Lord Lyman Beesbury
As Lord Lyman Beesbury, Lord of Honeyholt and master of coin on the small council for King Aemon Targaryen first of his name, waited for said king to arrive in the small council chamber, he could not help but think over the King and his family. Lyman had been named to the small council of the king's father Jaehaerys, when he was twenty four, the king had told him in the years following his appointment that his proficiency with numbers had been what had won him the old king's attention. King Aemon was a very dignified man, he was but four years younger than Lyman himself, and as such carried himself with much dignity and strength. There was steel in the king that Lyman thought had not been there in his father, steel that came from being a warrior first and foremost and a politician second. The king's eldest child Princess Rhaenys was also like that, Lyman had seen her grow up from a quiet and shy little girl into the fierce warrior princess who brought back memories of Queen Visenya for those old enough to remember her. Both father and daughter were so alike in some ways that Lyman was surprised that they did not argue on more matters. He respected them both greatly, and he suspected that they would continue the golden age that the old king had left them. The king's son and heir though was another matter, Prince Aemon the younger was a man who worried Lyman considerably, as it was he and not his sister who was the King's heir. The Prince of Dragonstone was a smart man and a decent warrior of that all agreed, and yet there was a side to him that very few had seen, where in public he appeared decisive and concise, in private Lyman knew that the prince was actually riddled by doubts and insecurities, and that these things made him quite indecisive and anxious not exactly the qualities one wanted in the future king. That the Prince relied so heavily on his wife Princess Rhaenys, made Lyman concerned over what would happen should something happen to the Princess.
As to the other branch of House Targaryen that resided within King's Landing, Lyman thought slightly less of. Prince Viserys the eldest born son of the now deceased Prince Baelon, whilst a capable hand and a smart man, seemed to be somewhat immature, in that he still had that childish desire to please people and often be swayed by the opinions of those who were either trying to sneak something past him or were using his love of his wife to make him feel guilty about something or the other. The Prince was married to his cousin Aemma Arryn, a lady who was very dignified and everything a princess of the blood should be, and it was clear that the hand loved her very much, as such this was occasionally used against him by both the king and other nobles around court to get him to do their bidding, something that no true Targaryen would allow, even if it were the king asking him. The Prince and Princess had one daughter, a girl named Rhaenrya who was a darling though she was quite spoiled. As to the second of Prince Baelon's sons there was Prince Daemon, a rogue and a cut throat. A man who knew no law but his own, the Prince had done much and more to earn a very formidable reputation during the reign of his grandfather, and it seemed he was intent on doing the same during the reign of his uncle. But where his grandfather had been at a loss with what to do with him, King Aemon had decided that Prince Daemon's energies would be better served keeping order and peace within King's Landing, and so had named him Commander of the City Watch. A role it seemed that the Prince was greatly suited for, if the reports of increased peace and law and order and reduced corruption within the rank and file of the gold cloaks was anything to go by.
Lyman's musings then turned to his fellow council members. The Hand Prince Viserys was clearly a capable man though there were times when Lyman wished the king had named someone else to the handship. Then there was the master of ships, Lord Corlys Velaryon an old man like the king and Lyman himself, the man knew the seas just as well as he knew his own castle and lands, and the king's own sister and his wife Saera, a loyal man and steadfast. The master of laws, Boremund Baratheon was a man Lyman liked little but appreciated a lot, for the man was steadfast behind the king and the Princess and always, always found ways in which to make the lives of the king and council easier. Lord Larys Strong, the master of whispers, was a young man who was very, very ambitious, though he said little; Lyman knew his type and often wondered what the man kept hidden behind that smile of his. Then there were two members of the old guard that Lyman knew and trusted, Grand Maester Runciter who had served as grand maester for roughly thirty years now, was a man who always put the interests of the realm before personal gain or what the king thought might be for the best. The Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Ser Ryam Redwyne, was a brilliant knight though his political mind was lacking, he was loyal to a fault. Most certainly a man to have in a crisis, something that might very well be coming. Lyman's musings were stopped when the door to the small council chamber opened and the king and his two children walked in, all the members of the council got up and waited for the king and the Prince and Princess to be seated before they sat down. The king looked quite tired and still he spoke with a firm and deep voice. "Thank you all for coming today. I know we are all quite busy, but I would hear what has been happening in my realm since last we met. Lord Lyman if we could begin with the dealings with the Iron Bank and the realm's finances that would be best."
Lord Lyman nodded and looked at the figures before him and spoke softly. "Well Your Grace, the realm is still within the positive light with regards to our finances. The last loan we took out from the Iron Bank was some twenty years ago, when his grace King Jaehaerys needed to rebuild the Sept atop Rhaenys Hill. Since then our coffers have only continued to swell."
The king smiled clearly happy with the news and then he asked a question Lyman had not been expecting. "That is good news indeed. But I must ask, will the Iron Bank be willing to grant us a loan, now that we have not needed to use their lending service for the better part of two decades? After all they do like to keep roping in custom, and we have been lax in that regard."
Lyman was silent for a moment before he replied. "I am sure they would Your Grace. After all, the Iron Throne does have a good solid base and relationship with the Iron Bank, even if we have not had to use their most profitable service for a long time. If I might be so bold as to ask, what is it that Your Grace is planning that requires a loan from the bank?"
The king smiled and simply said. "All in good time my lord, all in good time. Simply send out feelers for the time being and let me know what the bank reply back with, and we shall take it from there." Lyman nodded his curiosity raised, but the king had moved onto another topic. "Lord Boremund, what news do you have for me? Is my nephew keeping order within our streets and what more news from the Night's Watch?"
Lord Boremund was silent for a long moment and then he said. "Aye, Prince Daemon has ensured that the gold cloaks have shaped up. Crime has dropped within the city by half from what it was from the beginning of the year Your Grace. Overall in the kingdoms, the crime rate has dropped from what it was just before King Jaehaerys died, and that in itself was very low. And so we are now seeing a lot more trade and commerce within the kingdoms, which means that there is less chance for people to resort to stealing and beggary. Though I have instructed all lords and nobles to keep an eye out for any trouble makers. As to news from the Night's Watch there has been none Your Grace."
The king nodded and then turned to Lord Larys and asked. "Now my lord, what news do you have for me from the parts of my kingdom that were causing trouble?"
Lord Larys was silent for a long moment before he eventually spoke. "Well, there has been a great deal of activity from the north. It appears as though Benjen Stark has finally listened to what his lords Bolton and Umber have been telling him, and he has begun refortifying Moat Cailin, slowly but surely he is doing it. He is trying to make it look discreet but my sources in the north tell me that it has become quite obvious to those souths of the Barrowlands what he is doing. There is mixed support for the action, some feel he is taking things too far others think he is not taking them far enough."
Lyman saw the king nod, though his fist was clenched. "What more news do you have for me?" The king asked.
Larys Strong was silent for a moment more and then he replied. "Lord Tygett has begun appeasing lords Reyne and Tarbeck, he has given them swathes of land that were previously unoccupied, and he hopes that this will soothe their needs for more independence or leniency. It seems to be working, they have stopped preaching for greater control away from the throne, and are actually working to end any potential revolts that might come up against Lord Tygett." The king nodded at that. Lord Larys went on. "There has also been movement in Dorne. Prince Alric has moved his men from the Boneway and his marching them through the southern Reach, so far there has been no fighting, yet there will be as Lord Tyrell cannot abide the thought of having the Dornish in his backyard."
Prince Aemon spoke then. "And has the viper given a reason for this infringement of peace?"
Lord Larys was silent for a moment and then said. "He claims the High Septon visited him in Dorne and begged him to rid Westeros of your family Your Grace. He claims he is on a holy mission from the Seven and that he will not stop until Your Grace and all Targaryens are dead."
Prince Aemon laughed then. "The man is mad, he must be. The Faith and the Targaryens have been on good terms since the time of my grandfather. There is no Maegor the Cruel figure here, there is no Septon Murmison either, the man has gone mad, and he shall lead Dorne into oblivion."
The king however was very silent and then asked seriously. "And what has the High Septon had to say about all of this? Does he condone the man's actions?"
Lord Larys was silent for a long moment and then he said. "The High Septon has gone to the Hightower to state that he does not approve nor condone what the Prince of Dorne is doing and that he asks all those who are faithful in Dorne to remove the man from power. It is possible civil war could erupt in Dorne very soon Your Grace."
The king looked them all one by one and then he said. "Very well then, Lord Boremund return to Storm's End marshal your banners and prepare for battle. Rhaenys head north to Winterfell and speak with Lord Benjen. Aemon you shall come with me, we shall need to deal with the Dornish one or another."