Second Month of 277 A.L. King's Landing
Lord Tywin Lannister
Another day at court, another day watching as the lords and ladies flittered about talking about this and that, trying their hardest to win the favours of the members of the small council and perhaps even the Prince himself. There were a few members of the King's court that Tywin actually enjoyed the company of, the king's own cousin and the master of ships Lord Steffon Baratheon was one of them, the man was smart and capable and extremely devoted to the King. They had often spent many a hour talking about various things their children and their homes and their hopes for the future, yes Lord Steffon was a good man. Another noble at court that Lord Tywin found he enjoyed the company of was Lord Edmond Rykker, House Rykker had been given Duskendale after the Darklyns had been wiped out following the defiance and as such Lord Edmond was a very cunning man, cold and calculating, Tywin found him to be a very useful ally to have in council and at court. The rest of the nobles at court were according to Tywin very empty headed and had no real sense to their mutterings.
And yet it seemed that the King in his growing state of wariness preferred it that way. Often, Aerys had been heard to mutter about traitors and treasons going on in the court, and in fact one such case had actually been proven true, when Ser Aemon Rosby had been found guilty of plotting to remove the king, Tywin had had the man executed and had had his sons taken as wards. That had made the king only more paranoid and worried over his safety, and it had fallen to Tywin to ensure that the King was reassured that there was no one trying to plot against him and that he had no cause for concern. He had all reports that might trouble the king filtered out to only include the good details and he had the tongue removed from anyone who might say otherwise. He also made sure to send the Queen and Prince Viserys away to Dragonstone as much as possible so that they would not suffer from the King's rages, something Aerys in his moments of peace appreciated a great deal. As for Prince Rhaegar, the man remained in his books and yet had started attending council sessions. Today was one such session he attended. Tywin looked across the table and saw the Prince, Lord Commander Ser Gerold Hightower, Grand Maester Pycelle, Master of Ships Lord Steffon Baratheon, Master of Coin Lord Gyles Rosby, Master of Laws Lord Edmond Rykker, the new master of whispers Lord Varys.
Prince Rhaegar spoke up then. "My lords, thank you all for coming. There is much for us to discuss. Word has reached me that there might be an opening for some new trade deals with Myr and Pentos that could be used to bring greater amounts of coin into the treasury. I would discuss this first. Lord Gyles if you would."
Lord Gyles coughed and then spoke. "Thank you, Your Grace. Well as it stands the offers for increased trade in commerce and copper with Pentos would bring us in some 500,000 dragons and would also mean that we would have a monopoly on such exports into the narrow sea. The trade with Myr, would include exchanging wood, steel and other metals for Myrish Glass something that has become quite popular with the lords of Westeros. The Myrish would be willing to give us full rights to be the ones to sell their wares in Westeros thus giving us control over the price and the amount we sell."
Tywin spoke then. "And what rates would they give us for this?"
Rosby looked down at his notes and said. "Some 300,000 dragons for the first batch and from there it is up to us what price we set for the amount and the selling rate."
Tywin nodded and then looked at Prince Rhaegar. "I believe that both options could be very profitable and could be of great use to the throne Your Grace."
Prince Rhaegar nodded. "Yes, I do believe the throne and the kingdom could benefit from such a deal. Lord Rosby I want you to write to them and tell them that we accept their offer, for both Myr and Pentos. And I would have us begin implementing these deals as soon as possible." Rosby nodded and then the prince turned to Grand Maester Pycelle and asked him. "Now maester, before this meeting began you had said that there had been word from my great uncle on the Stepstones? I would hear what he has to say."
Tywin's ears perked up at that. Prince Aemon, the third and youngest son of King Aegon the unlikely, had been wild and brash in his youth and had been a great warrior, Tywin had even squired for him in his youth. But something had happened at Summerhall that had changed the Prince, turning him into a shy and retiring man, he had retreated to the Stepstones with his wife and his son and had not ventured from there since. Tywin missed his mentor sometimes. Grand Maester Pycelle looked at the letter and then said. "Prince Aemon writes that there have been increased sightings of pirates on the coast of the stones, and that some time ago he and his own men got into a great fight with a pirate naming himself the Storm. Prince Aemon writes that this pirate claims to have been working under the orders of Lord Balon Greyjoy."
"And why would Balon Greyjoy want to cause trouble now? The Ironborn might be stupid as sin sometimes, but they are not this stupid." Lord Steffon said. "Balon Greyjoy knows that he cannot hope to achieve anything of note, not now that the Kingdoms are strong in their allegiances than they have ever been before."
Pycelle spoke up again. "Prince Aemon writes that the man he questioned said that Greyjoy simply wanted to cause chaos, he wanted nothing more. He simply wanted chaos for chaos' sake."
Prince Rhaegar spoke then. "Perhaps we might need to send word to Pyke then? And tell them that such attempts at destabilizing the realm shall not be tolerated whatsoever."
At the prince's words Tywin had a flashback at the time when his father had suggested something similar when Quellon Greyjoy had gone about raiding the Westerlands. He spoke up then. "That won't work Your Grace. The Ironborn are too illiterate to understand a threat when it is written in words, they only understand one when it is writ in blood. But of course we cannot disrupt the peace now, not unless Balon Greyjoy does so first, and I do not think he is such a great fool to do something like that."
"Then what do you suggest we do my lord hand?" the prince asked.
"We wait for Greyjoy to make the next move. If he does intend to make war, he will do so soon, if he does not then this shall all pass by and he will be chastened." Tywin replied.
The prince nods and then turns towards the master of whispers. "Well Lord Varys, you have been quite quiet today. What news do you have for the council? What have your little birds been telling you?"
Lord Varys a eunuch from Lys, was silent for a long moment and then said simply. "They have been quiet as of late, but they do report that Balon Greyjoy has been allowing the priests of the drowned god to spread their word on the Old Way a lot more than his father did. Of course that could mean everything or nothing. And then there is the fact that there are talks going on between Winterfell and Highgarden, for a betrothal between Brandon Stark and Janna Tyrell."
At that there was a lot of murmuring and then Prince Rhaegar spoke. "What of it? So Lord Rickard Stark and Lord Mace Tyrell are planning a betrothal, it is not that out of the ordinary, after all Lord Brandon is but a few years younger than I. Sometime or another he will have to marry and why not to the Tyrells? I make nothing of it. Now is there any other whisperings that you feel need to be discussed?"
Lord Varys shook his head and so the Prince called an end to the council meeting. Shortly after though, Tywin was in the tower of the hand with Prince Rhaegar and Grand Maester Pycelle. Outside were Ser Arthur Dayne and Ser Oswell Whent of the Kingsguard. "There is something Varys is not telling us about this betrothal and about Balon Greyjoy and it is making my skin itch thinking what it could be." The prince said.
"You think the man is trying to deliberately hide information from the crown?" Tywin asks. "To what end though? Varys owes his standing in court and in Westeros to your father and yourself Your Grace."
The prince sighs and says. "I know not Lord Tywin I know not. All I know is that all is not what it seems with regards to the eunuch. He claims to be from Lys, but all of our contacts there report that they have never heard of him before. And this letter from uncle Aemon makes me even more concerned."
"Your father cannot know that Prince Aemon wrote. It will send him into a fury that few have seen before." Tywin said.
Rhaegar nods and then says. "As for this betrothal, it could be useful for you my lord."
Tywin nods and says. "I shall begin making overtures towards Lord Rickard about wedding his daughter to my son and we can move from there."
The Prince nods and then departs. Once he is gone, Tywin turns to Pycelle and says. "Make sure that neither of the prince nor the king know the true extent of the alliance that will be formed."
Pycelle nods and then asks. "Will you push for Lady Cersei to be Prince Rhaegar's queen?"
Tywin is silent a moment and then says. "We shall see, we shall see."