Arianne

It was a vibrant day in the halls of the Red Keep, as King Rhaegar declared that his eldest daughter would be heir to the Seven Kingdoms in front of the Lords of the Seven Kingdoms. The girl may have been pretty in appearance, but Arianne had her doubts that she was could rule the Kingdoms though - the girl from what she observed from her perch, seemed to be a nervous, shy little thing. Even though she may have been beautiful in appearance, donning a beautiful raven-coloured ball gown-fitted dress with a noticeably small breasts. A pretty face did not make Nymeria ruler; force of personality did, and thus far, all the Princess seemed to be doing was tripping over her own words with her own fiance from the Reach. He had a pretty face too, but there was an actual force there on his face to be reckoned with, unlike the Princess of whom maintained an air of dizty sensitivity and nervousness. If she was going to rule, it would be likely that whomever that Reachman was, would be the true power to the throne instead of the Princess, which somewhat concerned Arianne - a woman should rule in her own right or none at all, in her own opinion.

She observed as she sat with her mistress, the Queen at the high table meant for Ladies of the Queen.. She studied the crowd of men, from her perch, as she held onto Tristan, as he giggled and tried destroying the food laid out on the table with his pale but tiny tots hands - though, like the mother she was, she watched him as well, to prevent the food from spilling on her blue and cream colored gown she wore today, with the fish of House Tully imprinted on the side of it. It was what Ladies did, her father stated, as he told her that she'd marry Lord Edmure, the ginger haired handsome Lord from the Riverlands.

Truthfully, she was thrilled by the arrangement, enough so that she managed to keep her maidenhood intact until the day she married him in Riverrun's small Sept; he was starling handsome to her, even more than any of the men in Dorne, including that pretentious Gerold Dayne fellow. She once thought he, the jealous imbecile, was as handsome as a Dragon Prince for some bizarre reasons. Now, that she thought about it more-so clearly, it was a good idea she never attempted a romantic enterprise with him, or else he'd be jealous of her husband, of whom was a much higher rank than just some lowly landed Knight like himself. Even though her husband was also a Ser Knight as well, adding on to his loving charm she felt he possessed.

"Roanna, how goes your marriage to Prince Viserys?" Roanna Dayne was sitting next to her, and she was quite the lovely, enchanting woman, with her locks of soft light blonde hair and those famous Dayne periwinkle purple coloured eyes, she quite looked like her nephew, Edric in appearance. She also had thin, short lips and a simple heart-shaped face, the kind of features that would make her look like a alluringly beautiful woman if she just took off that cream-colored cap off her head though. She was stunning already though, at least to Arianne.

She laughed, and it sounded like bells ringing. "Prince Viserys is a good man and Edric loves him. I think my lovely nephew wants to squire under my husband, an idea I very much endorse, indeed." She chuckled. "Viserys is good to his common-folk and treats them well, and he's good with our children... Little Aerian and Daenora, and even the little Princess Daenerys too... But I could very much speak about the goods of my husbands all day and nought stop with it, Arianne. How are you and Edmure? Well enough I suppose? Edmure is a good man too, I hear." She was smiling a great deal, the Lady of Summerhall and Arianne had always found Roanna to be a chatty, pious sort of woman, indeed, she even wore her soft cream blonde hair back in a bun underneath a plushy white-coloured cap, much like how Queen Naerys wore her hair back in her day.

"Indeed, Edmure is." She noted. "A good, decent man, although a bit moody at times. I guess that's what comes out of having constantly mediate the Brackens and the Blackwoods though." Those two houses were constantly at each other throats, enough that no marriages would ever fix their tepid relationship - sometimes, it vaguely reminded of her of the relationship between her own family and the Yrnwoods. Something always happened to set it off - the last incident was her uncle Oberyn sleeping with Lord Yrnwood's mistress, and the last before that was the Blackfyre rebellion, in which House Yronwood sided with those treacherous pretenders. Honestly, Arianne thought her uncle was the epiphany of We do not think when he did that folly towards House Yronwood. That House was very powerful within Dorne, and thus messing with it like what Oberyn did was not such a good idea, in Arianne's mind, it would be like the equivalent of House Tyrell fucking around with House Hightower or such. It was not an entirely good plan to be messing with your second-most powerful House within one's region.

Roanna smiled warmly before continuing to sip gently from her cucumber soup. She was eating on a gentle diet of only vegetables and water, and nothing else, Roanna was certainly more pious than she herself was. She was eating freshly made bread with some butter on it, whilst her son drank a meter of milk, which messed up his blue and red outfit she had made for him. The boy had his father's coloring, the blue eyes, the ginger hair, and the pale milky skin, but he did get her wavy hair, if nothing else. Her only daughter thus far, Sharra, ended up with her father's dark auburn hair and her own coffee-brown colored tinted eyes, though none of the current Tully siblings possessed her creamy tanned skin... yet, anyhow.

"You know, I'm glad you two Dornish ladies are happy with your spouses." The Queen spoke up, quietly though. Queen Alysanne was similar in personality to her eldest daughter, a shy bookish woman in nature; something that could make Alysanne seem a little boring at times. She also was quite pious, and all-around a kindly, charitable woman. "My mother once told me that arranged marriages could lead to wonders, but she never loved my father though, unfortunately. My brother-husband attempted to keep me away from the drama that happened between the two of them and the rest of the court. I suppose I rather am sheltered in that respect, unfortunately." She sighed. "Now, I'm forced to watch as my own daughter, Visenya, gets torn into pieces by my brothers, as I sit up here on this bloody podium my own mother use to sit on, unable to do anything about it."

She was right on that, Daeron and Maekor was indeed, doing that to Visenya. "Oh." Roanna gasped, seeing it for herself. Her periwinkle purple eyes looked shocked seeing the Princess look so demoralized under the foot of the King. She looked like the men did a number on her. If Arianne was her, she'd smack them for this insolence done to their Crown Princess, but neither men seemed terribly affected by the Princess's attempts to get control of the general assembly and of themselves, obviously. Daeron and Maekor basically ignored her, in preference for listening to the Rhaegar's Hand.

Although, her own husband was no doubt, on Maekor's side due to familial connections with the Prince. The Lord Heir of the Reach had married an Arryn afterall, and his sister, Lysa was married to Joanna Arryn's brother Elbert, thus making him leaning towards that position. Honestly, the Reach, the Eyrie, the Riverlands, and the North, were all on the same boat when it came to decision making due to connections of blood, and so far the four strong allies were all leaning towards Maekor due to this. She was also sure Dorne, her own homeland, was also joining the alliance of four due to herself being the wife of Edmure Tully, the current lord of Riverrun. Thus making it the Five rather than the four in terms of decisions, whilst leaving the Westerlands alone, but even the Westerlands were getting allies of their own through marriages with Tywin's young half Westerling daughters.

The Lannisters had been kindly enough to get their young daughter, Joanna, promised to her brother Quentyn, and their second youngest, Fiona, off to Lord Davos Baratheon. It would seem that everyone was bounding themselves through blood for allies sakes, although the Targaryens had yet to promise any of their young yet. Though, no doubt they'd do so, soon, she supposed.

"Oh she'll learn, she's of Nymeria's blood, and no man under the blue sky will take away what is her's." Arianne reflected, staring at Maekor and Daeron. The two had their own separate tables - on Maekor's side sat blonde haired Elbert Arryn, his brood of strawberry blonde offspring, and his wife Lady Lysa Arryn (nee Tully), her own husband of whom was having conversation with Elbert, Willas Tyrell was there too, dressed in the green of House Tyrell - he wore one Rose on his jacket, to symbolize his status as eldest above his siblings, presumably; and all of them were conversing on their extremely large table set up for them. The table was noisy, as everyone was busily chatting away about things, although her husband seemed to have developed a quick friendship with the Heir of the Eyre, and his sister, her good-sister, was chatting away with Lysa about books and what not. Their children were playing and laughing around the large table, or loitering, like little Lady Daeryssa was doing, with a book in one hand, as she ponderously ignored the conversations swirling around the girl's blonde head. Her father was gently patting her soft, wavy dirty blonde curls, with a gentle brush of his hand, whilst he spoke to Prince Maekor, the man that sat at the head of the table in a masculine raven-coloured outfit.

On Daeron's side of the table, the Prince was brooding away as he slowly ate his chicken dish, and hardly looked up at anyone, including his wife of whom sat next to him, with the most annoyed expression on those emerald green eyes of her's. Honestly, Daeron was such a bore to look at in comparison to the gayness of his younger brother - he wore plain, but well-made raven-coloured clothing, and he hardly smiled with those deep purple eyes of his - that she far preferred observing the Tyrell's than him due them being at least more interesting and vibrant to the likes of him, even though she knew that truly that he was more dangerous than his younger brother was despite his surplus of friends. He was a thinker, a planner, which his younger brother seemed not to be, at least at first glance to her trained eyes, it did not appear that way, honestly Prince Maekor seemed to be the kind that lived in the moment, rather than think rationally about his actions in the long haul. But I could be wrong about that. First impressions about a person can be completely inaccurate, and he might be planning about his plans right now. She thought, thinking about Mace Tyrell as a principal of a man that pretended dullness to be actually be a great deal smarter than they actually appeared to be at a first glance.

"Oh I doubt that. That Alliance of Maekor's will rip and chew her in half before she can blink an eye at the crown; they're much too powerful for even my dear girl to handle, and not even the elder Prince Daeron with the rather lonely Lannister's, will win the alliance over." The Queen sounded rather cynical. "If they want Maekor on the throne, than damn, they'll get him on the throne. That's the might of the Riverlands, the North, and the Eyre, and the Reach there. I doubt you'll get much more powerful players than them right now - and I feel as though my younger brother, Maekor, has it all. Tis's rather unfortunate my son, whilst he still lived, couldn't do anything to get more people on our side, as the Lannister's take the might of the Stormlands under its wing with an alliance of blood through the promised marriage of Davos Baratheon and Fiona Lannister, and they've taken steps to keep Dorne from deciding on a firm alliance. I feel as though the only ones without an alliance would be ourselves, unfortunately, and not even Daena, my little sister can be of some assistance."

"Yes, but under Andal Law, not Dornish Law I might add." They weren't in Dorne, Dornish laws did not matter out here, as she learned from her father. She wasn't ignorant of the ways of the other Kingdoms. "Daughters and older brothers come before uncles in the line of succession. I know that much, and Maekor could not be such a fool as to see the folly of trying to usurp succession laws put in the place by the Andals of old." She responded, angrily.

"Your own husband is sitting with Prince Maekor though, Lady Martell." Bethany Rosby, a short girl with ember colored hair, softly pointed out, whilst Roanna Dayne ignored all the chatter coming from them as she talked to her children with a pleased expression on her gentle, soft face.

"I have a mind of my own, I'm not controlled by the actions of Edmure." She huffed. It was ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous, but she could do nothing about her husband's transactions though. "And my thoughts are that if Maekor does indeed transcend to the throne in the place of both of your living daughters, Daeron and all of his sons and daughters, than he's just broken every single law of succession, thus making him a traitor."

"Indeed." The Queen responded. "Indeed, but men commit follies for power all the time. My own father died just having lost the newly conquered Stepstones to the fleet of one of the Free cities. He didn't even have enough time to declare it a part of the seven kingdoms when It was taken. I think it was a folly taking the Stepstones again, like what Daemon did in the past."

"Ah. We'll see who wins the game, now shall we, Arianne?" Bethany smiled, making Arianne want to scream in anger at the rather outlandish situation unfolding. Not because she hated the girl, she just hated the game of thrones. It was a wicked game, paid in nothing but blood, pain and treachery for everyone involved, and there was nothing to be done about it.

Daeron

Cersei was staring at the other table, with a look of remarkable look of irritation on her lovely feature as looked across to see the bloody crowd at Prince Maekor's Frey sized table of people allied with him through blood. "Daeron, I doubt I'll ever become Queen with four of the bloody Seven Kingdoms pressed up against Maekor's backside."

"I know, woman, you don't think I don't notice?" Daeron felt the heat, indeed - his younger brother, the one that was Father's favourite, was winning again and was flaunting it to his face. He practically felt himself sweating from it too, because he had so much power at his fingertips, and not to mention, he acting so utterly blithesome over the entire matter, as if he didn't give a flying fuck about all that beautiful power at his fingertips. If that were him in Maekor's place, he'd probably be acting much the same way, unafraid of any obstacle in his path. "Maekor is just doing that to let me know that I may be the eldest, but he's won with those bloody ally's he's got there." His eyes widened at the prospect, of knowing that once he became King, that almost all of the kingdoms would rise up and dispose him; it was a truly terrifying thought; imaging his younger, but stronger, brother taking the crown of Aegon V off of both he and his brother's corpse as he took up the expensive, jewelled crown of their father and Daeron the Good's.

"You forgot, that if he does that, he'd have committed treason." Tywin stated, matter of factly.

"Treason he'll get away with, no doubt, because some of our younger girls are promised to the faith." Two of them would become Septa's, mostly to avoid any past problems, whilst some of his sons would become Maesters or join the Night's Watch someday, or even join those on Lys. Either way, they'd become not a problem very quickly indeed. "And I don't want to promise off Aelora, because trouble may soon follow if any of the other High Lords get a single ounce of Targaryen blood on their family tree." The Baratheons weren't yet a problem, but he couldn't help but be worried about it because than they could claim descendsy from House Targaryen - of whom could rebel and theoretically could win the Iron Throne as legit claimants to it due to blood relations to them. Thus, he was very hesitant to give a single ounce of royal blood to could be traitors, with proven and true claimants overhead as they rebelled for the throne that wasn't rightfully there's.

"What about House Martell? They have Dragon blood in them, and yet they've yet to present a problem." Cersei replied with a smile.

"House Martell is weak, my dear, and House Baratheon is sated by House Targaryen giving up a daughter for marriage. Though, I personally think House Baratheon could be an actual threat to Rhaegar and the others if they actually tried their hands at treachery." Tywin stated.

"And I don't want to get them any leverage on my house, especially House Tryell, marrying a daughter to them could be me signing my House to their deaths honestly." Daeron responded.

Tywin nodded. "That would be a frightening thought, now wouldn't it?"

"Yes." Daeron nodded.

"Well, I personally think they'd all be happy if Prince Maekor was King, with Janna Tyrell as Queen." Cersei huffed, staring at Janna. Janna had her creamy brown-coloured locks in a simple bun, as she sat talking to her one of her children, of whom sat on her lap, as she smiled. Honestly, Janna looked more akin to a good mother than a dangerous political opponent, but she was indeed that, very much. She was eating some grass no doubt sent from the Reach, as it was the most fertile region beyond the Eyre, but regardless, she looked as bloody pious as that good-for nothing Roanna Dayne, of whom sat on that high podium for ladies of the Queen with a smile on her simple, round face. Honestly, Daeron hated Roanna, for how bloody perfect and gentle she seemed, even though she was of House Dayne. A powerful House in Dorne, amongst the likes of House Yronwood. "Because she's basically given Maekor all the power over us. That rose has everyone under it's thumb, from the lowly flying Arryn, to the school of fishes of the Tullies, to the pack of wolves of the Starks. But none are most fearsome of them are more fearsome than the Lion is." She smirked. "Besides for the dragons, but that's self explanatory on it's own though."

"I think Maekor was just fookin' lucky to be hitched with a Tryell." Daeron responded darkly. "Especially because they apparently bloody control themselves, the Arryns of whom help to provide most of the food the Kingdom, and the fookin' accessible Riverlands, the heart of the Kingdom, the North of whom field soldiers like the Stormlands and fookin Dorne, the closest towards Lys. To me, it would seem that the Tryells are just real lucky bastards, getting all of those allies before you Lannisters sent out your basically unlimited supply of Lannister woman. I swear, your so family is so impossibly fertile that your like if the rich fertile plains of the Reach somehow became people."

"Ha!" Cersei laughed. "A truer statement had never been more true in my lifetime. But regardless, dear, we're going to get the stags on our side, and they martial the finest troops in the entire Seven Kingdoms, even better than the North."

"And House Martell, if everything goes according to plan." Honestly, he was happy Tywin was sacrificing his two young daughters for this goal - even though he wasn't sacrificing a single one for a marriage goal. His daughters were simply too valuable to allow such a thing to happen, and he recognized the risk of as well; the risk of a needless rebellion based on a powerful candidate claiming blood ties from them via a daughter. It honestly worried Daeron, and wondered if Maekor was enough of an dullard to consider such a risky action. Hopefully not, but one could hope he wouldn't endanger everyone over such a foolhardy plan for one of his precious daughters - like Aerea for example. She was very valuable, given that Rhaegar listened to her amongst all of his other nieces and nephews, given the nature of her dreams - apparently according to Rhaegar the girl could foresee the future with 'dragon dreams' like Daeron the Drunkard and Daenys the Dreamer before her could. If anyone outside the family got connected to such powers via marriage, it could very well end in disaster for everyone in the Kingdom if her husband and his family misused her powers though.

"Oh and the Baratheons - they frolic with the dragons, outside of any of the connections of the four allies." She was sporting a cunning smile on her face. "A lion's natural prey is the stag, but I rather would like to think if that were true, than the Direwolves of House Stark would be pack hunting them as well." But of course, nobody cared to admit that little fact. Or that the Lions of House Lannister could destroy most of the other house's in reality, disincluding the Targaryens from the mix of course. "But I personally think that House Baratheon would be open to an alliance with us honestly, as they need more gold to keep their family members safe and secure on the new territory of Lys afloat anyhow, and your House has much of that much needed gold they so desire anyhow."

"Indeed, we do." Tywin responded. "But... you know whom's on Lys." He referred to Tyrion, that dwarven son of Tywin's. Him being alive and well played mayhem on Cerion's claim, and they had been sure the man had been dead for numerous years since he mysteriously left Casterly Rock.

"Oh so what, he's no threat to Cerion. He's a dwarf, nobody will take him seriously if he attempts such a folly." Daeron responded immediately. "Yes, he might be the elder than Cerion... But didn't you disinherit him though? You should at least give the Lysesians a chance to grow into a proper Lord Paramouncy as they are a new, growing settlement after all, and they might become quite valuable to you in the future if you assist them. It's extremely fertile land they sit on afterall, and the seas surrounding it are full of fish. Honestly, I'd take the risk, even for Cerion's sake." It was a worthy risk, in Daeron's eyes - it had all the potential to be something great and worthy of Tywin's attention, due to it's massive population. Lys was one of the most populous ports in Essos; it had the potential to outdo the Reach in terms of productivity of grain and other foods on it, when the proper modern technology for farming were implemented on the island, anyhow.

"I know, Daeron. I would've preferred he died honestly, because that way this problem wouldn't be a problem to begin with for me nor my half Westerling offspring."

Cersei snorted. "Cerion reminds me of a younger Jaime and I think he's wonderfully adorable for that fact alone" Daeron thought that when Cersei and Jaime were younger, that they looked too similar for their own good." But regardless, I think you'd have bigger problems if Jaime left the King's Guard than the imp coming back and causing mayhem on the Cerion's rightful claim though. And I even doubt Jaime will attempt to leave the King's Guard, as it was." Jaime Lannister was her rather hot-headed twin that did not impress Daeron remotely. He was only but a hot tempered tourney jouster - and that was about it as far as it stood, on how he impressed Daeron, he wasn't particularity a witty, and he lacked a purpose to Daeron beyond being a member of the King's Guard, which disallowed marriages and owning land. He also was useless to Tywin, his own father of whom barely spoke to him after Cerion, his current heir was born from the womb of Helena Lannister. Honestly, nobody would care if Jaime died - but then again, he doubted he would care if Egg died either.