Spirit of the West
Kiran I
On the fifth moon of the year 255 AC, among the usual court of the Red Keep, was welcomed an unlikely group of guests. The Lord Paramount of the Iron Islands and a dozen of their nobility were welcomed into the Red Keep, as well as the strange group they escorted. The strange fellows were kept from the closer observations of the Crownlanders by the Ironborn. They had meant to keep the nameless ones away from sight. The Crownlanders then left the matter to the King's judgement seeing as he and his Kingsguard even allowed them to enter the Red Keep. Among the notable noble houses of the Iron Islands, stood their most trusted men. From the men-at-arms of their household staff to their Vassal Captains and even a young Maester. They stood patiently among the Crownlander court, awaiting their formal audience with King Aegon.
Maester Kiran Pyke stood nervously behind his liege lord, Lord Rodrik Harlaw of Ten Towers. The din of the room held many times more voices than Kiran had been used to. He could deal with shiploads of Ironborn sailors but the nobles of the Crownlands were notorious across the Seven Kingdoms, for being snakes. The Ironborn had spent nought a night in the city and the Goldcloaks had arrived to accost them as if they were common bandits. He was certain they wouldn't be so bold in their actions if not for the backing of an influential noble. Kiran wouldn't so much as accuse anyone of such, as he had no evidence of such foul play but ever since then he kept his hands to himself and spoke as deliberately as possible.
Kiran had learnt much on the court etiquette of the Royal Court but that was just in books. 'The Matters of the Proper Reachman' by Grand Maester Lannard and 'Courts for the Witful' by Maester Colbat were examples of such books. He had little active experience for noble proceedings, his father had preferred to raise him as a captain but his bookish nature had him sent to the Citadel. Neither his father nor the Citadel had prepared him for the Red Keep. His father was a man of iron through and through. He could stand up for himself and his family, he could justly take what was due to him, and he braved storms that threw off lesser men. Kiran was nothing like him, it had been years since he even touched a sword, his tomes were his only companions now and embarrassingly enough, is his fear of the deep sea. He was truly a man of salt. His father was what Kiran strove to be, all that he couldn't be.
Now that he was here in the Red Keep though, he realised quickly that there is a sharp contrast to his readings on-court behaviour and having to put such teachings into practice. He couldn't help but nervously grab the inside of the sleeves of his Maesters robes, this was simply too far of a jump of setting. He served at his cousins hold-fast up until now, but now he was just an earshot from the King and even the Grand Maester himself. He couldn't help but keep his gaze upon various spots of the wall opposite to him, making sure to move his sight around. The appropriate action would have been to pay attention to your fellow courtiers at the very least and to politely meet their gaze and conversation. If anyone were to pay attention to him, they might mistake him for a lack-wit if they saw his behaviour. He ought to focus on not making a fool of his Lord and the Ironborn people. He had spotted not an insignificant number of Lords and Ladies casting scornful looks at the Ironborn guests.
Lord Rodrik took note of this behaviour behind his shoulder. He let out a low whisper.
"Coz, count your breaths to a hundred."
Kiran did just that, taking slow steadied breaths, all the while he counted backwards in Valyrian. As he thankfully calmed his nerves, he gave his lord a thankful look. Lord Rodrik acknowledged the Maester with a nod and returned his attention to the king's court.
Kiran was brought along Lord Quellon's retinue as Lord Rodrik's advisor. The Greyjoys, the Harlaws, the Goodbrothers, the Blacktydes, and even the relatively small house of Farwynd. Standing at the centre of the group of Ironborn men, were five nameless strangers.
These men drew attention to themselves for many reasons, one of which was they did not wear any house livery, nor did they wear the colours of any of the Free Cities. Four of the strangers could have been mistaken for men of the Night's Watch if not for the quality of their arms. They were visibly equipped with black lacquered armour, polished to a reflective sheen. They possessed great swords to their right side and an axe to their left side. That alone would have been a justifiable reason for apprehension, but the fact his liege Lord and Lord Paramount were escorting them assured Kiran of his safety.
The four men kept unnaturally still since the beginning of the King's Court. Their faces were visible for all to see, but despite a few of the nobles claiming to know their identity, they were still strangers to the court. Every one of the guards faces held at least one grizzly scar if not more. None of them could have been said to be fair looking before their scarring, with only one of them being at best considered plain. The fours hairs were of various colours, blonde, black and brunette, all peppered with grey.
They encircled the fifth man like an honour guard, one at each corner of an unseen square around him. His face, at the very least compared to his companions, would be considered fair. He was certainly no Prince Jahaerys nor Lord Ormund, but he could have been comparable to the Arryns in appearance.
The fifth man wore what could be thought of as appropriate court wear, Kiran assumed. It is a foreign fashion, he couldn't quite tell if it was truly an appropriate dress for the Red Keep. He also doubted anyone else present could tell either. Given the circumstances, he assumed the strangers were given a decent idea of the King's status.
The man wore a black coat of wool, buttoned on both of its sides. He wore a pair of breeches, coloured a matching shade to his coat and crafted from the same thick wool as he saw the coat was made of. Underneath the coat, he wore a silken vest of cool blue. Around his neck, he wore what appeared to be a silken rope of cloth, tied in an elaborate knot like fashion. Most strangely of all, his hair was curled artificially. The Ironborn Lords seemed less fascinated in the strangers since they certainly gawked less than he did. Their presence seemed to be important enough to hide that not even his cousin forewarned Kiran.
Kiran was taken out of his observations to the Master of Ships. Lord Lucaerys Velaryon of Driftmark, a prestigious man of a prestigious family. The Velaryons were vassals of the Targaryens since before their houses migrated to Westeros. The Valyrian descent Lord Velaryon had with the Targaryens gave him the same mysterious allure as the royal family.
A possible contributing factor may be the Master of Ships and the King are kin, many a Targaryen prince and princess have been wedded with a Velaryon. There was also the way they carried themselves, proud, even prouder than a lion, like a dragon. The King and the Hand both kept their faces composed, neutral and dignified. Whatever came their way during court left them giving only the subtlest expression. Their movements, as graceful as a breeze. Everything they did was intentional and with purpose. To Kiran, they seemed the ideal that he would strive for. But then again, he ideally would never want to be in the situation of being invited to a court so opulent. He felt satisfied helping his Lord no matter how much more modest it would be.
The proceedings of the court seemed to finally move on to matters relevant to his liege lord. Lord Velaryon spoke, the room hushed to give his voice way.
"His Grace, Protector of the Faith, Lord of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men, and King of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, Aegon V Targaryen, welcomes his Lord Paramount of the Iron Islands, Quellon Greyjoy to his audience."
With his cue to step forward given, Lord Quellon stepped out from the Ironborn delegation and walked towards the Iron Throne, the crowd parted as he made way. Lord Greyjoy stood at a towering height, easily distinguishing himself from a crowd. It seemed only Lord Commander Duncan could match Lord Quellon in stature. Lord Quellons prowess and cunning from fighting in the east earned him much needed respect from his vassal lords. He fought for and against nearly all the Free Cities and beyond. He fought against sellswords and sell sails alike, from the Golden Company to lowly Stepstone Pirates. Naturally, he and his men took their due and the Iron Throne turns a blind eye to all this, simply because Lord Greyjoy redirects the Ironborn away from Westerosi shores. Thankfully there hasn't been a massive war the likes of the Blackfyre Rebellions. So, to the Ironborn, Lord Quellons feats and most importantly his wealth, are the greatest of their generation.
All this respect Lord Quellon had accumulated for himself, he required for the betterment of the Iron Islands. He needs the Ironborn lords to accept his New Way, a way in which they could have the Iron Price and the Gold Price at once. A way for the Iron Throne not to interfere with the Iron Isles is by not irking the Greenlanders. Lord Rodrik has enough foresight to see the benefits of the New Way, and Kiran would agree, so he sought to tie his house to that of Lord Greyjoy's own.
Lord Rodrik recently wedded his sister to young Lord Balon. Kiran didn't know much about Lord Balon. He isn't known for much of anything, unlike his brothers. Victarion is growing into a great warrior like his father. Euron is known for being slightly eccentric but still a capable captain. Last he heard; Aeron was to be inducted into the ranks of the Drowned Priests. All he knows of Lord Balon was that he was all grimaces and scowls at his own wedding. All Kiran can hope for is that Lord Balon treats his cousin rightly.
"Your Grace. I have travelled to Kings Landing at your request. It is my honour and duty as your Lord Paramount.", said Lord Quellon. He was a man of few words, but that made for more straightforward introductions. He kneeled low to the King as he spoke, then waited for the King's response.
"Lord Quellon, the honour is all mine. I welcome you to my city and my castle. I trust your journey was uneventful?", the King spoke.
"Yes, Your Grace. The waters from the Iron Islands to here we're safe.", responded Lord Quellon. At that phrase, the king gave a most subtle arch of his brow.
"That is fortunate to hear. I would like to hear about the state of our waters in more detail. I hereby call this afternoons court adjourned.", the King motioned for the room to be cleared. He then looked to Lord Duncan and his Master of Whispers, an Alchemist whose name slipped Kiran's mind. The King whispered to them with what he assumed were orders. The Lord Commander had the Kingsguard and Targaryen men-at-arms moved to secure each door and window, encouraging any lingering courtiers and servants to move. The Master of Whispers meanwhile moved to who knows where.
Kiran felt some part suspicious of the man but he supposed it naturally came of any Master of Whispers. He doesn't know much about Alchemists apart from that they perform studies barred by the Citadel for the safety of Maesters. With their infamous 'substance', Kiran wasn't exactly surprised. He didn't focus too much on Citadel politics to actually understand his elder Maesters' ire with the Alchemists. He was a quick learner, so that let him earn his chain and leave the Citadel and Oldtown in a few short years. He suspects they were just glad to be rid of an Iron Islander sooner rather than later. In Kiran's opinion, it was the King's business as to who he appoints to office.
As the court emptied, only the smaller delegation was left, along with the guards, the Small Council and the King. The Ironborn made their way behind Lord Quellon and their special guests moved with them.
"Your Grace. Our unusual foreign guests have been brought before your presence.", said Lord Quellon. He stepped aside as the five men stepped forward. The four guards still encircled the fifth as they all moved in step.
The King gave no objections or expressions of exclaim. It seems this was the purpose of the Ironborns visitation. Kiran felt a bit confused as to why they were summoned to Kings Landing up until now. He had speculations that he dared not tell anyone that they were summoned to be executed for crimes perceived by the King. But that was surely madness, no King would dare do such a thing, not since Maegor the Cruel.
"Your Grace, King Aegon the Fifth of the Seven Kingdoms. I am known as Colonel Adam McCormick, Colonel of Rhode Island. I was sent from the west to the east by the President of America, President Cesar Maxon as part of an exploratory expedition. We then discovered lands unknown to our people, your lands. As the representative of America, we come in peace with offers of friendship.", the Colonel seemed to Kiran honest enough, but once again all that mattered was the King's verdict. It took the King some moments of patient contemplation, but he then gave a smile to the foreigner.
"I welcome you then Colonel Adam! I hope you find Kings Landing to be most accommodating. If I heard your words clearly, you came from the western sea? Do you come from lands beyond the Sunset Sea? Is that how you came to be guests of Lord Quellon?"
"That would be true, yes. We have come from the west; of the ocean, that our people call the Atlantic. Yes, we come from a continent called America. We encountered Lord Farwynd after retreating from a fearsome storm. The Iron Islanders were welcoming hosts. Kings Landing has so far been the largest city we have seen so far in Westeros."
To Kiran, it seemed that was the only compliment one could reasonably give about the city but he and certainly not the foreigner were going to tell the King that.
"You seem to speak the Common Tongue with great ability, have my people encountered yours before? Or are you especially adept at learning foreign tongues?"
"Pardon Your Grace, but it seems that the Common Tongue of Westeros and the language of Ancient English share many commonalities to be considered the same tongue. No, I am not particularly clever over my peers."
"Curious. Truly? Your people speak the same tongue as Westeros. Your speech does seem to have a distinct accent to it. What about your lands then? Are they parallel to Westeros as well? What other commonalities are there?"
"The lands of America Your Grace? America is a vast land, it is in truth two continents, North America and South America. The North is dominated by the United States of America and the South by the Empire of Brazil. I myself rule over the District of Rhode Island, which directly borders the capital city of America, Boston. From my observations and comparisons of your maps with my own, it seems like to Westeros, America stretches from the cold north to the tropic south.
I can't say that I have seen all of America, but I was tutored of my own country's geography like all who were afforded to. To the west borders the Pacific Ocean. Moving east the great Rockie Mountains divide the west coast from the rest of the nation. East of the Rockies lay the Great Plains and the Mississippi River at its heart. East of that is the Appalachian Mountains, which separate the oldest of America's cities and where the Capital is built upon. To the far north is a land of snow, ice and lakes, and the south lay jungles, desert and islands."
The King stood up from the Iron Throne, stepping down the tall imposing seat, each step upon the twisted mass of swords echoing throughout the hall. With his arms outstretched and open he addressed the foreigner in a welcoming fashion.
"If you truly have come to make friends with our people, then we reciprocate your generous offer.", said King Aegon, outstretching his arm for a handshake. It seemed as if the Colonel was familiar with such a gesture and returned the shake firmly.
"Colonel, we must discuss the matters of sending a delegation of our own to your great land, over supper. Representatives of our nobility, crofters and learned men. And who better to lead such a delegation than the Lord who has been most accommodating of your expedition?"
To Kiran, this declaration was a surprise, one which should have been more obvious to him. For what other reason would he, a High Lords Maester be allowed to witness a diplomatic meeting even the Crownlander Lords were barred from. As he saw Lord Quellon nodding silently to the address given to him, Kiran realised this was all deliberately curated by the King and Lord Quellon beforehand. Still unsure, Kiran looked to his cousin for his input, Rodrik gave him a knowing glance and a nod. He was made aware of the King's intentions and now it seems he himself was to be included in this Westerosi Expedition. As the King, his Council and the foreigners made their way down the hall, talking in more conversational tones, Kiran steeled himself. His lot in life was to serve his House, his Lord and his King, and he would gladly accept any task given to him for this diplomatic mission.
A/N: This is a rewrite of my other story of the same name. The last one overall I liked but had its own problems. On the advice of a friend, I gave it another shot.
If you're unfamiliar with what I'm crossing over, it's ASoIaF in 255 AC, and Crusader Kings 2: After the End Fan Fork in 3053 AD. That's Westeros during Aegon V and Post-post-apocalypse America.
Thanks for reading my story. If you got any thoughts leave a review or send a PM.