CHAPTER V.- The Queen of Thorns
AUTHORS NOTE: The pieces in the Game begin moving and a key player is on her way to Dragonstone. Thanks for the reviews! P.S.- I OWN NOTHING (DISCLAIMER)
Lady Olenna Redwyne Tyrell put down the letter she had just recieved from the Queen, the real one not the Lannister woman. Her old charges, Queen Rhaella and Princess Rhaena Targaryen, were requesting her presence at Dragonstone. They wanted the alliance of the Reach, that much was obvious, and knew she held the keys to the kingdom so to speak. Of course she had already heard of both the Queen and Lyanna Starks' survival. Hearing of the state of things in Rhaella's own words had placed some things in perspective for Olenna. However regardless of her own personal sympathies, Lady Tyrell needs must put the good of her family above all else. Hence the reason she put all personal feelings aside for the use of cold hard logic and opportunism.
The Reach and the Tyrell's were long-time supporters of the Targaryens. They aided Aerys throughout the Rebellion; even if she ensured it was nothing of true substance as long as they were forced to support the lunatic on the throne. Robert Baratheon was an absolute oaf of man, however he held the support of the North, the Vale, the Riverlands, and of course the Stormlands. Such an alliance had rarely been seen in Westerosi history. Then Eddard Stark had suddenly withdrawn from the alliance. That however had been more than balanced out when Tywin Lannister brought the Westerlands to the Usurper's banner. The state of things became more complex when word from the capitol began to trickle out of the Lannister atrocities during the sack. Both Robert Baratheon and the Lannisters were now viewed with a certain level of disgust by a great deal of both the nobility and the smallfolk. That Hoster Tully used the marriage of his daughter Catelyn to Ned Stark as an excuse for pulling out of the alliance was very telling in and of itself. That he then gave over total control of the forces of the Riverlands to his good-son even more so. Then all anyone, even her with all of her well-placed ears, heard from Jon Arryn was silence. She knew there was a good deal of unrest within the ranks of the Valemen. Eddard Stark and the Starks in general were very well liked within the Vale. While some of them may have liked Robert Baratheon, a great deal more both liked and respected Ned Stark. The very idea that they may be asked to raise their arms against him and his did not sit well with many of them at all. This more than anything else is what brought Olenna to her current thoughts. The neutrality of the Vale changed things. It placed the Reach in the potentially profitable position of kingmaker. Plainly put, whoever Olenna chose would be king. That was a position Olenna rather liked.
If the Reach supported Robert Baratheon they did not truly gain much at all. Robert never liked them, Stannis even less so. They would always be traitors to them. Alliance with the Baratheons would also be unpopular with their own people; the majority of which held rather strong Targaryen sympathies. The fact that he had also just married Cercei Lannister was something else to consider. There would be no chance of a marital alliance to gain stronger ties to the throne any time soon. Then there was the Lion Embassy she had been forced to endure the past few days. Tywin Lannister had sent his faithful brother Ser Kevan for a series of supposedly informal talks with the Reach by means of her influence. By the end of it the Lannisters had actually thought to threaten her and the House of Tyrell. It was subtle, but there was no mistaking the threat of "the Rains of Castamere" happening to House Tyrell if they dared give any real support to the "Stark Bastard Child." They truly had no idea of just what she was prepared to do to anyone whom dared threaten her family. The Usurper's brain must be somehow affecting old Tywin if he thought or was desperate enough to think that could possibly force her to do anything.
Alliance with the Targaryens was a vastly different proposition. Regardless of whether or not the Faith liked it; there was no law prohibiting the royal family from taking two wives. Whilst frowned upon, it had occurred numerous times in the past. Just not recently. That Rhaella herself had witnessed the marriage put any questions of legitimacy to rest. Therefore by all the laws of men, the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark was the rightful and legal king from the moment of his birth. Young King Jaehaegar held the full support of the North and the Riverlands- even more so now that houses such as Darry and Whent could support both their leige lord and their king too. Large parts of the Crownlands would also answer a call from Queen Rhaella in the name of the young king. Their hold on Renly Baratheon as the new lord of Storm's End would sway some of the stormlords. The Targaryen hold over the seas was also something to take into consideration. Robert Baratheon held no real navy of any consequence whatsoever. The only claim to any maritime power he held was Tywin Lannister's fleet at Lannisport- a rather large part of which had been hurriedly sailed into the Blackwater for Kings Landing's defence after the sack. The Targaryen fleet on the other hand was still wholly intact. Not only had they saved the fleet from the great storm that occured, but Queen Rhaella had been more than a little cunning when she fled the city. Apparently a large portion of the Royal Fleet that was usually kept at Kings Landing had been part of the Queens' "escort" to Dragonstone. It simply never went back. Olenna had yet to confirm this, but her spies in the Red Keep also informed her that the Queen took almost the entirety of the royal treasury with her as well. How she managed this Olenna knew not, but if proven true the Targaryens held another advantage. She knew for a fact that the coffers of Aerys had been overflowing at the start of the rebellion. Another quirk of his insanity was the way he hoarded wealth. Also, hardly any of it had been spent.
Their allies at sea were also formidable. The Targaryens held the absolute allegiance of the Driftmark. The Velaryon Fleet was nearly on par with the Redwyne Fleet and could be used to make trading in the Narrow Sea difficult at best. Whlist not as large as the others, the Northern Fleet had also grown considerably during the years of Rhaena Targaryen's time as Lady of the North. Rickard Stark had used his wife's excellent mind and contacts to expand Winterfell and the North's trading in a manifold of ways. It had been because of that that the Starks and the North had grown a fleet of their own independent of the small fleet kept by the Manderly's at White Harbour. The "Wolf Fleet" as it was called had been summoned by Princess Rhaena to the south when she left for Dorne and had eventually sailed to Dragonstone as well. Also, when the Royal Fleet from Gulltown finally sailed back to the south and reconnected with the rest of the navy, the Targaryens commanded overwhelmingly the largest naval force on the continent by a large margin. If that were to be joined by the Redwyne Fleet no coastal land would be safe. All those advantages combined with Tywins' threats virtually made the decision rather easy for her.
Barely a moon's turn later found the Lady Olenna Tyrell, her good-daughter Alerie Hightower-Tyrell, and her youngest two grandchildren Loras and Margaery sailing to Dragonstone to treat with the Queen Regent Rhaella. Mace had of course sent his mother to conduct the negotiations with the Targaryens to recieve the best possible terms and achieve their goals (when she got around to telling him what those goals should be in any case). Also along for the journey as the representative of the Reacher forces was Randyll Tarly of Horn Hill- the only man to defeat Robert Baratheon in the field at the battle of Ashford. Mace had wanted to go himself, something she was strenuously opposed to. She did not want the she-dragons to devour him whole metaphorically speaking. Randyll was also very well respected for his military prowess by nearly all of the inhabitants of Dragonstone.
Truthfully, their goals for this alliance were rather simple. In return for the full support of the Reach against the Usurper and his allies, Mace Tyrell would betroth his daughter Margaery to the infant king along with one of his people on the Small Council. Im most other areas their interests were already aligned. That was one reason the Usurper was already so unpopular in the Reach. They had nothing to gain from the stag and everything to lose. As the Lady Olenna was led in to the throne room of Dragonstone she eyed the dragons. There on the Dragon Throne sat one of the two women in the room she had a hand in raising. Queen Regent Rhaella Targaryen sat comfortably enthroned in a beautiful black and red gown holding a young child of perhaps six moons old. The child had a dimpled smile and was making faces at the Queen. Given his little black and red outfit Olenna deduced this must be the infant king. She had to admit, he was a beautiful child, darker ash blonde curls and deep grey eyes with flecks of violet. He looked to be a perfect blending of Rhaegar and Lyanna. The perfect mixture of fire and ice. She was one of the few who knew just what that might entail. Next to her sat two smaller thrones. On the left was her sister the Princess Rhaena, Dowager Lady of Winterfell and the North. She looked just as perfectly put together as she always did wearing a similar gown to her sister the Queen. In her lap she held a young child that had seen at least one name day and several moons. This must be the young daughter she wrote about. The child looked like a miniature version of her mother except for the eyes. On the Queen's right sat the Princess Lyanna- a girl the whole realm had bled for. Not that Olenna blamed her. The Seven Hells would freeze over before she would have let herself be wedded and bedded by Robert Baratheon. She would admit that she was beautiful with her long dark ringlets and sensuous figure. She held a child that appeared to be the same age as her son, Princess Daenerys if she had to guess. The baby bore a remarkable resemblense to her mother. Good, that would serve the girl well in the future. After introductions were all out of the way they moved to a more comfortable solar with a group that now was only comprised of Queen Rhaella, Princesses Rhaena and Lyanna, Ser Willam Darry, the Lord Commander Ser Gerold Hightower, herself, and Randyll Tarly.
The dragons were obviously being led by the Queen Regent and Princess Rhaena, as was to be expected. Apparently they thought the same of her as Rhaella turned towards her immediately after sitting down. "Lady Tyrell, our two families have been allied since the Field of Fire. We would like to guarantee the continued good will of our houses. What must the crown do to ensure the unconditional support of the Reach. Let us speak plainly and have done with it. We both know each other's strength's and weakness's." said the Queen.
"Your Grace is no doubt already aware, but the Reach and the Tyrell's stand to gain virtually nothing by supporting the Usurper and the Lannisters. We already possess great wealth as well as the Wardenship of the South. We are a threat to the Lannisters in terms of men and gold alone. I am well aware that should they seat the throne they would eventually seek to see us bowing low. They have already threatened my family. For that alone I will never bow. For good or ill, we are already tied together. Let us be one and the same. I offer my grand-daughter Margaery to wed the King. Tie the Rose of Highgarden to the Young Dragon and come what may, Mace shall force the full might of the Reach and our every resource to ensure his daughter and good-son's future." Lady Olenna stated.
Before the Queen could reply Lord Tarly interjected this time towards the Princess Rhaena. "Another measure to ensure the motivation of the other Reacher lords and bind them towards the alliance as well would be trade. Princess Rhaena, during your tenure as Lady of Winterfell you brought the Northern trade south for the first time in centuries. The North has immense amounts of natural resources that have yet to be truly tapped. The southern kingdoms and the Free-Cities especially have need of large quantities of Northern product. I would suggest a strong economic alliance with House Stark and the Reach. The Starks have need of a larger port than White Harbour can provide. Also, if a new port were to be built on the western coast of the North as close to the Neck as possible the Reach would easily be able to help and aid in the construction of a new "Wolf Fleet" for the western coast. With both sides of the North truly open to commerce they would be able to fully export massive amounts of raw materials. Now my princess, this is where you would truly be able to ensure the true and total support of the Reacher lords. Whilst it is true that we of the Reach are known as the heart of chivalry and are motivated by that which is honourable, we are also motivated by trade and gold. If you can guarantee the Reach the right to trade and export Northern materials to the other kingdoms and especially trade with Essos my fellow lords of the Reach have the potential to bring vast amounts of gold to both the North and the Reach. Together we can combine our kingdoms financial futures with the prospects of massive returns for the both of us. Present this to my fellow Reacher lords and you will see just what the true capabilities of my people are."
This pronouncement by Randyll Tarly was met by total silence as they all tried to absorb the financial plan they had just heard. Lady Olenna was massively impressed by the plans of the lord of Horn Hill. If she had ever thought the man nothing more than a mere military commander of some brilliance, his actions today certainly corrected her. Judging by the near blinding smile that was gracing Princess Rhaena's face, she would reckon he had certainly made a favourable impression on her. Rhaena's next words confirmed this; "My Lord if you can work with the captain of my fleet and present this as a workable plan you shall have our full support. I can easily see the vast amount of benefits towards the both of our peoples. I've spent the last twenty years trying to expand our commerce, but this is beyond anything I ever thought to attempt. Draw up your plans and I guarantee the North's support."
"My Queen, My Princesses, give your grandson and son the Rose of Highgarden to wife and let us bring a new era to Westeros. We of the Reach shall be your pillar to lean on as you lay new foundations to shore up the only dynasty that can lead Westeros. We will be your shield in the South as the Direwolves are in the North to allow the young dragons time to grow unimpeaded." Lord Tarly's words rang with an absolute certainty of his convictions. Rhaella knew which path she must needs follow, but first she needed a moment with the other queen in the room.
"Lady Olenna, would you mind speaking with me privately for a moment?" Queen Rhaella asked of the Queen of Thorns. Olenna quirked an eyebrow, but followed the Queen into an ante-chamber nonetheless. When situated Rhaella began, "Now my lady, I have no problem with betrothing my grandson to your grand daughter as I can easily see the many benefits it would bring to the both of them."
"But you forsee an issue, do you not My Queen?" interjected Olenna.
"Yes my lady, you will remember I have been gifted or cursed some would say with a small measure of the foresight of my ancestors. It is sporadic at best and many times make no sense to me. Some appear to me as totally inconsequential and many things I would consider of great import, such as the Sack of Kings Landing, I see nothing at all. However you know of the old prophecy of 'The Prince That Was Promised.' The dragon must have three heads. I am convinced Jon, King Jaehaegar, is the Prince. I also know my daughter is one of the heads. Normally, I wouldn't consider this as being any impediment to your grand daughter and the King; but i clearly see them together. I see the love they have for one another. I would not rob them of that chance."
"My Queen if we approach this correctly, there is no reason we cannot reach a favorable end. Prince Rhaegar had two wives. The Faith never got the chance to protest, however our combined 'persuasion' should be enough to silence any opposition. Betroth your daughter to the King now or later; I shall support you in this. Let the three children grow up close to one another. Let them be raised closely to be each other's support instead of rivals. Let the people come to know and love their King and the two Dragon Queens. They shall all have my own support and tutelage." said the Queen of Thorns.
They rejoined the others and announced their accord, though they spoke not of the agreement for two queens. Princess Rhaena's maester had written down all the details of the treaties and all parties had placed their signatures on the parchments. The deal had been brokered and signed. The Lady Margaery of House Tyrell would be Queen of the Seven Kingdoms and wife to King Jaehaegar I Targaryen. Unknown to most was of the betrothal of the Princess Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen to King Jaehaegar. The next morning the Queen of Thorns brought a bombshell of shock to the assembled royals and nobles. She recieved a raven in the night from her men waiting outside of Kings Landing: Ser Jaime Lannister and Ser Barristan Selmy of the Kingsguard had escaped the capitol and were coming to swear fealty to their new king. They brought one other with them. Ser Jaime Lannister, having saved the life of the Princess Rhaenys and hidden her from the Usurpers grasp, was bringing her to her family. In mere days the King's sister would be brought home safe and alive. Another dragon lived still. Perhaps now Dorne would rouse from their sands.