind."
"Oh, I see more than you can, Prince Oberyn, even more so since I've learned that the eyes can deceive you and learned not to trust them," the Yi-Tish man told him.
"Uncle, who is this man?" Arianne asked him.
"Niece, I give you Hoon Ti, a Yi-Tish gentleman and one of the greatest warriors in the world. He was here during the Rebellion as a guest of your father, where he charmed us with his soft words and bedded many with just his eyes," Oberyn introduced him. "Although I don't know if he still can, since he does not have his sight anymore."
Hoon Ti chuckled. "And you are as loose with your tongue as I remember, Prince Oberyn. By the way, how is Ellaria?"
"Oh, you remember her?" Oberyn asked with surprise.
"Of course, he would remember me," Ellaria approached Hoon Ti and laid her hand on his shoulder. Her head leaned towards his ear, in a manner that Arianne seen many times before she took a potential mate to bed. "It was I who gave him the sample that started his journey across Dorne. Was the final count fifty?"
Hoon Ti smiled at her while his eyes were still forward. "You remember me too well, Ellaria. Although I wonder if Oberyn appreciated you being so loud when we coupled. Are you still hairy now?"
Oberyn squeezed Hoon Ti's shoulder, while Ellaria gave off a gasp that showed her mock offense. "I knew that I liked this man. He knows how to play, and he still hasn't lost his edge."
"All right. While I like that we had time to go through memories of another time, I must insist that we move on to other business," Arianne reminded them.
"No fun. We can discuss that later," Ellaria pouted.
"I'm afraid the good princess is right. I am not here just for pleasure," Hoon Ti said. "But after we are done, perhaps you can introduce me to some friends of yours, if you know what I mean."
"I'd be delighted," Ellaria then kissed his ear, with Oberyn chuckled at Hoon Ti still playing along.
"You are here on behalf of the Targaryens, correct?" Arianne had to cut through to business.
"Yes, Princess Arianne. I come on behalf of especially Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, who has sent me here also as a favor to her."
Arianne was surprised, as was Ellaria and Oberyn. "Rhaenys sent you here on a favor?"
"Yes. She told me to tell you that she expects Dorne to fulfill their duties to the one true house over Westeros, and that all notions of sentimentality are to be cast aside unless she says otherwise."
Arianne could understand that. "I cannot blame her for having those thoughts. We supported an imposter, or rather my brothers and my father did. And my father did nothing while she had to endure being hidden in a Lysene pleasure house, while working with that fat bastard Varys. We abandoned her when she needed us, and that is a burden that we must carry for the rest of our days."
"You cannot blame yourself for that. None of us can," Oberyn tried to tell her. "We were kept out of the circle of information that was going on between my brother and Varys."
"No," Arianne told him. "It is our fault as well. We should have considered every possibility, tried harder, and fought back harder when my father was willing to broker deals with the very people who killed Elia. It is our fault, one that we must accept if we must go forward."
Oberyn could not say anything in response to that, and Ellaria also saw the sense behind her words.
"What will it take for Rhaenys to forgive us?" Arianne asked Hoon Ti.
"That, I cannot say since you must talk to her yourselves about that," Hoon Ti said. "But as a representative of the dragons, we have a plan in place. And now, Dorne has got to commit all its banners towards the accomplishment of the goals, all of which led to the Targaryens taking back the Iron Throne."
"Of course. Whatever they require," Arianne said.
"And I hear that the Daynes will be part of the vanguard. Is it true that Ashara Dayne had a tragic history with Ned Stark?"
"Yes," Arianne answered. "She carried Ned Stark's child, whose name is Dyanna Dayne, the future Lady of Starfall. The Daynes have been just as affected by the events at Harrenhal as everyone else, so it is only right that they take the lead in making things right."
Hoon Ti nodded. "Of course. I do remember speaking with Ser Arthur Dayne when he was still alive. Shame that his blood was spilled when it was not necessary for him to die in such a manner."
"Oh, indeed," Oberyn said. "But enough about that. Are we finished with discussing business now, dear niece?"
"We can discuss the details tomorrow, uncle," Arianne consented.
Oberyn and Ellaria were elated, while both grabbed ahold of Hoon Ti's arms, with Oberyn taking Hoon Ti's cane. "Let us lead you to pleasure, old friend. The years have been kind to you, so enjoy what you have enjoyed when you first came here."
"I intend to, Prince Oberyn. And will Ellaria be joining us?"
"How does participating in it as well sound?" Ellaria was suggestive.
"Then, let's have at it." Giggling like giddy children, the three old friends went out of the main hall, to have the small moment of pleasure that everyone needed in times of crisis.
Arianne found herself more amused by how Hoon Ti had such a colorful history with her family all those years ago. It was as if Hoon Ti was a relative coming back from a long journey abroad, and he only needed to be in the sands of Dorne to realize what he had missed in the time that he had gone. Hopefully, I will get to know him more, since he is one of the few who was alive during the Rebellion and who also knew who everyone was. I certainly need another perspective to really understand my house, Arianne thought to herself.
Arianne was currently at the Tor, which had a long history. Prior to Nymeria's War, the Tor was the seat of kings from House Jordayne, before they were defeated when the ten thousand ships arrived. During the First Dornish War, the steward of the Tor surrendered the castle to King Aegon I Targaryen since Lord Jordayne had recently died. The Tor was quickly recaptured by Dornishmen after Aegon returned to King's Landing, however. Visenya Targaryen unleashed the dragonflame of Vhagar on the Tor after Dornishmen attacked Cape Wrath. Long after the Dragon's Wroth ended, Morion Martell, Prince of Dorne, gathered his army to the Tor and Ghost Hill in preparation for the Fourth Dornish War, but King Jaehaerys Targaryen, otherwise the Conciliator, destroyed Morion's fleet as it crossed the Sea of Dorne. It was accurate to say that the Tor had a history that was not flattering for the dragons, which she sought to rectify.
The Tor was going to be used as a marshalling point for a portion of the Dornish banners that were going to shipped by a portion of the vessels brought over by the Jade Company. Many of the banners were going to cross the Red Mountains to unite with the banners of House Tyrell, both to march northwards against their Lannister enemies and to control the banners that were being assembled by the Hightowers. But to quicken the pace, a portion of the Dornish banners had to be ferried by ship, and the Tor was the perfect place to do that. Given that it would only be a comparatively short journey from the Tor to Storm's End, where Gendry and Shireen Baratheon had recaptured without fighting, it would reinforce their partners in the stormlands and thus providing one more avenue of attack towards King's Landing. When combined with that from the Reach and from the North, it represented an elaborate plan the scale of which had not been seen since Aegon's Conquest. Daeron Targaryen… he certainly takes after his namesake, if I am correct in believing that he was the one who came up with this, Arianne approved.
Her hosts were Lord Trebor Jordayne, Lord of the Tor, and Myria Jordayne, his daughter and heir to the Tor. Trebor was among the first to swear loyalty to her as the true leader of Dorne, as the Jordaynes were among the ones who opposed the initiatives that her father made with the Iron Throne and the Lannisters after how her aunt Elia was so brutally murdered. For Myria, Arianne saw much of herself in her, a young woman who would prove to be the fear among all the other men who tried to stomp on her. Arianne was going to cultivate such talent, which was why she was going to invite her to the Sunspear court when all the business with the Lannisters was done with. She is needed more here at this time, Arianne understood.
"How many ships did they say were coming?" Lord Trebor asked Arianne.
"A hundred, enough to ferry at least fifteen thousand men," Arianne told him.
"And will the stormlanders even accept the presence of Dornishmen on their soil, given the recent bad blood between us at the hands of Stannis?"
Arianne could see where his concerns laid. "Look, Lord Trebor. The Baratheon that we faced during that war has been replaced by his nephew and daughter. We will be dealing with a more reasonable head over House Baratheon. Besides, we are one and united against our Lannister foes."
"She is right, father," Lady Myria came in Arianne's defense. "We cannot be so prejudicial when it comes to who we work with, especially given the times that we are in. We tried living under the Lannisters, and look what happened. And enough has been said about how badly Robert Baratheon messed things up for the realm. We never should have allowed the dragons to fall from grace, even though the circumstances that led to the rebellion could have been avoided."
"If they were avoided, then we would not have Daeron Targaryen emerge," Arianne said. "What's done is done. And if I'm to be honest, I believe that Daeron Targaryen, along with Daenerys and Rhaenys, represent the start of a new rejuvenation for the Seven Kingdoms."
"Is that so?" Lord Trebor asked.
"Let me put it this way. Daeron Targaryen survived the torment that came with being a northern bastard, went all the way to the other side of the world, and returned with an army. Along the way, he met up with other members of his family, Daenerys and Rhaenys, both being survivors. If they were able to survive for so long and become stronger, then I want to serve them."
"You've become taken with them, haven't you?" Myria could see.
"My lady, while I was being penitent for the actions of my father, I've learned how much they could offer. We just must side with them, and side with him unfailingly this time."
And Arianne very much looked forward to seeing them in person, to see who she would serve.
But afterwards, she had to speak with her brother Quentyn, who came with Hoon Ti as a gesture of mercy towards House Martell. The first thing that she did when they were alone, was to slap his face.
"What was that for?" Quentyn asked with surprise.
"You idiot. You almost got yourself killed and you put our family in danger," Arianne hissed at him.
"That wasn't my fault, sister. Our father made me do that."
"And not because you want to gain favor with him, right?" Arianne asked pointedly. "But whatever the case, I'm glad that you're alive and that they didn't treat you badly enough. However, know this. Father is not in charge anymore, and neither is Trystane. It's just me. Understand?"
Quentyn nodded. "So, the plan now is to support the dragons now?"
"That is correct. And the best thing for you to do, is to not get involved. You've already caused enough trouble with being there with the imposter, so stay out of sight until I call for you. You got that?"
Quentyn nodded again.
"Now, I have work to do. Don't complicate things any further."
Myrcella sat through the meeting of the small council, with her grandfather leading the discussions. The topic was the situation of Westeros, which was a rather broad one had it not been for the dragons, the houses that were being arrayed against them, and the situation in the North.
"When will it be resolved, the North? And what is taking Lord Jaime so long to arrive there?" Harys Swyft, the Master of Coin, exclaimed.
"A journey from Maidenpool to the North is not an easy thing, and there is also the complication of this so-called Jade Company in possession of ships that can strike at their adversaries from long range," Lord Reginald Lannister from Lannisport, Master of Ships, told him. It was the one of few times where the Lannisport Lannister was being useful after displeasing Myrcella's so greatly at Harrenhal.
"And we cannot be so wasteful with our resources, given that we don't have much to rely upon," Lord Orton Merryweather, Master of Laws, added.
"The Seven will provided for us, especially after the Lord Hand has been so gracious in reestablishing the Faith Militant," the High Sparrow, the head of the Sept of Baelor, attempted to flatter Lord Tywin, which didn't move him.
"Lord Kevan," Tywin addressed his brother, who was the Master of Whisperers. "What do your little birds have to say about what the dragons' strategy is?"
"Well, Lord Hand, I didn't need to consult my little birds on what the enemy is trying to do. It is obvious that they are trying to take the Iron Throne, but they are doing it in a very indirect manner, one that will stretch us out over many hundreds of miles," Kevan said.
"What do you mean by that?" Harys asked.
"Well, goodfather, looking at the maps, the dragons are displaying a deeper understanding of strategy and tactics than previously thought," Kevan explained. "They know that to attack King's Landing now will not be sound, since we were already able to hold the city with just meager forces when Stannis first attacked it. Instead, they will besiege us, cut us from the sea. Meanwhile, the real fighting will take place elsewhere in the Seven Kingdoms, from the north to the south. Key to their strategy in the south is to marshal the banners of Dorne and the Reach against us, the Reach going to be divided since the southern Reach along the Honeywine will follow the Hightowers. Which leads me to Ser Myles."
Myrcella turned to her betrothed, Ser Myles, who was allowed to attend small council meetings. "Yes, Lord Kevan?"
"What do your cousins in Oldtown have to say about the number of men that they can bring to the field?"
"Twelve thousand, and that's not including the men that could be called up from within the city itself, Lord Kevan."
"Is that all?" Tywin showed his disappointment.
"Lord Hand, we also suffered substantial losses when we threw our men against Stannis' effective defenses. And we also had to rely on the good graces of the High Sparrow to get more to join the Warrior's Sons and the Poor Fellows, both of which had not seen battle since the Conciliator."
"But worry not, my lords. The centuries that have passed since the Conciliator will be made up thanks to the close cooperation with Ser Myles," the High Sparrow said.
"Proceed, Lord Kevan," Tywin urged him.
Kevan nodded. "We should also be cautious and cut off our losses. The Boltons were a poor choice to lead the North, and we gave enough help. The North is lost, so we should accept that."
Lord Tywin nodded in agreement. "I agree. We lost too many in the Neck. We can find out another house to lead them in the future."
"I already have some candidates in mind," Grandmaester Pycelle added. "But to lose the North?"
"As I have said, we must preserve our precious resources," Lord Merryweather repeated. "The North has been more trouble than it was worth, so we cannot waste more men there."
"Ser Robert Strong, what say you?" Lord Tywin addressed the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. He was almost as tall as the Mountain, but Myrcella only saw him communicate with either a nod or a shaking of his head, adding more to his mystery. But among the little mysteries that she wanted to resolve, his identity and character were among the more pressing ones. But for now, Lord Strong nodded his head.
"All right. We will cut the Boltons off. Let them fend for themselves, and reconsolidate everything in the south," Lord Tywin declared.
"We should also discuss what has been said about the Hound, in leading a skirmish against our men marching against Storm's End," Kevan pointed out.
"I have already decided how to best deal with that," Tywin said. "I've sent his brother Ser Gregor with two thousand men to hunt him down. Let us see what the brothers are capable of when they are fighting each other."
"Well, that should not be so long then. We all know that the Mountain can make the Hound squeal like the little puppy he is," Ser Myles cracked, leading the rest of the council to laugh at his jest.
"The Mountain will do his duties well, and with great pleasure," Pycelle concluded.
They then discussed other issues, such as when the wedding between Myrcella and Ser Myles would take place, which would happen after the war was over. But Lord Tywin said that the wedding was to take place within a moon's time, to shore up the reign of Queen Myrcella as soon as possible. Myrcella nodded her consent, knowing that she had no power when compared to Lord Tywin. However, she was not going to end up like her mother, who was drinking her days away and not doing anything. She is the example of what happens when she devoted herself to one purpose and one purpose only, which was Joffrey. After that, she has no more good reason to live. I will not end up like her, Myrcella promised to herself.
Once the small council was adjourned for the day, it was just her, Tywin, and Kevan.
"There is one issue, Tywin," Kevan brought up. "There are rumors going around, particularly about Gerion."
"What about them?" Tywin asked.
Kevan looked incredulous. "What do you mean, what about them? This is our brother we're talking about."
"Stow that, Kevan," Tywin hissed at him. "Our brother has been gone for many years. There is no way that he has managed to survive for this long."
"But Tywin, it's Gerion," Kevan's voice grew softer. "Are you not going to try to see if they are true? And if we can bring him to us?"
"You forget that the rumors also say that Gerion has sided with the dragons. He also is working with that… Imp to undermine us. Therefore, he is to be treated like all other traitors against the crown," Tywin was cold.
Kevan's shoulders sagged, not understanding at first why Tywin was so emotionless about the slightest chance of their brother being alive, only to be reminded that this was the man who also had his own grandson killed. "Of course."
However, Myrcella was not going to allow her grandfather to have the final say. She knew that she was the inferior when it came to power, but she was not going to allow Tywin to think that every discussion will how he saw it.
"Lord Tywin," Myrcella spoke up. "The rumors about Lord Gerion are worth looking into. He is after all a member of House Lannister. House Lannister has not been doing well as of late, especially with my cousin Lancel performing poorly in his duties. My uncle Jaime," she hid the fact that she knew about Jaime being her father, which even her grandfather knew and would deny to the grave. "Has still yet to be married to a lady of good standing."
"That will soon be rectified," Tywin told her. "I've already made inquiries and there have been various candidates being put forth."
Myrcella carried on. "And there is also the inconvenience set forth from our Lannisport relatives, who are not reliable when it comes to ensuring House Lannister's legacy. House Lannister is in a bad shape, so we should not just throw away a potential contributor of the Lannisters so easily."
Kevan saw his chance as well. "She is not wrong there. It would be rash if we cut off Gerion without confirming the rumors. And after all, Gerion coming back would be one of the good things that have happened to us."
Tywin looked unconvinced. "If Gerion wanted to contribute to House Lannister, then why hasn't he showed up to us? Why allow these rumors to spread?"
"Perhaps because you never tried to confirm them, my lord," Myrcella pointed out. "For the one who expended every effort in wiping out the Tarbecks and the Reynes, I am surprised that you never thought about confirming these vicious rumors about House Lannister in the first place. We must strengthen our forces first, and our family alongside that."
Tywin let out a huff. "All right. Let us see if the rumors are true, then. I will have someone confirm the rumors and see if they are true. But know this. Even if he is alive, I will not allow myself to be burdened with useless notions of sentimentality. Either Gerion contributes to House Lannister, or not. Let us see if he will be useful for the Lannisters."
With that, Tywin left the small council chambers, leaving Kevan and Myrcella alone there. "Well played there," Kevan approved. "Appealing to his obsession with family and all. That will be the only way for him to do anything that is not obviously connected to advancement of money and political gain."
"Lord Kevan, I learned much from my time with my grandfather. He is full of vanity, and I learned that I had to use this to my advantage when I had to deal with Ser Myles, my betrothed. It is really frustrating to deal with such things, especially when there are more important things to deal with," Myrcella said.
"Well, look at you," Kevan showed how impressed he was. "You just needed to be on the throne for you to really mature. You are no longer than the girl who was stuck under the shadow of Joffrey when he was alive."
"I never asked to be on the throne, Lord Kevan," Myrcella made clear to him. "If the chance comes for me to abdicate or say that my reign never happened in the first place, then I will take it. But I guess the throne has made me more aware of who people are, which I suppose came from living with my useless mother."
Kevan chuckled to himself, as he also knew that her mother Cersei had grown incompetent and reclusive after Joffrey was beheaded. It was a dramatic shift from when she was all power hungry and willing to play the game of thrones, as she proved that she was just as emotional as any other flawed mother.
"If I may say so, Your Grace, perhaps this was your destiny, to rule over the Seven Kingdoms," Kevan told her. "You might not want the crown, but perhaps you needed to be forced to wear it to realize what you were good at. You need more time, but you have the makings to be a ruler that can be better than Rhaenyra."
"Spare me the flattery, Lord Kevan. I hear enough of it these days," Myrcella found herself becoming blunter recently. "But I appreciate you trying to make things better, given that I am not in the best situation now. I stand by my words. If the chance presents itself for me to stand away from the throne, I will gladly take it."
Kevan's eyes softened. "But what will you do then?"
"I don't know," Myrcella admitted. "But it will certainly be a lot more peaceful and preferable than the situation that I am in."
A/N: Daenerys, Jon, and Rhaenys are at the Vale, and doing what Visenya did with the Vale, but more peacefully and now they have to find a way to remove Littlefinger.
Arianne is meeting Hoon Ti, whose presence in Dorne is like fingers coming into a glove, but she reprimands Quentyn
As for Myrcella, no one should be in her position.
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