Chapter 9; The weasel in action
Dragonstone, third moon of 284 BC
The tragic and "accidental" death of Queen Elia, just over a month ago, had shocked the seven kingdoms. King Rhaegar, after sobbing for his wife in front of the entire court, ordered her remains to be burned on a funeral pyre, ignoring Dorne's demands that she be buried in her land of origin, to which Rhaegar resolutely refused, since according to The "Elia was my wife, and the mother of my children…her place is here along with my mother's ashes" something that Lord Walder paid attention to was the fact that it seemed that the king was truly sad about the loss of Elia. It was a possibility, in the books it was always said that Rhaegar was very attached to Elia, and if she had been able to give him children she would not have kidnapped Lyana, and of course Elia herself would still be alive.
"If she could have given him more children…" Lord Frey said in a whisper as he watched the mortal remains of the unfortunate queen burn. "And the worst thing is that in his head he still believes that he is doing the right thing," he lamented when he saw the king, with a sobbing Rhaenya and Aegon, held in the arms of his father. To make matters worse, Cersei Lannister appeared to be the purest of women, she was getting closer and closer to the king, trying to find an opportunity to seduce him. No doubt, by Lord Tywin, although her daughter's ambition was not far behind.
As expected, all that caused a lot of unrest in Dorne, mainly due to the fact that the Martell family was not present at the funeral for Doran and Oberyn's only sister. Both brothers showed up at Dragonstone a fortnight later, on very unfriendly terms, with Oberyn arriving to attack several guards, that was just on the docks. To avoid greater evils, Lord Frey had offered to mediate between Rhaegar and the Martells, as secretary of the crown. Still, he could get something out of this situation.
Naturally the ground had to be prepared, something he had learned in the business world is how emotional human beings can be. If you had to get him to buy something, whether it was an idea or a product, you had to appeal to the right feelings, something like a good song or a special story. To do this, he had requested the presence of the Martell princes in the fortress gardens. There was the still baby Aegon in his arms, he couldn't help but be a little nervous because next to him was Silverfire, his dragon who was already five feet long. Greenfire, Rhaenys's dragon, purred at the girl while she caressed him, when the dragon was already nine feet long. He must soon have Roslyn and Olyvar brought in to be friends of the Targaryens. Walder himself should become a kind of grandfather and mentor, to ensure that he did not suffer the displeasure of his father. Yes, he could become a confidant for the children, give them sweets, gifts, listen to them and comfort them. In any case, that would be good for him to try to get back to understanding with his own children once he left that barbaric world.
The Martell princes arrived escorted by a pair of guards. Doran was already beginning to limp from gout, and Oberyn looked dashing and menacing. However, they were both surprised to see their nephews next to the dragons.
"Prince Doran, Prince Oberyn," Lord Frey greeted them with a respectful bow.
"Lord Walder Frey…the savior of the Targaryens," said Prince Oberyn, looking askance at the dragons.
"A pleasure to meet you in person, Prince Oberyn, your fame precedes you," Lord Frey responded, "but please, Prince Doran, sit down, you must be tired," he said, pointing to the bench.
"I thank you," said the ruling prince of Dorne.
"Prince Oberyn, do you want to hold your nephew?"
The red viper smiled.
"Of course"
and carefully under the watchful eye of the silver dragon, Lord Frey handed her the prince, Elia's only male child.
"Look Rhaenys," he said kneeling in a whisper to the princess. "These are your uncles Doran and Oberyn… go say hello to your uncle Doran."
And the princess ran towards her older uncle, shouting "uncle, uncle!" She brought a sincere smile to the prince, who gently caressed her head.
"My poor child, don't worry, I will protect you," Oberyn said to his nephew, who was half asleep.
Lord Frey watched them carefully. They truly loved those children, and that would be the key to bringing them to his side. He let them stay with them for a while, while they commented things like "You are the spitting image of your mother" or "you will be the best man in the world" until at a signal two nursemaids and ten guards from the Frey house appeared.
"I'm sorry to interrupt that scene, but the children need to rest."
The prince Oberyn reluctantly left his nephew in the hands of the maid, and under the watchful eyes of the Martells and the dragons, the retinue retreated, displaying their weapons well prepared and ready for combat. That was something Lord Frey had emphasized to convey the possible danger the children were in. And judging by the frowns on both brothers' faces, he had succeeded.
"It's for security," he told them, "after what happened with the queen…"
"What happened to Elia? "What happened to my sister?" He demanded to know the red viper,
Lord Frey sat on the bench next to Prince Doran. His legs were tired, and he had taken the necessary measures to be able to speak without birds or inappropriate glances. Now he had to be very careful, since he was in a new play of the game of thrones.
"Queen Elia broke her neck when she accidentally fell down the stairs," said Lord Walder in a calm voice. "I cannot prove otherwise."
Prince Doran raised an eyebrow and his brother narrowed his eyes at what the old lord was not telling.
"And what can you not prove?" Doran Martell inquired, stepping forward of Oberyn.
Lord Frey turned his gaze to the dragons. The truth is that even when they were small, they were already fascinating creatures.
"The dragons have returned to that world," said Lord Frey with a smile. "Those are Silverfire and Greenfire, the dragons of Prince Aegon and Princess Rhaenys respectively," then he was silent for a moment. "Queen Elia was a very lucky woman."
"Debatable depending on what sense" replied the red viper.
"She gave birth to two dragon riders," continued Lord Walder. "An honor that every lord aspires for his daughter to have."
"What are you implying?" Prince Doran asked.
"I am not implying anything," Lord Frey replied in a calm tone. "Right now there are five dragons on this island, and I can assure you that in less than a decade, the power of the Targaryens before the dance will be restored," he said, pointing to the sleeping Silverfire. "and it would not be surprising if many lords saw some opportunity to make the most of it"
"Do you have a lord in mind?" Prince Doran asked, although he already had an idea about a suspect.
"Right now I don't have any...but...Who was the last great lord to join the war when Robert Baratheon had perished along with thousands of his people? Who offered Aerys her daughter years ago and he not only rejected her, but publicly humiliated him for the umpteenth time? Who has that same daughter on this island trying to seduce the king? Who should gain the most from your sister's death? And supposing there was a union, who would benefit most if a fatality happened to Prince Aegon? Who whose lineage dates back eight millennia would have not only his blood on the iron throne, but also as dragon riders?"
Both brothers looked at each other for a moment. Nothing was said to each other, but Prince Doran nodded.
"We understand," replied Prince Doran.
But Oberyn, much more passionate, pulled out a dagger from her tunic, and her gaze turned dangerously dark.
"Where is the old lion?" She asked fiercely. "I have a present to give you."
"Be calm," Lord Frey implored him. "We cannot prove anything, and the important thing now is the children."
"And what do you suggest?" asked the red viper. "May I sit idly by while my family is in danger?"
"No," replied Lord Frey, "Help me protect them, be the advisor of laws, help me in the council and in the end we will give justice to your sister. Even if Lord Twin perishes, ten more will appear willing to take his place. "The king is going to remarry sooner or later, that is something we cannot avoid, but we can control who he marries."
"Okay," Prince Oberyn spoke, "we accept your proposal...but since you are deceiving us, bear with the consequences."
Lord Frey was offended.
"I am the one who saved the king in the battle of the Trident, I am the one who made your nephews dragon riders... and here I am the only one who watches over your nephews... shame on you," he snapped angrily.
"We did not mean to offend you, please excuse my brother," said Prince Doran, giving the red viper a stern look.
That impertinence aside, the appointment of Oberyn Martell as advisor to the edicts was agreed upon, as a sign of good will to Dorne. And although the relationship between the two would have to be improved, Lord Frey found it a slightly acceptable start.
In the following days after a private banquet, and a few good words, Prince Doran returned with much of his entourage to Sunspear. And he had obtained a rather unstable ally, but an ally. In any case, the kingdom needed the privy council to solve its daily problems, problems that had been very neglected, especially with the issue of dragons.
In the drum tower, the privy council was meeting. Except for the absence of the lord commander of the royal guard, they were all present. Tywin Lannister royally taking his place as hand of the king. Maester Paycelle tried to maintain his venerable pose. Prince Oberyn was defiant as an advisor to the edicts. Lord Merrywather was the coin advisor, and having been restored to his positions by Rhaegar he was now calmer. The ship advisor was Lucerys Velaryon, who was expectant, and despite his ancestry, the old house of Valyria had already seen its days of glory pass. After the disappearance of the spider, Lord Frey had taken charge not only of the secret services, but also as royal secretary, he had appointed himself, with the king's permission, as security advisor for the kingdom. Despite the wind outside, the room was warm, and Lord Frey entered the room at a leisurely pace, behind Rhaegar and took a seat in the king's left armchair, taking a frontal position against the lion of Casterly Rock.
"Well," said King Rhaegar, "what are the points to discuss?"
"We must discuss the terms of the rebuilding of the riverlands," Lord Tywin began, "I propose an exemption from taxation for the region for thirty years. Lord Frey must lead the region, since he needs to stabilize the leadership of his house over the kingdom.
Lord Frey laughed.
"My son Stevron can take care of the situation," he replied, amused. "It's what he has to have children who do meet your expectations... but I thank you for the proposed exemption."
Rhaegar found it amusing.
"Lord Frey is doing a great service to the kingdom" he settled the request "And Sir Stevron can govern the region…I know him to be someone competent and honorable"
It wasn't a lie. Stevron Frey's death was one of the biggest blows to Robb Stark, as he was one of the few Freys who were reasonable.
"However, my region is not the one that requires our attention, the Valley does," Lord Frey spoke. He needed to call the shots "Lord Arryn is gravely ill with fever following his wounds at the Battle of the Trident. He has no offspring and the Valley will be left without a guardian... and the Valley must be treated."
"Aren't most of the lords of the Vale prisoners of the crown?" Maester Peycelle asked.
"And those who don't are either dead or too minor to pose a threat," Lord Frey responded.
"The male branch of House Rhoyce has been practically exterminated, thanks to Lord Frey," the king said with a smile. "Now that they are not available, we must think of a new guardian of the east."
"I will make a list of possible successors," Tywin spoke. "House Grafton might be the most viable option. "They were loyal to the crown from the beginning."
Lord Frey saw his chance to knock out the lion.
"I appreciate the loyalty of the Graftons, but I think the time has come to reward true loyalty," he said in a kind tone. "The Vale needs a firm ruler of unquestionable loyalty…and we need to introduce a foreign house, one that will not tremble pulse when it comes to quelling betrayal and of course they are skillful managers"
"Who do you propose?" Lord Tywin asked.
"That house is represented on our table right now," he said, keeping a moment of silence. "I propose Lord Lucerys Velaryon as the new guardian of the east and lord of the eyrie."
The movement surprised those present. Lord Velaryon himself was the most surprised, but he would not be the one to reject that offer. Rhaegar smiled, House Velaryon had been historically loyal to the Targaryens, and it seemed like a good replacement. The rest were more or less displeased, but none more so than Lord Tywin.
"Does anyone have any objections?" he inquired, staring at the rock lion.
Lord Tywin wanted to refuse, but nothing good could come of it. But he would find a way to hit back.
"It seems to me an excellent choice," Rhaegar said. "Lord Lucerys, you are appointed new guardian of the east, lord of the Eyrie and supreme lord of the Vale, with all the benefits and obligations thereof."
Lord Velaryon was very grateful.
"I am very grateful to you, Your Majesty, both I and my house will do our best."
"Well, moving on to another point…we still have to talk about the rest of the kingdom's problems."
The rest of the meeting was more enjoyable, it focused on the problems of the capital. It was no wonder, it had to be carried out in the reform of the King's Landing sewer, it was also carried out in the demolition of the remains of Pozodragon and the construction of some hot springs. This corresponded to the policies necessary to improve health in the capital and prevent future pandemics. Lord Frey had no knowledge of medicine, at most chemistry, and could not create medicines, although he could share his knowledge to lay several of the foundations of modern medicine, and increase food production. At the end of the meeting, the king and Lord Walder were alone.
"I hope I haven't bothered you," Lord Frey apologized.
But Rhaegar wasn't upset.
"On the contrary, it was a good decision, and perhaps there can be a marriage pact between the Graftons and the Velaryons. Plus, Lord Tywin's scowl was fun. It is believed that because his daughter makes eyes at me that I am going to be his puppet "
Don't try to lie to a liar. He thought to himself.
"Anyway, I need a new queen, who do you recommend?" Rhaegar asked with amusement.
Lord Frey became serious.
"I will undertake a thorough search, but it would be wise to wait half a month," Lord Frey told him.
Rhaegar smiled at the joy he had.
"Marriage is not a problem, but since Elia is dead my bed is empty, and I have needs. Bring me the candidate…I want to prepare her"
And brainwash her.
"I'll get to it, but we have to be careful not to make the Martells uncomfortable, they could be offended…" he replied, leaving.
"Thank you," he responded with a smile, ignoring the advice he gave her.
In the next chapter we will meet Rhaegar's candidates. The Martells will begin a preemptive attack to defend Aegon and Rhaneys, and the Lannisters will begin to move, while Lord Frey creates the weasel faction at court.