"For the last time, Uncle, I said no. I don't have time for this, and you know it. If you want so badly to see my Queen bedded, bed her if you wish. You are a Targaryen too, after all!"

"How can you say that? Your line must be the one to continue with a child of your blood. Your king's blood must flow inside his veins. That would bring the stability the Seven Kingdoms need. Besides, the support from House Penrose was invaluable during the Rebellion. Lord Robyn will come to court in a few weeks, to visit his daughter. What better news for him than the existence of a prince, a future king and a grandson in her belly? Please, do this for the Kingdoms, for me!"

Aerys studied his uncle. He never saw the man people feared as the Bloodraven so meek, humbly begging.

"No, Uncle. I am not interested."

"Ugh… Listen, if you like men, tell me. I could arrange for you and a man of your choosing to meet with the queen and that man will help you with your… problem."

"Yes… I choose you, Uncle."

Bloodraven was stupefied, but it was the king's word.

"Fine, your Grace. If that is your wish, then…"

Brynden was interrupted by Aerys' laughter. He rarely laughed but this time, he was very amused.

"I was joking. I don't like men. I don't like anything involving, you know, sex."

Brynden was visibly annoyed, not because of the joke, but because of Aerys' attitude towards the idea of consuming his marriage.

"Fine, it seems that I must coerce you."

"Meaning?"

"Your aunt, Lady Shiera, found some old tomes of her mother Serenei, the sorceress from Lys. Imagine how many secrets are hidden inside those pages!"

"Mmm… And in return for them, you want me to bed my wife?"

"Exactly, your Grace! I think the trade is very just."

"You should have become a merchant then, Uncle. Haggling is a trait you clearly possess. But I must refuse you. Your intentions are good but I want to focus more at ruling than loving."

Brynden didn't know what the king meant, as he didn't do much ruling, staying inside his office all the day, reading and drawing. Defeated, Bloodraven agreed that there was no point in trying to persuade Aerys anymore. He then tried other method:

"Your Grace, maybe Queen Aelinor is not to your liking. Maybe you need another! I can explain to Lord Robyn Penrose that his daughter, while a good queen and a respectful wife, did not stir you as a wife should stir a husband and, while I expect immediate backlash, in time he will accept the situation for what it is."

"No! The queen is lovely and I care much for her. I will not spurn her!"

"Then, if you do not wish to spurn her and you do not wish to bed her, what do you want, your Grace?"

"Right now, I want to read about Yi Ti. Grand Maester Wylard had this beautiful map in his office and I decided I should learn more about them. So I took all the man's books about Yi Ti!"

"Of course, your Grace. Sorry for interrupting you."

"Do not worry, Uncle. You should visit me more often. I miss the days when we would discuss the books I used to read."

"Well, in those days, you weren't the King and I wasn't the Hand."

Aerys smiled. Brynden then left the King's chambers and returned to his tower. Shiera awaited him, naked, on the bed, while eating a peach.

"From the look on your face, you failed, Brynden."

"Yes… And you, you should savor that peach you are eating. Who knows when you will taste another, if we do not solve this situation with the smallfolk."

"Let us pray, like Queen Aelinor. Maybe the gods will answer us!"

Shiera started to laugh. Brynden smiled but it was a sad smile. He knew that the realm was in a heap of trouble. Bloodraven strived for peace and for stability, even though people hated him, considering him a bastard and a sorcerer… Well, he was both, but he considered himself to be a good sort of bastard-sorcerer.

"While you were in the Keep talking with Aerys, Wylard came here and handed me this letter for you"

The letter bore the sigil of House Stark, the direwolf.

"Great… Now the wolves too!"

"The Maester was pretty tense, I think it's something serious!"

"I think he was tense seeing you like this. Don't tell me you fucked him too?"

"No… At least, not today!"

"Good…"

Brynden hated the fact that Shiera bedded other people, but he knew he couldn't stop her. She lived for this, she enjoyed this and not a force in the world would stop her from doing it. This was another one of Bloodraven's dilemmas: Shiera fucked too much, Aerys didn't fuck at all.

"So, will you do me tonight or you took the sickness from Aerys?"

"I must read this letter first."

After a few minutes spent reading the letter, Brynden's face suddenly lightened up.

"It seems that fate smiles upon us. Lord Stark requests that his youngest daughter, Wylla, to be accepted as a lady-in-waiting for Queen Aelinor. If we accept, she is to arrive at court in a month time!"

"Well, well… I heard about Wylla Stark. She is the favorite daughter of Lord Beric and the singers praise her as the Fairest Maid in the North."

"Then… we could plant her in Aerys' life and maybe, just maybe…"

"Maybe he will ditch Aelinor and take Wylla as his wife."

"I have a plan. Tomorrow, I will call a Small Council meeting. We can kill two birds with one stone!"