7th Month of 282 A.C. King's Landing

Grand Maester Pycelle

It was a worrying thing having Brandon Stark and his companions in King's Landing. They were part of the Order that was not subject to Lord Tywin's control or Prince Rhaegar's control for that matter. Stark had something of his father in him, that relentless determination to find out what was going on within King's Landing, had come close to undoing some of Pycelle's schemes, but luckily the eunuch for one reason or another seemed content to prevent the man from getting closer toward anything as well. It was the one thing that they both could agree on, better for Stark to remain in the dark, than for him to discover their plans and plots. Pycelle looks at the members of the small council, looks at Merryweather and hides a laugh, the man is not worth the office he bears, nowhere near worth it. And yet for the time being he serves a particular purpose and for that Pycelle will bear him.

Merryweather speaks then. "What word has there been on the search for Prince Rhaegar? Has there been any sighting of him?"

The eunuch speaks then his voice soft. "It would seem not my lord hand. My little birds have tried desperately hard to find where he might have gone, and yet the last that he is seen is near Harrenhal. There is nothing of him from then onwards."

Pycelle does not know why but he has the sneaking feeling that there is something the eunuch is hiding, deliberately. Merryweather looks at the eunuch then and asks. "And what was the Prince doing at Harrenhal?"

Pycelle resists the urge to roll his eyes, Merryweather truly is a fool. "I believe he was meeting with Lord Whent my lord hand. They were meeting to discuss something or the other. It is not completely clear what it was they were meeting to discuss, but whatever it was, it was important enough for both Ser Arthur and Ser Oswell to come with the Prince."

Pycelle hides the nerves he feels about this, he knows somewhat, what the Prince was meeting with Lord Whent about, for Lord Tywin had instructed him to provide the prince with as much assistance as could be provided. He is still not sure on that matter, for what the prince was hoping to achieve, goes against that which Pycelle is supposed to stand for. Merryweather seems confused by this. "Why would Ser Oswell accompany the prince? Ser Arthur I can understand, but Ser Oswell? It does not make sense."

Pycelle speaks then. "Perhaps Ser Oswell was visiting his brother, after all it had been sometime since the two had met personally. It might have been nothing more than a harmless visit."

The eunuch looks at him and titters. "Oh, you do wish to believe the best of the Kingsguard knights do you not Grand Maester? Has it not yet crossed your mind that perhaps the knight was there for less personable reasons?"

Pycelle stares at the eunuch trying to work out what angle the man is going from here. When he realises that he cannot, he merely smiles and responds. "Is it wrong to expect the knight of the Kingsguard would merely be doing his duty?"

Before the eunuch can respond, Merryweather is speaking. "Pycelle is right. I do think that we are wrong to question the motive behind Ser Oswell's visit to Harrenhal. Now, there is another pressing matter as well. What word has come from the riverlands regarding House Frey?"

Pycelle looks at the hand of the king, and then looks at the letters before him. He takes a breath and then says. "It would seem that those that remain from House Frey are trying desperately to repair their castle, though they are short of resources, and good will from their fellow lords. Lord Mallister it appears is making moves to gain more land for himself, as is Lord Hoster. And it seems, House Frey is left without any allies of note within the riverlands."

"And what of those who they are tied to through marriage? What are those houses doing about House Frey's plight?" Lord Merryweather asks.

Pycelle looks at the man and responds. "They are doing what they can to ensure that House Frey is being provided for. Though they are limited on the orders of their lord paramounts. It seems that there is a push from within the Lord paramounts to limit aid to House Frey, for reasons known only to themselves."

The hand of the king is silent a moment, and then asks. "What of Lord Rickard? Has the man responded to the summons? He committed a gross act by slaughtering most of House Frey."

At this Pycelle shifts slightly. "There has been no response so far from Lord Rickard. It would seem that the man has disappeared, either that or he is on the run. He has enemies within the Riverlands that might well wish to see him harmed."

The eunuch speaks then. "Now would that be such a shame? We all know that Lord Rickard has been doing something against His Grace the king. It would not be such a loss if the man were to suffer for his hubris."

Lord Lucerys Velaryon speaks then. "The man controls one of the largest kingdoms within the realm. If he is dead, then his son is Lord of Winterfell, and we all know what Brandon Stark is like. It will not do us good to have him in power."

The hand nods. "I agree, we must find out where Rickard Stark has gone, and what is to be done with Brandon Stark. Pycelle, what has the king said on that matter?"

Pycelle takes a moment to consider the question, and then responds. "He believes Stark is a threat to the balance within the kingdom and the city. Furthermore, he believes that the time has come for Jon Arryn to answer for some crimes that he has long been suspected of."

The hand of the king is silent a moment, his face puffing up in a sense of thought. And then the man says. "And has the king given express orders to this level?"

"Yes my lord hand, he has. He spoke with me last night, and ordered the ravens to be sent with much haste. He does not want anything to be delayed." Pycelle responds calmly.

A long silence follows this and then the hand says. "Very well, send the raven off today itself." a pause and then. "Now Lord Staunton what word have you had from the city watch regarding those who tried to leave the city?"

Lord Symond Staunton a man who is so far up to kissing the king's behind, that he might well be afflicted with the kissing disease, takes a moment to think before speaking. "It would seem that those who tried to leave the city without the king's permission were doing so for one reason, and one reason alone. That is reason being that they wished to get out before the fire started. For some reason they were convinced that a fire was going to be started and they were not sure why exactly, though the pyromancers guild might have had something to do with it."

"The pyromancers guild? Why would they be involved in something such as that? They are under the king's sole command, and the king has not given any such orders, as far as I can tell." Merryweather responds, his voice sounding worried.

Pycelle speaks then. "It is known that these people who fled were not in their right minds. It is very possible that they were indeed fleeing for one reason or another, and thought to merely blame it on the pyromancers."

"So you think there is no reason to count on their words?" Merryweather asks.

"None at all." Pycelle responds. "I would merely dismiss it as the testimony of those who are not in their right mind and needing to be taught a severe lesson."

Merryweather considers this and then nods. "Very well, if there is nothing else that needs to be discussed then the council is adjourned." he stands then, as does Pycelle and the other members of the small council. Merryweather walks out of the room first, followed closely by Pycelle, and as Pycelle watches Merryweather walk toward his own chambers, he sees the man drink the potion that Pycelle had given him, the potion laced with the bidding juice that makes the man little more than his slave. Merryweather walks on, and Pycelle turns toward the rookery, the three letters in his pockets, he smiles then, knowing that soon enough the Starks will fall, his lady's revenge will be complete, and his lord's ascension can begin.

As he walks toward the rookery, he wonders at his lady's revenge, he does not quite yet understand her deep needed desire to see the Starks fall, and yet from what he has been able to gather, she suffered a grievous insult at the hands of Lord Rickard and perhaps even his father many years ago, and has never quite recovered from that. One thing, he knows for sure, is that he is damned near glad that he is not the subject of her anger, for he is quite sure that he would not be able to survive it. He is good, has had nigh on thirty years to become good at this game, but she, she seems to be possessed of something almost entirely different. Pycelle does not think it would be too much of a stretch to imagine that she could be better than even Lord Tywin at this game.

He comes to the Rookery steps, tired and old, knowing that what happens within the next few moments might well decide the fate of Westeros in its entirety, he is not sure how he feels about that, but he does know that things must improve under his prince and his lord. Aerys has given into the madness that was always lurking beyond the shadows, even before Pycelle gave him the juice of Meraxes, the king was slipping into madness, and the time of destruction was coming. Pycelle hopes that by doing the things that he is doing, he can prevent this. For he knows only bad can come from the time of destruction, for all of them. Stark did not realise that, of course he did not, so caught up in his own dreams of glory, how could he?

The son seems to be much the same, if what Pycelle's spies have been telling him. Ruthless determination, that is one thing that these Starks seem to share, and it will be that which will get them killed. Pycelle laughs at the thought, his breath coming out rather short, he is not as young as he used to be, and the steps toward the Rookery are not good on his health. As he walks up toward the top, where the ravens are, he thinks on what he knows of Jon Arryn. The man has a very suspicious past, something about the man makes even Pycelle's father seem normal, and that is saying something. Raised during a dark time for House Arryn, when it seemed they would lose almost everything to the dragons, it seems the man has done almost anything to preserve his power. Pycelle can commend him for that, and yet there is something about him that is nagging Pycelle at the back of his mind. He is not sure what, but there is something there, that makes him wonder.

Finally at the top of the stairs, Pycelle takes a moment to breathe and then he pulls out the letter for the Vale, attaching it to the raven meant for the Eyrie, he then allows the bird to fly, watching it go with something akin to pleasure filling him. He takes the second letter out then, and attaches it to a raven and watches it fly, and then the third, well the third he keeps in the place where he knows it will only be found by the person it is meant for. That done, he takes a breath and then walks back down the stairs, he looks around and sees no one in sight, sighing with relief he continues walking, and just as he is about to walk toward Maegor's Holdfast he hears a voice. Turning he sees Brandon Stark approaching him with members of the order. "Maester Pycelle, you are under arrest for treason."