Stannis
"You will be my page during the small council meetings, do you understand your role? Just watch, don't say anything or make your presence known, do I make myself clear?".
"Yes sir." Orryn replied stiffly.
He was getting more and more serious after doing his duty at the fleet inspection, he was finally taking the last steps to become a real lord.
Ser Davos asked me about this decision, that the boy shouldn't have to go through this. I know I'm being hard on Orryn, but if I don't, others will, others who will do everything they can to make him fail, and I will not accept failure from my son.
As soon as I took my seat, with Orryn standing behind me and carrying the notes and documents I would need, Renly began his taunt.
"It's good to see you, brother, but should I worry that your house can't get a page and has to use your heir as one?"
"Orryn will learn his duties from me. You can bring your heir as a page someday, too, if you manage to produce one first."
"It is good for the whole kingdom to have a successor who is so interested in his duties. I can't wait for the Crown Prince to join us." Lord Baelish said in his fake, disgusting way.
Coughing heavily, Lord Arryn interrupted every conversation and began the meeting. "We will begin with the current dispute between Lords Staunton and Buckwell. Both are seeking action from the Crown regarding the collection of taxes from a village between the borders of the two lands." Lord Arryn looked at Renly expectantly, but the idiot I call brother just smiled.
"I'm still analyzing this case, I hope to have an opinion by the end of the week."
Sighing, Lord Arryn moved on to the next topic, another of Robert's tournaments. "How are the finances of the realm, Lord Baelish?"
"We owe as much as ever, my lord, but I should be able to raise enough coin from our creditors to pay for another tournament."
"So be it, as the king wishes." Lord Arryn said wearily and moved on to the next topic.
That was the tone of the meeting, as one topic after another was postponed or left for another time. I was ashamed to bring Orryn to such an event, to see how low the administration of the kingdom was, but he should have known that as soon as only I and Lord Arryn did anything around here.
Back at my solar, I sat down in front of my son and watched him maintain his firm posture, as befitted a lord. "You've heard about the dispute in the Crownlands, what do you think?" I asked.
"I have not been properly introduced to the case, sir, I don't want to do an injustice by knowing too little." Orryn told me in a reserved and somewhat uncertain manner.
"Both claim the village as their own and point to the other as the transgressor for collecting undue taxes." I offered to see their actions.
"Which lord reported it first?
"Buckwell."
"Then Lord Staunton probably collected the taxes first over a shorter period of time.
The best thing to do is to find out which of the lords claimed the town the longest. If none of them have records, which they should have and should be obliged to produce, it's likely that the village will just pay the taxes to the first one who arrives."
"Assumptions, but what is the law on such matters?
"According to the law, villages on the border between the two lands must pay taxes to the lord who owns the territory closest to the village hall, meeting place, town hall, or castle. Whichever is used by the common people."
"Correct. What actions would you take to ensure justice on behalf of the king?" I asked and saw Orryn retreat into thought for a few moments.
"I would send an intendant to locate the exact border defined by each lord's feudal contract, then instruct him to measure which of the lords has territory closest to the common landmark of the village. That lord would win the right to the village, and the defeated lord would suffer no further punishment".
"The defeated lord should be punished for collecting unjust taxes." I said sternly to Orryn. "The law is the law, and it says that the lord in question must pay double the amount wrongly taken."
Orryn looked as if he wanted to say something but didn't and lowered his head, and it couldn't stay that way, a lord doesn't lower his head easily. "Raise your head! Say what you want to say".
"The law can also be applied to the lord who rightfully owns the city. If you don't know the land you've been sworn to own, you're not fulfilling your duties as a lord. If the lord who doesn't own the land claims to have done such things for the people of that region, he may have some other precedent to back it up, and have a return on the money invested."
"What precedent?"
"I-I don't know, sir."
"Then don't say things you don't know."
"Yes, sir."
"Was there anything else you noticed during the small council meeting?"
"Yes, sir, the Master of Coins."
"What about Lord Baelish? Aside from being a sycophantic politician and an excellent copper counter." I said, almost sick at the thought of such a man.
"He has too much power. It's not his job to 'conjure' money for the kingdom, but he does it anyway."
"He's the Master of Coin, it's his duty, Orryn." I replied impatiently.
"No sir, it's the Master of Coin's job to manage, calculate and collect taxes for the crown, nothing more, nothing less. The use of the kingdom's money is up to the hand and the king."
"The King spends the money, you can see that by how much we owe."
"Impossible, sir, it's impossible that the king spent that much money, six million gold dragons is a lot of money." Orryn insisted, almost getting angry, but a hard look brought him back to his seat. "Forgive me, sir."
"You are excused. I hope you'll learn more about the laws and judgments handed down in our lands as well as the lands of the crown, I'll bring it to the maester's attention."
Bowing, Orryn once again gave me much to think about. The banquets and tournaments did increase after Baelish came, but the kingdom was not in debt until then even after the greyjoy's rebellion. Another point to discuss with Lord Arryn on our visit to the smithy that houses a bastard of Robert.
298 After the Conquest of Aegon
Orryn
Lord Jon Arryn was dead, the bells of Baelor's Sept announced it. A great man, a great Hand of the King, they said. In my opinion? Lord Arryn was too conciliatory, he gave too much power to the Lannisters, and power in the capital isn't just about positions on the small council, not when everything at court is done by men in red and gold.
Uncle Robert didn't care about that, he didn't care about government, but even he knew he needed a loyal man at his side. My father would be the best option, but he would never be the one, there was only one man uncle Robert would accept, and that was Eddard Stark.
Even in his old age, the old falcon was physically strong, too strong to have fallen ill and died in two days. It seems that Lady Lysa, in her "mourning," left the capital with Robin on the night of his death. As if she really cared about the husband.
My father also wanted to leave in a hurry for some reason, he'd seen a lot of Lord Arryn over the past few moons and he surely knew something, but in the end he couldn't leave the capital, not without me, it seems.
Uncle Robert loved to hunt, and when the king asks you to hunt, you don't refuse.
I've never liked hunting, I've never liked slaughtering and skinning an animal, but it's necessary to keep up appearances with the lords. In my case, it wasn't just about showing up for the hunt, I had to be good at it, I had to show it, that's what everyone was there to see.
We hurried back to town and I cleaned up before going to pay my respects to the old falcon. There I found a young man with rather rough features, wearing a blue gibbon with white crescents. He was older than me, but not by much.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know you were there". I apologized and the young man turned to face me.
He had a certain arrogance about him, even a certain naivety I would say, but he lost that look when he recognized me. "It's no problem, my lord, I was just keeping watch for Lord Arryn, it's my last duty as his squire."
"I remember you, but I don't think we were ever properly introduced." I replied, offering my hand.
"You can call me Hugh, My Lord, just Hugh of the Vale." He said, a little shy because he didn't have a family name.
"Who knows, maybe soon I'll be able to call you Ser Hugh of the Vale?". I joked, and he puffed out his chest with pride.
"I intend to, my lord. Once I'm a knight in my own right, I intend to make a name for myself throughout the kingdoms."
"You have no intention of returning to the Vale? Continue to serve the House of Arryn?". I asked and Hugh just snorted.
"There is nothing for me in the Vale, do you understand Lord Orryn? Here in the capital I can get a better job under a lord."
"Hugh, will you join me in my tribute to Lord Arryn? I don't think this meeting was in vain, but the tributes still have to be paid as honor commands." I said with a sympathetic smile, and Hugh nodded in agreement.
It was a simple tribute, just a formal farewell before Lord Arryn's body was sent back to the Eyrie.
As I rose to leave, Hugh followed me and we walked through the corridors, chatting lightly.
"I'm Ser Justin's squire, you know. I know I'm not ready to be a knight yet, but I see value in you, Hugh." I complimented him, and it was all too easy to fool him with simple compliments.
"Do you think Ser Justin would take me as his squire?" Hugh asked somewhat hopefully.
"Unfortunately not Hugh, Ser Justin has a lot on his plate as Master-at-Arms of Dragonstone". I said and he scowled. "But... you see, Hugh, we're always in need of good men over there... knights, I mean. It would be a simple matter to ask my uncle to knight you as a tribute to Lord Arryn's last squire, all for a friend and a good man, which I know you are."
"My lord!" Hugh said in shock. "That would be... it would be an honor to be knighted by King Robert himself."
"I will try as hard as I can for you, Hugh." I replied, placing my hand on his shoulder. We said our goodbyes soon after, the eldest squire grinning from ear to ear.
It was an uneventful rest of the day without any problems, in fact it was too quiet... a quiet before the storm, as Ser Davos used to say.
The next day, just after breakfast, which I ate alone, most of the servants had gone with Shireen on my father's orders, a servant in Baratheon colors handed me a summons from the king.
I hurried down the road to my uncle's solar, knowing that there was a quarrel going on inside, in these times, it could only be my father. Only he would be brave enough.
I couldn't hear the argument as I approached, but they were shouting. Ser Arys Oakheart was guarding the door with Ser Boros Blunt, and I waved to both of them.
"Sers, I have been summoned by the King". I said solemnly, showing him the summons, Ser Arys, always hardworking, nodded with a smile and knocked on the door before entering.
"Your Grace, your nephew Orryn is here."
"Ha! There's the boy Stannis, ask him if he'll come with me, I bet he'll accept!" Uncle Robert shouted.
"Your Grace, Father". I said as I bowed.
I was ignored by the two men, anger burning in their eyes, and it was my father who spoke first. "Orryn is my son to command, and he will do what I tell him to do, he will go where I tell him to go, and that's final. And I want him with me".
"You are wasting the boy by keeping him on your damp, stony, stupid island. You saw what he did to that boar we were hunting, what's he going to hunt there?". Uncle Robert laughed. "He's going north with me and that's that."
I could almost hear my father grit his teeth, but he nodded. "As you wish, Your Grace."
Uncle Robert took a sip of his wine and finally turned to me. "Listen, boy, you're going on a little trip with me, straight to the northern snows to freeze those eggs!". He laughed.
"As you wish, Your Grace." I replied, bowing, and Uncle Robert grimaced.
"You sound like your father sometimes. Now go and get ready, letters have already been sent and the sooner I leave is better." Uncle Robert waved me off, but I decided to talk about something else.
"Your Grace... I met Lord Arryn's last squire, Hugh, yesterday. A good man, eager for his spurs, and I fear it would be a dishonor for him to be made squire to another knight, no matter how great that knight's fame."
"What business is it of mine?" Uncle Robert said impatiently.
"It was Lord Arryn's duty to make Hugh a knight, and for the honor of the old falcon he must not leave such duties unfinished. It would be a great honor for the king himself to name young Hugh a knight in honor of Lord Arryn."
Uncle Robert scratched at the thick beard that hid his double chin. "Bring the boy before me in court this afternoon. You may go now."
"Yes, Your Grace." I bowed before leaving with my father.
We walked in silence, I knew he was seething with anger, I knew he wanted me away from the royal family, away from everything, but I knew he wouldn't disobey my uncle and tell me to leave.
"Why did you intervene on the squire's behalf?". It was a random question that almost surprised me.
"I'm going to hire Hugh as one of our men-at-arms."
"And who gave you this power?". My lord said harshly.
"I can afford to hire a knight to help you, sir. Something has happened to Lord Arryn and that's a fact, Hugh may know something and someone in this city will take him, so let it be us".
My lord father was silent for a moment, thinking. "You take 20 men to the North, including Ser Borys and this Hugh. If you find out anything, send me a letter to Dragonstone."
"It would be nice to give a newly anointed knight some shiny new armor, it might loosen Hugh's tongue more easily than alcohol."
"I want a detailed report of all the provisions and money you'll need to sustain your 20 men while you're on the road, and this time be detailed. I won't tolerate any more logistical mistakes like last moon."
"Yes sir." I said a little shyly. Last moon I had made a mistake during a Royal Fleet exercise, miscalculated the cost of a voyage to Gulltown and forced the ship to refuel before arrival, my lord father was not pleased of course.
I returned to the quarters once occupied by Shireen and myself. A few servants were still there, and I waved to each of them until a girl I recognized as a laundress handed me a note.
It was in Ciri's handwriting, asking me to meet her at the warehouse. I frowned, Ciri was supposed to be back in Dragonstone with Shireen, it was strange that she was still here, even stranger that she hadn't found me until now.
I decided to stay calm, so I went to Hugh first, informing him that the King would knight him this afternoon, and if he wished, he could join my service during the march north.
"I'll never be grateful enough for this, my lord!" Hugh said, kneeling before me, I smiled and tried to lift him up.
"Calm down man, we should still buy you some new armor, shouldn't we?"
Choking, Hugh tried to refuse, but not as forcefully. "My lord, I don't deserve such a gift."
"Nonsense, every knight deserves a full armor. We can go to Street of Steel tomorrow and get one, maybe I'll hear more about the Vale?". I said, narrowing my eyes and looking around to see if anyone was around before I whispered to Hugh.
"I've always dreamed of growing up there, like my Uncle Robert."
Hugh smiled excitedly and promised to tell me more about his home.
He said goodbye soon after, having to prepare as best he could for his big day, and I finally had a chance to meet Ciri.
The warehouse had been used to store our supplies and should have been empty by now.
I tried to open the door, but it was locked from the inside, so I decided to test our secret beat, which was nothing more than four rhythmic beats followed by three more beats after a pause.
It worked, and just then I heard the latch open and Ciri's angry face greeted me. "You took your time, Orryn."
"I had a duty to perform first." I said a little awkwardly and she pulled me into the warehouse before closing and locking the door.
"It was crazy for us, you know... after Lord Arryn left. Your father wanted everyone back at Dragonstone as soon as possible, but you weren't here, so he had to stay."
"You should have gone with Shireen..." I said, grabbing her hand to force her to stop moving.
"I offered to stay, Orryn... I saw something... something I shouldn't have seen and that I could only tell you." Ciri spoke to me, her green eyes full of concern.
"Ciri... what happened?".
"I was searching for more passages through the fortress when I came to the end of a tunnel. It led to a half-abandoned room in the fortress, but that didn't matter because the room had occupants. The queen and her brother".
"Ser Jaime? What's wrong with that?".
"The way they touched, Orryn, it wasn't the way brothers touch, they almost looked like lovers, I swear I saw it! Lord Arryn knew something and died and his father suspects it too... it could be... it could be that." Ciri said uncertainly.
"Are you sure you really saw it, Ciri? Are you sure you didn't make a mistake?".
"Do you think I'm a fool? That I can't tell the difference between what I saw?" She replied angrily.
"This is dangerous... something that could shake the realm, and the Lannisters would not allow their position to become so precarious. I don't trust Lady Arryn either, her behavior is suspicious, though when she doubts murder it's normal to run away."
"Everyone knows you're going to the North, Orryn, they knew before you knew, so please don't do anything stupid. Don't mess with these dangerous people, just come back to us." Ciri said fearfully before she hugged me.
It was hard to scare her, so she is really feared for my life. "I'll be fine, my little swallow." I joked before lifting her face from my chest to kiss her.
When we parted, I smiled and ran my hand through his hair. "I'm going to miss you".
"I'll miss you too." She said smiling and dragged me over to some boxes where a pile of blankets was waiting for us.
It was good to have her one last time before I left, and as our bodies became naked, our desire only increased. She was under me, biting her lower lip with every move I made and holding back her moans. Her legs were wrapped tightly around my waist and her arms around my neck.
It was a wild afternoon, a hot afternoon, an afternoon I would miss on cold northern days.