The Songs of Sheeran - A CKII AGOT Narrative AAR

[Rufy_King]

Certainly a great irony that Dale died with no one at his beside. But he was honest to Allyria at the end, something I find admirable.

And Sumner is dead as well. Quite the though period for house Sheeran. At least he proved his honor by not betraying his companions.

 

[Iwantdumplings]

Sic transit gloria mundi. For all Dale found solace in family and loyalty, ultimately his life turned on one question - is virtue its own reward?

 

[stnylan]

That was a secret that should have gone to the grave with him. I hope that last conversation does not yet be a curse for House Sheeran.

 

[EmpireofOne]

Chapter 114: Farewell II

Casterly Rock
Humfrey Sheeran

Humfrey sat in the lord's seat while he met with all of the people assisting in planning his father's funeral.

​

The room was mostly quiet. Nobody spoke unless they had something important to say. Not even whispers could be heard among the attendees of court. Humfrey joined in on the silence, listening attentively and waiting for a time to answer questions.

Maester Lester was chief among the organizers present. The Maester had been serving since Humfrey's father had left for King's Landing. He was starting to grey, other than that, the man was mostly unremarkable. His career was mostly uneventful but now it was his time to shine after Castellan Pate called on his help. In his hands was a small stack of parchments and a quill which he used to write down Humfrey's instructions.

"Several of the finest cooks and bakers in Lannisport have offered their services," Maester Lester said. "While it would be an honour to serve Lord Dale one last time, they will be looking to be compensated. If you are willing to pay, the banquet will not want for food."
"It hurts me to see that those men would still want payment after all the things my father has done for them," Humfrey said.
"There may be lesser cooks and bakers willing to serve, but I cannot attest to their quality, my lord."
"It would not look good for our house if our house served them burned bread and raw meats. Our treasury can afford their price and more. We will have them provide the food for the banquet."

​

The Maester began scribbling down Humfrey's command, most likely to the letter at the speed he wrote.

"Yes, my lord."
"Where is Castellan Pate?"

The Maester finished writing and laid his quill flat on the papers in his hand.

"He is currently on top of The Rock. He is planning how the banquet will be arranged."
"He wants the banquet to be held on top of the mountain? Ambitious, and wouldn't the breeze make things difficult?"
"Lord Dale deserves to be remembered, even his funeral will be a night that shall never be forgotten. As for the invitations, we have scribes writing them as we speak. The Lords of The Westerlands will all be expected to attend."

Humfrey thought about the Maester's words. His father indeed deserved to be remembered. While Dale Sheeran was Lord of The Westerlands, his actions had an effect on all of Westeros. Why should local lords be the only ones to expected to attend? Allyria Targaryen would not be queen if not for his father and the realm would be still fighting in civil wars without the strong armies of The Westerlands.

"Are you writing to all of the houses of Westeros?"
"My lord?"
"Have the scribes write to every single house of Westeros. Hire more scribes if you have to. Big or small, the nobles of Westeros have all been affected by my father in some way."

​

The Maester took his quill and flipped the parchment in front of him before placing it at the back of the stack. He wrote down Humfrey's new instructions on a fresh sheet, finishing the line quickly and dotting it with a period to show Humfrey he was done writing.

"We will do so right away, my lord."
"Good. Food, entertainment, and invitations have all been decided on. Maester, carry on with your preparations."

The Maester bowed his head.

"I will go see the Castellan immediately."

Humfrey nodded and raised a few fingers off his armrest to gesture the Maester to leave. The man heeded the command and took his quill and parchment with him. Humfrey sighed and waited as another person came forward to speak with him. He droned off and vaguely heard the man's piece, saying a response that satisfied him and took no effort to think of. More and more people came after this man, again, Humfrey did what he had to do to make it through the moment.

The once vibrant and active court of Dale Sheeran had been reduced to a gathering as quiet as the library of The Citadel. Humfrey always heard about inheriting Casterly Rock but had never been informed about the transition period. He almost went into this moment with expectations that things would not be so different. While things would get better, he would have to endure the loss. Humfrey had been around so much death and killing, and yet, he never truly was affected by them until now.

Oakenshield
Lanna Sheeran

Lanna anxiously sat in the lord's seat. She had heard that the Waynwoods were just arriving. After taking in the advice of her council, she had believed she was ready for whatever was going to happen. As the reality set in, her preparedness began to abandon her. Lanna gripped the armrests of her seat tightly and felt sweaty. Her body shook in several places while her breathing picked up. She tried to calm herself down. She could not show fear. She could not show weakness.

At her sides were her councillors. To her left was Ser Willas Trentwood, the knight kept a hand on his hilt while the other was at his waist. On her right was Alekyne Morson, her Castellan and one who kept a cool head despite the circumstances. Both men were ready to serve her and provided the best advice they could, but now, it was all up to Lanna's actions.

"Remember, my lady, they do not have any evidence of your treason," Alekyne reassured.
"I still think we need more guards," Ser Willas warned.
"We can't afford to provoke them."
"This could be a ruse. Four ships came just like last time."

Lanna looked to Alekyne.

"Four ships, but how many men?" Lanna asked.
"Most likely the same, my lady. They'll most likely have the majority of their troops wait outside in case we try anything. I'd love to do something, but we must be careful."

Alekyne nodded.

"Just think about survival and nothing else. We will make it through this," Alekyne said.

Footsteps could be heard outside the doors to the hall. Lanna sat up straight and prepared to meet whatever was about to come through. She gulped in her throat and tried to stop her shaking as much as possible. When she heard the first few sounds of the doors opening, her whole body froze as if she were already dead.

Two of Lanna's guards outside opened the door for Hugh Waynwood and his party. He was wearing the exact same robes he wore when he came to take her father away; Lanna knew for sure that this was an insult, a means to provoke her or put her at a disadvantage. He was almost twice Lanna's age, surely he knew a lot of things. His strides were calm while Lanna noticed a slight smile forming at the ends of his lips.

"Lady Lanna Sheeran. First things first, let me express my condolences for the death of your great relative Dale Sheeran. He will be missed," Hugh Waynwood greeted.

Lanna gulped in her throat again.

"Thank you, my lord. Welcome back to Oakenshield," Lanna said.

The man's slight smile graduated to a full one. Lanna immediately regretted her words, it only served to remind her of her father and placed the momentum on Hugh's side.

"Your guards were most helpful when they opened the doors for me. But I am not here to talk about manners. Hopefully your house will do more to serve than holding open doors."
"Of course, my lord. We will serve Lady Anya faithfully."
"Will you? Well, you've gotten my letter. My sister wants proof of your sincerity and has given me a list of tests to prove your loyalty."

Lanna tensed up. She noticed both of her councillors were concerned for what was about to come. Nevertheless, she looked at Hugh and prepared to engage him.

"And what are these tests?"
"We will have three tests. They will be done here now and will be increasingly difficult for you. Although, if you are loyal, you should have no trouble with this at all."
"I am ready, my lord. Let me show you and your sister of my desire to serve."

Hugh's smile intensified even further, moving his mustache to make a little dance. The man began walking forward and held his hand up to inform Lanna that he was wearing a ring. When he was almost at the top of the steps leading up to the lord's seat, he ended up being the same height as Lanna on her elevated platform and chair. Both of her councillors watched the man carefully but could not make a move as the more numerous and better equipped Waynwood guards kept a close watch.

"First, you must bend the knee in front of me and kiss my ring. It has the sigil of House Waynwood, you see, so you can see why it means a lot to kiss it. Well, get to it."

Lanna stood up. She waited but then bent the knee in front of Hugh. He presented his left hand forward with the palm facing the floor. The man then lowered his arm slightly so that Lanna would have a good view of the ring and an angle to approach it from. Lanna took a deep breath and leaned in. She gently touched her lips to the ring, getting the slight taste of metal. Before she could pull back, Hugh pushed the ring slightly into Lanna's lips, making the metal taste stronger. Lanna immediately fell back and slowly rose to her feet to see Hugh smiling.

"Why did you do that?"
"I just wanted to make sure you were actually kissing my ring. But you've done it. Now, for the next test."

Lanna wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her dress, silently spitting between wipes to rid herself of the metal taste.

"What is the next test?"

Hugh dug under his robes and brought out a sealed letter.

"A verbal one. No need for kissing rings so this could be much easier for you. I want you to read this letter and then recite it for the entire court to hear."

He handed the letter to Lanna and patiently waited for her to open it. Lanna reluctantly opened the seal of the letter. She was thinking about what the contents could be that put it above kissing Hugh's ring. Her anxiety was reaching a new peak as she began reading. There was no author or addressee on the letter, it was just a paragraph on a piece of paper rather than a letter. The words however were just as heavy as any letter Lanna ever received. She skimmed through the entire thing and could not believe what Hugh was making her say. But, she had to do it.

"I, Lady Sheeran, declare my father, Lord Sumner Sheeran to be a traitor. Since the day he was born, he was nothing but treacherous. Since the day Lady Anya Waynwood took back her rightful seat at Highgarden, Sumner Sheeran had plotted her demise. Such a conniving man deserved the justice he received and that is all thanks to the righteousness of Lady Anya Waynwood. Long live Anya Waynwood and all of her heirs to come."

Before she could bring her head up from the letter. Lanna heard loud clapping practically in front of her face. She tilted her head upward and saw that it was Hugh, his smile had seemed to reach its apex as it was still the same as before.

"Very good. I now regret having my men rough up that Maester of yours; He taught you to read very well."

Lanna felt a few curse words flowing in her mind. She refrained herself lest she want Hugh's smile to become rage.

"What is the final test?"
"Men! The third test!"

Hugh snapped his fingers and two of his guards came forward. They were carefully holding up a folded up banner of House Waynwood. The men unfolded the banner and showed the entire court the broken black wheel on a field of green.

"Lord Hugh, what am I going to do with this?"
"We want you to hang it in your hall. Hang it somewhere that will show the entire court who you serve. Technically you serve House Tarly, but you've been serving the Tarlys since Ermond Sheeran was still alive and so we want you to show that you will support House Tarly in serving us."

Lanna was almost relieved. The third seemed to be the easiest of the tasks. Her relief faded when she remembered the letter she read only a second ago. There was a catch, and considering the smile on Hugh's face, Lanna was going to learn it once she asked.

"Is that all?"
"Of course not! Take one of those banners down."

Another pair of Hugh's guards came forward and pushed past Ser Willas to grab at the banner that hung to the left of her seat. Ser Willas almost drew his sword out of reflex but managed to keep himself from causing any trouble. Lanna turned to Alekyne who was biting his lip. The two men were done and carried the Sheeran banner to Hugh.

Hugh's guards held each end of the banner, stretching the sigil of House Sheeran of Oakenshield which was the White Heart over a wooden shield on a green field. Hugh whistled and gestured for one of his guards to come over. This next guard carried a greatsword and rested it sideways in his hands as if he were going to present it. The man came forward making him the fifth heavily armed soldier to be standing practically in Lanna's face.

"What now?"
"I thought you'd never ask, my lady. Now, for your final test. You must show us that you will serve the interests of your ruler over your own. Lady Lanna, please take this sword forged from our ancestral home in The Vale to cut your house's banner in half. We need to make room for the Waynwood banner and I'd only feel guilty if the banner that hung before it was still well."

Lanna clenched her fists. She immediately unrolled them when she noticed Hugh's eyes rolling downward. The man nodded his head and stepped aside for the man carrying the greatsword to step in front of Lanna. He did not kneel as a servant or squire would. Lanna took offence, however, she was in no position to protest this treatment.

She wrapped her hands around the hilt of the giant sword and tried to lift it. It was heavy and felt like it weighed more than half her weight. Lanna carefully took the sword out of the guard's hands, not wanting to give her enemies any reason to come upon her by somehow slicing through his gauntlets. The girl let the tip of the blade rest on the floor so she could regain her strength to prepare to cut through the banner.

As the pain went away, Lanna struggled to lift the weapon in more ways than one. It was heavy, sure, but she lifted heavy things in the past. The end result was what upset her, to raise a blade to cut through the banner of her house was inconceivable. But here was her oppressor, demanding her to do that very thing.

Not wanting to incur any wrath, she took another deep breath and lifted the weapon. Lanna went for an overhead swing and tried to aim carefully so the blade would come down between the two guards holding the banner instead of accidentally hitting one of them. With a great amount of tension in the banner, the greatsword effortlessly cut through it as if a knife through butter. The sword came crashing down on the steps and chipped itself on one of the steps. Hugh gave Lanna a disappointing expression while the guards holding the banner dropped it to the floor.

"You chipped a really nice sword. We'll have to send it to a blacksmith to bring it back to perfect condition. As the person who damaged it, I know you will compensate the smithy for his work?"

Lanna nodded, staring at Hugh's shoes as she refused to look at his face or the fallen banner.

"Yes, my lord."
"Good! I'm going to be honest, I thought this was going to take a lot longer. I might be able to make it back to the mainland before nightfall. Well, Lady Lanna, I can see you are a loyal vassal to the new order. I bid you farewell, and hope you will prove your usefulness in the days to come."

Hugh turned and whistled for his guards to follow. One stayed behind to take the sword away from Lanna and quickly rejoined the rest of the men before they left. Lanna sighed almost collapsed to the floor. She then felt her hand on her right soulder.

"You did well, my lady," Alekyne praised."
"That cocky fucker..." Sir Willas complained as he knelt down and picked up the pieces of the Sheeran banner.
"Patience, my friend. We've survived for now, but that doesn't mean they won't come back. We must continue to show loyalty to House Waynwood."
"You saw what they did. This isn't about loyalty, this is a game to them."

Alekyne nodded and gave Ser Willas a knowing look.

"At the same time, we must consider our options. This will keep happening until something is done about Anya and Hugh Waynwood. He won't be back for some time, let's take the opportunity to plan our next move."
"Good," Lanna said.

Lanna sat back down in her chair and sighed deeply. She felt lightheaded. The two men at her side continued to discuss among themselves while Lanna was in a trance in which she stared at the floor. Never had anyone made Lanna as angry as she was right now. In a few short moments, she had been humiliated by Hugh Waynwood. She wondered if the other houses were receiving the same treatment; Hugh was reported to have travelled around a lot, supporting her theory. This made Lanna angry. Now, she no longer desired revenge, she needed it.

Casterly Rock
Elys Sheeran

The food was good but the occasion was terrible. Elys was one of the firs to arrive at Casterly Rock for the funeral of his granduncle Dale. He recalled the last time he was here, he was but a young child being sent to be educated in the ways of Casterly Rock. The top of the mountain was not a vista he travelled to often, it was like a brand new world to him even though he lived at Casterly Rock for years.

The banquet was a spectacle. A breeze constantly pestered the guests but the warm food and endless drinks kept everyone warm into the night. Torches and lanterns kept the affair well lit, Elys wondered how The Rock would have looked from Lannisport down below. Along with the arrangements which were all fine, the banquet was graced by the presence of many people. Elys recognized a few of the guests but was surprised to see that a majority of them were nobles from across Westeros.

​

There were people from all corners of Allyria Targaryen's realm. The new lady of The North and Lord of The Stepstones were among the more prominent of the guests. Elys even spotted a Magister from the Free Cities, apparently Dale Sheeran's reputation had reached even the far side of The Iron Throne's influence. The Magister made good conversation, Elys was surprised that the man's Westerosi was beyond conversational. Elys noticed Humfrey standing off by himself near the edge of the mountain, sipping wine by himself.

Elys excused himself from mingling with the other guests when a giant pie was rolled into view. He had already had his fill of food and walked over to Humfrey in favour of joining the rest of the crowd.

​

Elys saw that Humfrey did not notice him approach and continued sipping from his cup as he stared down at Lannisport below. He walked up to Humfrey and stood right next to the man, even when he was definitely in Humfrey's periphery, Humfrey still did not acknowledge him.

"My lord," Elys greeted.
"Elys, I didn't see you coming," Humfrey said.
"You didn't? Your senses must've dulled over the years then."
"Truth be told, I did see you coming. I just didn't care."
"I can leave-"

Humfrey raised his arm.

"No, stay. I could use good conversation."
"What do you wish to talk about, my lord?"

Humfrey smiled.

"Elys, I'm still Humfrey."
"Still makes you the lord."
"You're right. Can't wait to make it past these dark times so I can actually rule as my father would have."

Elys nodded his head and placed on hand on Humfrey's shoulder.

"When my grandmother died, it was hard. I was lucky things were peaceful, I can't imagine how difficult it must be going through tough times like this while also being one of the major players of The Seven Kingdoms. Even for someone as high as you, this time will pass. You may already be aware, but it helps to have someone else tell you."

Humfrey nodded.

"Yes, that's true. Thank you, Elys. One of the last things my father told me was to surround myself with good people. He gave me two names: Castellan Pate and you. I can see that he was right about both of you."

Elys almost recoiled upon hearing his words. He considered himself to be a good lord, but to be recommended by Dale Sheeran himself, that was a great honour.

"I will serve faithfully."
"From here on, I want you to serve as my Master-at-Arms. And, when he is old enough, I will entrust my son Harwyn to you to raise to be a good lord."
"Me? Would it not be better for your own son to be raised by you?"

Humfrey shook his head.

"I trust you. Make sure he will be ready to rule. Try to make him a good swordsman too."

Elys laughed.

"I am honoured, Humfrey, I will make sure he will become an example for all of Westeros."
"Good."

Elys decided to change the subject. He looked behind him at the banquet and scanned the crowd for any more notable guests. While there were hundreds of people, there was a notable lack of the Queen herself.

"I don't see the Queen."
"It's strange. She and my father were always close. I expected her to be here."

Elys shrugged.

"She must still be in denial. When you know someone for decades, it's hard to accept that they're gone."
"I pity her then. My father was always behind her, she may feel weak now that he's gone."
"Well you'll serve her well, it's what Lord Dale would've wanted."
"Of course, I have no reason to betray the Targaryens. I will do what my father wished of me."
"Well, House Sheeran has to stick together. As your Master-at-Arms, I'll make sure Casterly Rock is ready to prove our house's continued loyalty to House Targaryen."

Humfrey turned his whole body toward Elys and extended his arm. Elys promptly accepted the man's handshake. He could feel that Humfrey's grip was tight, firm and unyielding. After a few cycles of shaking, Humfrey finally let go and sighed.

"I think it's time to give my guests a speech about my father."
"Do you have anything prepared?"
"I'll think of the words as I go."

Both men snickered to himself. Elys followed Humfrey back to the banquet. Guests offered their sympathies to both men as they passed. Humfrey ignored anyone that wanted conversation and made his way to a platform where a band was playing a song. Elys took a spot among the crowd and watched Humfrey tell the band to stop so he could make his speech. As soon as the music stopped, everyone looked at the platform and saw Humfrey was about to speak. Humfrey put a fist in front of his mouth and cleared his throat.

"Everyone, thank you for coming. As you all know, we're gathered here to celebrate the life of my father, Lord Dale Sheeran. A good man, he served as Lord of Casterly Rock for seventy years. In those years, he fought wars, built up The Westerlands, and stayed true to House Targaryen. Everyone here are of different ages, houses, and opinions, but all of you were alive to know of the reign of my father. All of you have either heard of or were affected by my father, his legacy will be felt until the end of days. Knowing that, I wish for you all to join me, join me in honouring my father. Raise your cups, and wish my father to rest well. May he rest in peace."

​

"May he rest in peace!" the crowd yelled together as they raised their cups.

Everyone drank from their cups and waited for Humfrey to say something.

"Thank you, please enjoy the rest of the evening."

Humfrey retreated from the platform and quickly rejoined Elys. Guests gave Humfrey pats on the shoulder and back as he passed. Elys smiled at the man once he was back at his side.

"A good speech, almost seemed rehearsed," Elys said as he tried to speak over the crowd.
"Not rehearsed, just honest."
"Hmm, well, you made quite an impression."
"Hopefully that will help me in the future."
"You looked like a lord."

Humfrey laughed.

"Looked like? I hope I did more than look like a lord, considering I am one."
"I meant-"

Humfrey slapped his hand on Elys' shoulder.

"I'm joking. I know what you meant. Humour is something that can help us make it through this."
"Well, my lord. This is a good banquet, it'd be a waste to talk instead of enjoy it."

Humfrey nodded and bid Elys farewell so he could go mingle with the other guests. Elys crossed his arms and watched Humfrey greet everyone. He struck up conversations and drank with everyone that proposed a toast. Humfrey took to being a noble well. It surprised Elys, although he was also raised at Casterly Rock, he had spent so many years in Essos that there were fears that he had changed. Elys too had his own obligations now, he was going to raise Humfrey's heir and had been appointed to an office. Just as Humfrey was trying to do what was expected of him, Elys had to do the same.

There was obviously a great void that was left behind by Lord Dale Sheeran's death. Elys wondered if it would ever be filled and the consequences that would come from failing to do so. Humfrey was different, he may not have been able to surpass his father, but he had shown himself to be at least a decent lord. Elys nodded at the sight of Humfrey trying to meet with everyone. He looked like a lord, a lord that Elys was willing to serve.

​

 

[EmpireofOne]

Sic transit gloria mundi. For all Dale found solace in family and loyalty, ultimately his life turned on one question - is virtue its own reward?

A question for the philosophers of Westeros to ponder for the rest of time. And welcome to my AAR, always nice to see a new face in the comments.

 

[Rufy_King]

Oakenshield is really in a bad situation, but the Waynwoods may be overstepping.

Meanwhile Humfrey is promising in his beginning, but will he live up to expectations?

 

[stnylan]

Well I think the Waynwoods were looking for an excuse, and have failed. In that failure they may have created an enemy.

As for Humphrey - I think the real test will come when he meets the Queen for the first time as Lord Paramount.

 

[EmpireofOne]

Chapter 115: Looking Forward

Casterly Rock
Melara Sheeran

Melara ran from her father, wooden sword in hand. Most of the room they were fighting in had been cleared to give room save for desks and chairs pushed along to the walls. Her father was right on her tail, slowing down would only mean being on the receiving end of a strike. Melara had her sights on a chair stacked on top of a desk. She planned how to use it against her father.

When she finally reached the chair, she quickly grabbed on one of the legs with her free hand and pulled on it while simultaneously stepping to the side. The chair dropped from the desk and feel straight on her father, forcing the man to recoil and deal with the sudden obstacle. Melara pounced on the opportunity and swiftly turned around to make an overhead swing on her opponent. Her father was unable to bring his sword in the way but immediately raised his arm. Melara's sword made contact and the man dropped his training sword and clutched the point that she hit.

"Ugh... very good!" Melara's father praised while still rubbing his arm.
"If they were real swords, you might've lost an arm," Melara said.
"Nice move with the chair. A good swordsman doesn't just have skills with a sword, he can use the environment to his advantage."
"It's the only way I can beat you."
"One day you might be able to stand against me. But for now, keep doing what you're doing."

Melara dropped her sword and crossed her arms.

"You'll be old and slow by then."
"Which is why you have to keep doing what you're doing."

Melara smiled and tried to catch her breath. The morning after every training session made Melara's body sore. It made it difficult to get out of bed for the first few weeks when she was younger. After years of training, the soreness still remained but Melara was able to pick herself up out of bed. Something made this worth it for her, she just did not know why. Melara did not think about it for long and went to pick up her sword. She grabbed her weapon while her father was still caressing his arm.

"Are we going again?"
"I wanted to ask you something first."

Melara eased her stance and waited for what the man had to say.

"About what?"
"I've heard rumours about Genna. What about you?"

Melara shook her head. She had never heard anything about Genna. Melara did not visit the inns or attend court often which excluded her from the gossip. There was a genuine curiosity; rumours were never in favour of the person they were about.

"What are the people saying?"
"There's a rumour spreading that Genna is pregnant even though she is unmarried."

Melara almost gasped audibly. After hearing so much about how she wanted to be with Prince Jacaerys, it was a shock to think of the possibility of her betraying that obsession. Genna had been absent for a few times, sure, but other than that, there was no other reasons to believe the rumours. It had to be slander. There was no doubt about it, this was but an attempt to smear the good name of House Sheeran.

"That can't be true. Can it?"
"I don't want to believe it either. Genna is my sister and your aunt, she is close to us."
"They're targeting the children of Lord Dale Sheeran. They can't say anything bad about you so they can only target Genna."
"This rumour has been spreading too quickly. It does feel unnatural. I hope you are right and this is only a malicious act. If the rumours are true, it'd make Genna an unattractive prospect for marriages."
"What are you going to do about it?"
"I summoned Genna, I'm going to get to the bottom of this once and for all."
"She'll want to clear her name. You should've summoned her earlier, father."

Footsteps outside the door could be heard. The door was opened by one of the guards standing outside and the man stood aside to allow Genna to come inside. Genna had her hands clasped in front of her while she tilted her head halfway down. She looked terrified. Melara understood, these rumours must have taken a toll on her. Melara's father finally stopped trying to make his arm feel better and focused on Genna.

"Brother, Melara," Genna said.
"Genna, please take a seat," the man said.

Genna hesitated. She turned her head to stare right at Melara. Her lip quivered and she still remained frozen.

"Humfrey, could we talk in private?"

Melara felt her eyes reflexively widen. She had grown up with Genna, they may have been aunt and niece but the two girls were practically twin sisters during their time in King's Landing. Melara wondered what made Genna not comfortable with having her around. It hurt. It was a declaration that Genna did not trust Melara. She was about to speak up when she saw her father nod at her.

Melara sighed and uncrossed her arms. She grabbed both of the wooden swords laying on the ground and carried them to the door. The swords were cradled between her body and one of her arms, giving Melara a free hand to pull open the door revealing the hallway outside. One of the guards outside closed the door behind her and bowed his head. Melara began heading down the hall with the swords in her arms.

Something made her stop. She quietly placed both swords along the wall of the corridor. Melara crept quietly back to the door, being careful so as she would not make any noise. The guards stared at her but rolled their eyes and resumed their watch when Melara begged with her eyes. She placed an ear beside the slot that separated the doorway and door. Melara could hear her father and aunt inside.

"She should be gone by now," Melara's father said.
"When you summoned me... I knew exactly why," Genna said.
"The rumours, Genna, what can you tell me about the rumours?"
"They say that I'm pregnant."
"Well... are you?"

There was a sudden silence. Melara thought that she was missing vital information but then heard sniffling behind the door.

"It's true. I've laid with another man. I'm with his child."
"Who is the father?"
"A travelling noble. We spent some time together and now he's gone."
"Who is it? If he's some minor landholder, I'll gut him like a fish."
"Please don't kill him!"

Melara never felt as excited as she was right now. Her heart raced and sweat formed on her brow. There was something about gossip and secrets that felt exhilarating. She wanted to hear more but suddenly felt a tugging on her dress. Melara almost screamed but refrained in order to conceal her presence to the two inside.

Melara looked up and saw her sister Leana. She did not hear her coming, she wondered if it was because of silent feet or the fact that she was so in tune with the conversation. The little girl had a neutral expression, completely unaware of what was happening inside. Melara placed a finger perpendicular to her lips, a sign of being silent. She shushed as quiet as possible while slowly bringing Leana away from the door.

"What are you doing?" Leana asked.
"Shh, be quiet," Melara said. "Father and Aunt Genna are talking in there. But, why are you here?"
"I'm bored. I want to play with you."
"I'm busy."
"Father and Aunt Genna are busy. You're not."
"I'll play with you a little later."
"Can we play now?"
"Not now."

Leana pouted her lips.

"Please?"
"I'll play with you later. Right now, I'm busy."
"You're always busy. Why don't you play with me?"
"I'll play with you, we can play whatever you want. But please, let me just-"
"If you don't play with me now, I'll scream. Father will hear you."

​

Melara bit her lip. Leana crossed her arms, an action she most definitely picked up from the adults around her. She had a smug grin and remained silent, waiting for Melara's response. Melara had no choice, she could not be exposed lest she wanted to erode what little trust she still had with Genna.

"Fine. Let's go, just don't make any noise."

Leana smiled and took Melara's hand. Even at half her height, the little girl lead Melara away. The two quietly made their way down the hall when they spotted Maester Lester heading in the direction of the room where the private conversation was happening. As Melara and Leana approached, Melara could see a letter in his hands. The sigil on the seal was obscured by the Maester's fingers and the shadows they produced. With what little bits were exposed, Melara believed the seal was of the three-headed dragon of House Targaryen. The Maester stopped walking and bowed his head at the two girls.

"Lady Melara, Lady Leana," the Maester greeted.
"Maester Lester, are you going to see my father?" Melara asked.
"Yes, a letter from King's Landing."
"He's currently having a private conversation with my aunt."
"I will wait for them to finish, it's nothing urgent."

Melara felt another wave of tugging on her sleeve.

"Come on, I want to play!" Leana whined.
"I shall leave you two to resume your business. Have a good day, my ladies."

The Maester bowed his head again and continued along his path. Leana pulled on Melara even harder and lead her away. Melara thought about the rumour during the entire trip. It was true and at House Sheeran's expense, but something about it intrigued Melara. She always thought herself above the intrigue and politics of the court. But this, Melara realized this was a part of it and she enjoyed it. Melara completely droned out from Leana's dragging. She came to understand that the court was an arena, an arena that facilitated dirty fighting, not the one that Melara was used to, but another kind of dirty fighting.

Oakenshield
Lanna Sheeran

It had been a few months since Hugh Waynwood's fateful visit. Lanna did not rest. No matter the occasion, she plotted her revenge against the Waynwoods and Tarlys. She put herself off eating when the graphic images of Hugh and Anya Waynwood's corpses came to her mind. The peace and tranquillity of a bath was disturbed by the plans for war and violence. Not even her dreams were safe as Lanna lived out fantasies where she would be the one to deliver the sentence and punishment. But every time her mind returned itself to the world around her, it only showed her how far she was actually from her goal.

Lanna was meeting with her councillors in the council chamber. For months they planned and yet had no feasible strategy to take down the Waynwoods. House Sheeran of Oakenshield was a small house, nothing like the branch in control of Casterly Rock. They had no resources or influence. House Waynwood had the support of the Queen and control of Highgarden, dwarfing Lanna's position.

Ser Willas and Alekyne sat in silence, staring at the table. They had helped Lanna through her greatest trial but had nothing. Lanna feared that she had used up all of their potential and now had empty husks that could not think of a plan.

"First, we need allies," Ser Willas said. "Alone we don't have the men. But with allies, at least we'll last a few months."
"Everyone is being careful these days. They know which houses the Waynwoods are keeping an eye on. I'd understand if they wished to avoid being associated with us," Alekyne explained.
"House Dayne would have protected us had Gerold not died along the way," Lanna said.
"It'll be difficult to find a strong ally. Every house of The Reach is either under close watch or avoiding the former."

Lanna leaned forward. She eyed the parchments on the table. There were a few plans written on them, some were scribbled out while some were not fleshed out. Beside these sheets was a map of The Reach. It was not detailed and only displayed Oakenshield's neighbours.

"Alekyne, what about our neighbours? Are any of them looking for alliances?"
"House Chester has a few sons to marry off. Especially after Lord Chester was taken."
"It was no coincidence that my father was taken a week after Lord Chester was. He sold him out. Give me another house."

Alekyne played with his lip and then shook his head.

"Unfortunately, as far as we know, House Chester is the only house with available sons. Not only that, they are a few hours away from us. There are strategic reasons to ally with the Chesters."
"He's right, my lady. If we were to form an alliance between all four of the Shield Islands, we could combine our navies and armies to protect against the Waynwoods," Ser Willas said.
"Houses Serry and Grimm are loyal to the Waynwoods. For now, we can only ally with the Chesters."

Lanna nodded her head.

"Make the arrangements, Alekyne," Lanna said. "I will marry one of the sons, on condition that our children will be Sheerans."
"As you wish, my lady."
"If these were happier times, I may have been able to marry for love rather than politics."
"We'll fight for those happier times," Ser Willas said.

Alekyne rested his elbows on the table.

"With that done, let us turn back to the Waynwoods. Hugh Waynwood has not been hiding his travels. He's currently seeing the Redwynes," Alekyne said.
"Hugh is Anya's dog," Lanna said angrily.
"I don't even know what Anya's done since she took power. It seems like Hugh is the one doing everything," Ser Willas said.

Sometimes, it just took the right sentence to make ideas flow. Lanna began to break down the bigger picture. Anya ruled Highgarden, but it was Hugh that was going around and doing her bidding. She had never even met Anya, she was not an enigma, she just kept herself in Highgarden. Lanna then smiled.

"How do the lords feel about Hugh?"
"They don't think highly of him," Alekyne answered.
"And how do they think about Anya?"
"She hasn't made any real public appearances or declarations."

Ser Willas' eyes widened. He snapped his fingers and sat up straight, a devilish smile took over his face.

"I think I know what you're getting at, my lady," Ser Willas said. "Hugh's the one doing everything. Maybe he should be the one to rule? And how would Hugh become the one to rule?"
"They fight. Yes, Hugh can most likely be convinced that he deserved Highgarden."
"Why fight against a greater army when we can turn them against each other?" Lanna asked, her smile growing to match Ser Willas'.
"My lady, I believe there's only one way to entice him. You'll have to invite him back here and speak to him yourself."

Lanna gulped. She had not thought that she would have to be the one. There was truth to it though, who better to convince the man than her? He was a proud man and would have put aside his prejudice of House Sheeran for a chance to climb the ranks. Lanna nodded her head and stared at Alekyne.

"You're right. I must ready myself. He could come straight from The Arbor if we were to send the invitation. He could be here tomorrow for all we know."
"Then we must be ready, this'll be good," Ser Willas said.
"My lady, Ser Willas and I will handle all affairs. For now, focus on building your case. You'll only have one chance at this before Hugh gets suspicious."

Lanna nodded and dismissed the council. She had it, she had her plan. The plans that came before were all revolved around Oakenshield and Middlebury's ability to hold out. Lanna felt like an idiot for taking so long to figure this new strategy out. She soon rationalized that it was not that stupid to take some time to think. Other councils had greater lords with larger councils, it was a miracle to reach a plan that intricate after all. The decisions and plans that changed history always took time. Lanna returned to her special world, imagining how her revenge would impact the history of The Reach. She was pleased.

King's Landing
Humfrey Sheeran

Humfrey waited in the gardens for the Queen. He had been summoned to the capital for an audience with Queen Allyria Targaryen herself. Despite her long reign, Humfrey had never gotten the chance to meet her. It was quite the contrast to the relationship his father shared with her. It was quite intimidating, the Queen was over seventy but had known Humfrey's father since they were both barely considered adults. Humfrey knew he had to shape up, the Queen would most definitely expect a lot from the son of her greatest friend.

She was taking her time. Humfrey waited at the meeting spot with Captain Tyrek and a few guards. He stood up straight while the guards leaned on pillars or sat down on benches. Not exactly professional, but these men were all veterans of Humfrey's journeys over in Essos.

"No disrespect to the Queen, but where in Seven Hells is she?" Tyrek asked.
"She'll be here. She's the Queen, she's busy," Humfrey answered.
"Not exactly a good idea to keep the most powerful vassal in the realm waiting."
"I'm willing to wait. King's Landing is nice and I'd like to stay here a little longer."
"I'd rather be waiting in the streets instead of this boring garden."

The Queen finally arrived at the scene with five of her Queensguard. Humfrey's guards immediately stood up straight to match the disciplined knights standing behind the Queen. Allyria Targaryen was quite old, a lot older than he expected. Wrinkles covered her face, considering the events of her reign, each of them must have had their own story. Her skin was pale and her eyes were bloodshot. Humfrey wondered what plagued the Queen's mind to tear at her body.

Humfrey bend the knee in front of Allyria. He bowed his head and looked at the stones in front of where she stood.

"Your Grace," Humfrey greeted.

The Queen did not say a word. She was frozen all over except for her hands which were clasped in front of her, they trembled noticeably.

"Your Grace?" one of the Queensguard asked.

Her chest expanded and then contracted. She took several heavy breathes while the Queensguard held their hands out as if they were ready to catch her.

"I'm sorry. Rise. Thank you for coming, Lord Humfrey," Allyria said.

Humfrey stood up.

"I was honoured to receive your invitation," Humfrey said.

Humfrey could see the Queen bite her lip. She blinked rapidly and placed one hand on her cheek. Allyria caressed her cheek for a bit before taking her hand off. Her eyes began to shine, not because they were beautiful, but because tears began forming.

"I'm sorry. You just look so much like your father; you sound like him too."
"You wished to discuss something with me, Your Grace?"

The Queen shook her head quickly like a dog shaking off water.

"Y-yes... come, we'll talk while walking."

Allyira extended her arm in the direction of a path through the garden. The two passed by beautiful floral arrangements and tall trees, each more spectacular than the last. Behind them both were Humfrey's guards and the five Queensguard.

"Like my father, I will serve House Targaryen faithfully. I will never betray you and your family, Your Grace."

There was something odd about the Queen's response to the statement. Humfrey did not know what was going on. By the look on her face, the Queen was repulsed, even disgusted at Humfrey's declaration.

"Lord Humfrey, as the son of Dale, you have inherited the most powerful of The Seven Kingdoms. Your armies are grand and your wealth is vast. I would be a fool not to put you at the forefront of my loyal forces. You will be one of the first generals I will look to. And not just me, I will expect you to support my son Jacaerys when I'm gone."

​

"Your Grace, I will accept any commands that are given to me. How is Prince Jacaerys?"
"He is ready to rule. I think you'd like him. He is honourable, kind, and just, he will be a ruler loved by all."
"Just like you, Your Grace."

The Queen tilted her head down and quickly laughed to herself.

"You even compliment like your father."
"Is something bothering you, Your Grace?"
"No. Nothing at all. Any Queen or mother should be worried about the next generation when they're gone."
"My father told me he was also worried; you two are quite similar."

The Queen kept her head low and muttered to herself.

"Quite similar... Yes... considering what happened to Daemion..."
"Your Grace?"

Allyria perked her head up.

"Nothing. Lord Humfrey, your father was also called 'The Warden of Westeros.' This was because he held three out of the four warden positions. While I have a capable Warden of The North, I will grant you the other titles your father held."

​

"As long as I live, Westeros will never worry about a foreign invasion."
"I regret we didn't get to meet much, your father raised you well. I don't question your loyalty to House Targaryen."
"To serve House Targaryen is to act for the good of the realm."
"The good of the realm..." Allyria said quietly to herself.

The Queen stopped walking. Humfrey turned his head back and saw Allyria place her arm over her forehead. She tilted her head up and blinked rapidly before falling to one knee. The Queensguard gathered around her and helped the Queen sit down on a nearby bench. She struggled to keep her head up and stared at the ground. Humfrey stood in front of Allyria and knelt down in front of her to look her in the eyes.

"Your Grace? Are you alright?"

The Queen hesitated for a bit but eventually laughed.

"I'm old, Lord Humfrey. It happens. But thank you. Thank you for your words."
"My words?"
"I came into this meeting, worried. Not because of you, but because of other reasons. I don't wish to talk about it, not now. Humfrey, I'm sorry I didn't attend your father's funeral. But, I'm sure he would be proud of you."
"Your words are kind, Your Grace."
"Everything Dale did, he did it for the good of the realm. I now know that to be true."
"You doubted my father?"
"No, as I've said, I don't want to talk about it right now."

One of the Queensguard helped the Queen back to her feet. Allyria still mostly kept her head down.

"Your Grace, I think we should take you back to your chambers," the Queensguard helping Allyria suggested.

Humfrey stood up and made room for the Queensguard to move Allyria. She tried to make eye contact with Humfrey and smiled.

"I'm glad I got to meet you at least once. I'm glad the spirit of your father lives on in some way."

Humfrey bowed his head.

"Please get well soon, Your Grace."

The Queensguard hastily brought Allyria back in the direction of The Red Keep. Humfrey was left in the garden with Tyrek and the guards who went back to leaning and sitting around. There was something off about the Queen, Humfrey could not place it. Something was bothering her. She was said to be one of the strongest Targaryen rulers since Aegon the Conqueror; it would have to have been a great thing to distract someone as great as Allyria.

While the Queen's demeanour was strange, everything else had gone as expected. He got to declare his loyalty and receive most of the titles his father relinquished upon his death. Seeing the Queen's condition, however, confirmed Humfrey's beliefs that she would not have much time left. He wondered if he should organize a meeting with Prince Jacaerys before returning to Casterly Rock in order to gauge the future king. Allyria was one of the last few holdouts of the previous generation. With her eventual death, Westeros would finally enter a new chapter of its history and Humfrey would be at the front of this new age of lords.

 

[Rufy_King]

I am really curious about the prince as well, all we know for now is that the daughter of a lord loved him. And in canon Sansa Stark's case that was not really a good indication.

 

[stnylan]

Now that is a curious meeting, but it seems Allyria is coming to terms with the difficulties thrown up by Dale's illness and demise ... but her own passing may not be far off.

One wonders she may may tell her son of his time.

Melara ... I think Melara could yet become a favourite.

 

[EmpireofOne]

Chapter 116: A New Era

Casterly Rock
Genna Sheeran

Genna watched the serving man bury the small casket. He was the only one attending this makeshift funeral. The man could not say any words about the deceased as he had lost his tongue to highwaymen many years ago; at least that was what Genna had heard. The two were on a secluded section of the mountain, far from any watching eyes. While she was safe from others, she also had nothing to fear about word spreading. Servants who could not speak were in high demand.

The waves crashing along the shore and mountain betrayed the occasion, they were soothing. Genna kept her eyes on the man rather than what he was burying. She could not bear to look at it. It was not just a mistake, it was a loss. The noise of the shovel dropping dirt into the hole made Genna cringe as the sound somehow timed itself to always come between the waves.

It had been a fortnight since the last time she drank Moon Tea and yet still tasted it somehow. Genna licked the inside of her mouth, trying to get rid of the sensations of mint and honey, two of the several ingredients that made Moon Tea. Her perspective of the situation began to change, imagining how fragile life was if something as innocent as a spot of tea could end life before it began. She kept reminding herself that it was a mistake, but it was also something that was denied life.

Humfrey had kept Genna away from the court. Rumours were rumours, but the truth was a dangerous weapon if wielded correctly. He must have been desperate to cover up the incident as Genna had never seen this man before today. The man was mute but also avoided Genna's eye, not making any judgemental expressions or sounds. Humfrey must have paid a lot for this man.

The thing in the ground did not have a name. It never had a nameday, why should it have a name? In a way, this made things a little easier. Genna continued thinking of it as an object rather than something with potential. She could not forget what it was, she saw it for herself, it was going to be a son.

​

Genna's eyes turned to the ocean. It was a temporary distraction that did not last long as the serving man continued his business. Nothing was stopping her from just leaving, if she wanted to, she could leave the man to bury the casket. However, something compelled her to stay. She felt many emotions, but one that became prevalent was her frustration at the serving man who had dug a huge hole. Was it really necessary to dig so deep for something so small?

Genna closed her eyes. She then heard a new noise, an uninvited addition to the sounds of crashing waves and shovelling of dirt. Her hearing focused on the new sound, trying to figure out what it was. It was footsteps. Genna looked over to the way she came from to see who it was. The unexpected guest to this private event was Melara, her niece.

Melara stopped as soon as she locked eyes with Genna. The young woman tilted her head down and had her lips retreat into her mouth. She had her hands clasped together in front of her waist and resumed walking after waiting for a few moments. The serving man stopped his work when he noticed Melara approaching.

"Genna," Melara called.
"What are you doing here? How do you know about this?" Genna asked.
"The rumours."
"The rumours know where I am right now?"

Melara opened her mouth to speak but stopped, trying to think of something else to say.

"I... I followed you. You spent weeks locked in your room with few servants coming and going. And then suddenly you just leave, something was happening."
"Were you followed?"
"No. You're lucky, Captain Tyrek was in charge of my guards for this hour. He trusts me to keep myself safe."

Genna frowned and then cleared some grass away from a large stone. She sat down and sighed. Melara was intruding but there was nothing she could do or say to make her leave. When the serving man noticed Genna was not entirely bothered by Melara's arrival, he continued piling dirt into the hole.

"Why are you here?"
"I just wanted to know if you were alright. My father's away and you look like you could use all the help you could get."
"What could you do to help me? I don't think you've noticed, but what's done is done."
"We're family, we have to stick together."
"Sticking together would only make this bigger than it needs to be. This was a mistake. That's it."

Melara shook her head. Her expression was one of disapproval. She looked back at the serving man who seemed to pay no attention to them, although, his ears looked to have been kept wide open to listen in. Melara then crossed her arms.

"Mistake? I agree, something was a mistake here. But it isn't what's in the ground right now. That thing was a child, it would have had a life."

Genna bit her lip and closed her eyes. She may have been inclined to agree, but believing the thing in the ground to be no more than an object was her coping mechanism. This was not out of malice, she could have loved the child, but it was dead and it was in Genna's best interests to move on. Sentimentality was weakness and showing weakness would have aroused suspicion.

"I did what I had to do."
"I prayed it was just slander or some elaborate ruse, but now that's it true, I believe you did wrong. Do you think your reputation is really worth more than some child that doesn't know better?"
"You wouldn't understand."
"Enlighten me."
"If everyone knew the truth. It would make me undesirable to the lords of the realm."

Melara scoffed at Genna.

"Forget what other men and women say. Our house is strong, what real damage could this scandal do to our father's wealth and armies?"
"I knew you wouldn't understand. You're always so busy with your swords to understand court."
"If court makes mothers kill children, then court is stupid. I may spend time with swords, but at least I don't kill someone that couldn't defend themselves."

Genna abruptly stood up. Tears had been building up alongside anger that made her body boil in contrast to the sea breeze.

"Who are you to tell me what I did was right or wrong?! I am the one who had to carry that child, I am the one who drank the moon tea, and I am the one who had to birth it. I did everything, don't tell me that I was wrong. You were nothing to this child!"

Melara was speechless. She tried to think of something to say. Genna had won a small victory, any other occasion or topic would have made her happy. But this victory was bittersweet, the bitterness overtaking the sweet by tenfold. The serving man was finally done, he began patting the dirt with his shovel to further conceal the grave. With no reason to stay, Genna pushed past her sister and made her way back to the keep.

"Genna."

Genna ignored Melara. Her fists felt like they were collapsing in on themselves, swallowing themselves from the inside. Her body and head continued to generate a great amount of warmth. Tears fell down her cheeks and she refrained from making any sounds to stay strong in Melara's eyes. Once she was a respectable distance away, she sniffled. When she was finally away from Melara, she cried.

Things were looking good at first. Genna was taking steps to forget about what she had done, what she was getting rid of. Melara had a tendency to ruin things for Genna when they were both younger.Ttrue to form, she had disrupted Genna's desire to move on. Genna tried so hard to continue with the thoughts she harboured from before. It was too late, Genna knew that inside the casket was her son. The seed had been planted.

Oakenshield
Lanna Sheeran

Hugh Waynwood seemed to be enjoying the food. Lanna did not have much money to buy fine meats or expensive drinks, she kept most of her money in reserve for her plans. She was relieved, knowing Hugh, Lanna would not put it past him to have her arrested for serving him poor food. The man was focusing on eating instead of making conversation. This did not bother Lanna, it gave her time to go through the words she would use to convince Hugh one last time.

The dining hall was intimate. While both Lanna and Hugh sat at opposite ends of the table, it was close enough for both to touch each other's hands if they reached. Lanna stuck her fork in a piece of venison. She tried to bring it to her mouth and eat but her hand shook, waving the fork a sword in small scale. So much plagued her mind. Would he comment about how I ate? she thought to herself.

Lanna would eat whenever the man was busy staring at his plate. Every now and then, the man brought his eyes up from his food to keep his eye on the young girl. His expression showed confusion. Lanna began to worry. Maybe he thinks I poisoned the food or wine? Lanna reflexively stuck the piece of meat in her mouth and quickly washed it down with wine. She hoped this gesture would break the tension.

"The food's pretty good," Hugh said with a full mouth. "Although, I'm more curious about why you called me here than what's for dessert."

Lanna put down her utensils.

"I-I believe we can help each other, my lord," Lanna said.
"Really? I'm listening."
"What do you think of your sister?"

Hugh put down his utensils. The man squinted his eyes and tilted his head.

"Why do you care? What do you think of your sister?"
"Do you think she deserves to rule Highgarden?"

Hugh drank from his cup, obviously buying time.

"She's won that right by conquest."
"She may be the eldest child, but you are the eldest son. Surely you have some claim to Highgarden?"

Hugh drank from his cup again. This time, when he brought it back down to the table, the man had the mischievous smile he commonly displayed. Lanna felt a tingling in her spine at the sight of it.

"I know what you're trying to do."

Lanna froze. Her throat was a battlefield of sensations; she tried so hard to not show any signs of fear. She quickly picked up her cup, drinking from it to conceal her gulp with wine.

"My lord?"
"You're trying to turn me against Anya."
"B-b-because y-It's because you deserve to rule. You are the rightful heir."
"I suppose you're wondering why I'm not calling for your execution. Well, I know you have much more than that. I'll humour you, I'll listen to your full plan before I consider what happens next."

Lanna felt air escape through her mouth. It came out constantly, like a cold breeze consistently coming from the ocean. She always had the fantasy that her plan would be carried out effortlessly without any problems. In a few short seconds, it was over. Two options, do I try to get out of this or press even harder? she thought. Lanna took a deep breath and then cleared her throat.

"I'm not the only one that thinks you'd be better for The Reach. How many lords have you visited since Anya took power?"
"All the ones that matter."
"And how many has Anya visited?"

Hugh laughed softly and then leaned in closer.

"Not as many as me."
"Everyone fears Anya. I fear her. She is a mystery. She is like a shadow that is ready to strike anywhere."

Hugh kept his smile and stroked his chin, occasionally letting his fingers touch his mustache.

"She does have that reputation. And what you're getting at is that if I were to remove her, everyone would see me as a saviour rather than some other Waynwood?"

Lanna nodded her head.

"Anya is the one that has taken and killed lords. You, my lord, you're innocent."

Hugh snorted through his nose.

"You and I both know that you blame me for your father's death. Even I know I don't have clean hands."

Lanna looked at her plate and tapped the table.

"We'd be willing to forgive you... At least, we would never pursue revenge. All we want is a truce, a guarantee of peace."
"Hmm, you'll never be fully rid of your desires. Not much of a fair exchange."
"My lord, I'm not stupid like my father. We don't have the strength to back up any plotting."

Hugh raised his head slightly, exposing his neck while still keeping his eyes on Lanna.

"You're admitting you're weak instead of making some foolish attempt to lie to me. I kind of respect that, but it doesn't help your case. Why should I ally with a small house?"
"As I've said before, my lord, there are other houses that would support you."
"Do you have any houses in mind?"
"I don't know any houses exactly, I just know that people would support you."
"So you don't know?"

Lanna thought she was prepared. She had so many ideas and arguments to make. But Hugh's quick responses made Lanna discard points she never even got to make.

"My lord, The Reach needs a ruler that involves themselves with the lesser lords. The great Dale Sheeran involved himself with his lords, he didn't lock himself up in Casterly Rock and let it become every man for himself."
"Honestly, I think we're doing just fine with the current arrangement. Anya may not show herself often, but the lords as you've said fear her. She has become an idea rather than another ruler to be overthrown like our father. I don't need what you're offering me."

Things were taking a turn for the worst. She had spent weeks in solitude plotting out her plan. They were her dreams, her thoughts, and yet, nothing was convincing him. Hugh sat in silence, waiting while he kept smiling. I have no other options. It's over, she thought. But, just like when she first conceived her plan with her council. It took just one sentence to make the ideas flow. He doesn't want what I'm offering. I have no choice, I have to give him what I want.

"The plotters."
"The plotters?"
"My father was among these plotters. Did he reveal who he was working with?"
"No, he was content eating stale bread in his cramped cell."
"You'll never find out who's disloyal by threatening and kidnapping lords."

Hugh leaned back in his seat. His smile was taken away in favour of a neutral expression.

"I'm listening."
"If you were to organize your own rebellion against Anya. You'd know which lords would be willing to betray her. And then when you're lord, you'll have the power and knowledge to take them all down."
"It wouldn't make the lords loyal to me if I were to betray those that raised me up."
"I don't the think the lords are loyal to you now."

Hugh snickered to himself.

"Good point. But if I were to make a few adjustments to the plan, I could easily figure out who the plotters were. I think you've given me a valuable strategy, Lady Lanna."
"Will you rise up against your sister?"
"I think I will. You may not have convinced me with your original points. But these plotters have eluded me long enough, I will let their desires to defeat Anya betray them."
"I only ask that you let us live in peace."

Hugh smirked.

"I owe you for this. I've been thinking of ways to expose the plotters against my house. I can guarantee that I won't come after you, however, I can only promise that I can talk to Lord Tarly about peace."

Lannna sighed in relief quietly. She even almost smiled.

"Thank you, my lord. Thank you."
"On one condition."
"What?"
"You will join me when I take over."
"Oh. Um... Of course, our armies will join your rebellion."
"With the way I'll be doing things, I won't need armies."

Lanna was now at a complete disadvantage. She may have conceded the momentum throughout the conversation but now she was in full retreat. Hugh's words were vague but clear enough to make Lanna uncomfortable about her ignorance to its meaning. You need armies to take over castles. How can he take over a castle without an army? she thought.

Regret ran through her veins. Her last second pitch was a final desperate attempt, something she had not planned for. While it may have sent Hugh in the right direction, was she wrong to propose this plan? The plotters may not have reached out to Lanna but they were still potential allies. They were her father's allies. She had betrayed them to buy her freedom. But then again, they would have been caught eventually even without Lanna's input. Is it right to make the most out of an inevitability rather than let the opportunities go to waste? Survival was Lanna's goal, and she was going to take the opportunity to achieve it.

"I will do as you say, my lord."

King's Landing
Humfrey Sheeran

Prince Jacaerys was in a bad mood. Humfrey tried to cheer the man up but his attempts fell on deaf ears. He was of similar age to Humfrey; the two actually had quite a lot in common. The two would have gotten along quite well if not for all the things on Jacaerys' plate. His mother was ill and so was his second wife. Both looked like they would not make it to the end of the year which added more salt to the wound.

Humfrey and the Prince were sitting on chairs on one of the balconies of The Red Keep. They had a good view of the city, seeing all the buildings that were dwarfed by the Great Sept of Baelor. The city was much more magnificent than Lannisport and interested Humfrey. While Humfrey gawked, Jacaerys still leaned back in his seat and sipped wine from the cups resting on the table between them.

"This could be my city within the fortnight," Jacaerys said in a worried tone.
"Your mother's a fighter," Humfrey assured.
"She can't fight forever."
"She told me that she's prepared you for the crown."

Jacaerys closed his eyes and nodded.

"She's done what she could. But you can prepare for something your whole life, only to watch everything you prepared collapse in seconds."
"Life's quite a fickle bitch."

Jacaerys laughed.

"Yes. The gods do love to play their tricks. I could do everything in my power to make things good for the realm, and the gods will still try to undermine that as if they desired chaos."
"I'm not much of a prayer. But if that's true, the gods are a bunch of fools aren't they?"
"That's why good isn't enough in this world. Strength, wealth, and respect. All those things are needed to back up my actions."
"I never really thought about it like that."

Jacaerys sighed.

"If I were to levy more grain to bolster our stores for winter. It could save more lives. But even if more people would survive, there would be those that would oppose the move. That's where those three tenets come in. Strength to intimidate, wealth to purchase, or respect to convince."

Humfrey remained seated and crossed his arms.

"A sad reality. Now that I think about it, the Queen had an abundance of those three things didn't she?"
"She did. The greatest dragon since Balerion the Black Dread for strength, the support of House Sheeran for wealth, and a long and prosperous rule for respect."
"I don't know about the dragon, but you still have the support of House Sheeran. We can work together on that long and prosperous reign too."

Jacaerys laughed.

"Thank you. Your humour and support have made things easier for me."
"You're more than ready for the throne. My father, the great Dale Sheeran inherited Casterly Rock when he was two years old. Imagine how quickly that could've ended."
"My mother has had an interesting life. She's conquered lands and defeated rebels. The legacy she has left behind will be a challenging one to beat."

Humfrey drank from his cup for the first time. Jacaerys' dilemma made him think.

"My father's left quite a legacy too. I still wonder if I have enough years to surpass a seventy year reign."
"Well then, maybe we can help each other. It was the relationship our parents shared that allowed for all of this to happen."
"Aye, nobody can stop us if our houses were to stand by each other."
"I am thankful for your support. I want to be a good king to deserve your loyalty."
"You will be."

Jacaerys sighed.

"I hope you're right. I feared for the realm at the thought of Orys succeeding my mother. He was not the most gentle of people."
"My father did not have many good things to say about him either."
"My mother believes he was murdered but that doesn't matter. In the end, I'm actually kind of glad he's gone. He would've made for a terrible king if his time in Yunkai was anything to go by."
"I'd say focus on yourself. I'll never be as calm and noble as my father, but there are still other ways I can leave my own legacy."

Jacaerys nodded.

"Yes, I need to focus on my own legacy rather than get caught up in the legacies of my brother and mother."

Humfrey heard the door back inside the room suddenly open. Jacaerys did not seem to notice. Humfrey tapped the Prince on the elbow and turned his head to the doorway that lead into the room. Just as Humfrey brought his head over, a man wearing ornate armour stepped onto the balcony and bent the knee. His armour identified himself to be one of the Queensguard, something must have happened for a man as high as this to be seeking Jacaerys.

"My Prince," the Queensguard greeted.
"How is my mother?" Jacaerys asked.
"The Queen... the Queen..."
"Spit it out man!" Humfrey berated.
"The Queen's illness suddenly got worse. The Maester didn't see it coming. She has passed."

​

Jacaerys did not scream or cry. He was not even surprised. Humfrey was not as shocked either, the Queen was old and ill. Instead of surprise, Humfrey felt his heart sink. The Queen ruled almost as long as Humfrey was alive; she was one of the true constants in his life. He had heard so many stories and songs about the Queen that she almost seemed immortal to him. The news was a grim reminder of something that Humfrey had tried to forget since his father's death: even the greatest of men and women die.

"Your Grace, I'm sorry to have kept you from your mother's deathbed," Humfrey said.
"She's already told me enough. As much as I wanted to see her off. Sitting here and talking to you hasn't been a total waste of time."

Humfrey nodded his head. He could see that Jacaerys was trying to maintain his composure in front of him. Humfrey wanted to tell him that he did not need to look strong, he would understand if he cried. He had only met Jacaerys on several occasions and tried to gauge the man. Relief was one of the things that entered Humfrey's mind. Jacaerys may never do the things his mother did but Humfrey was satisfied with the man's character. He was a kind man with some self-awareness, a great start for any king.

Humfrey put his hand on Jacaerys' shoulder, nodding his head and giving a knowing look. As Jacaerys said, today's talk was not a waste of time. It took watching another man struggle with the same problem for Humfrey to deal with his own issue of ruling in the shadow of his father's legacy. His father had built a great titan for Humfrey to overcome, but that was the problem, Humfrey should never have even considered toppling that daunting beast. He was not his father. He was his own man. A man making his own legacy.

 

[Rufy_King]

Jacaerys sound like a good king. If Humfrey stays on his side, wealth, strength and respect are not only an hope.

 

[stnylan]

Well he talks the talk - now to see if he can indeed sit on that throne and rule wisely. Only one way to find out.

Poor Lanna is not really up to her situation.

 

[EmpireofOne]

Chapter 117: A Change in Management


Highgarden
Lanna Sheeran

It took a long time to plan but the time was now. Hugh Waynwood had gathered a group of conspirators to overthrow his sister Anya Waynwood. Lanna was puzzled, he had enough support to gather an army big enough to defeat any loyalist force. Instead of fighting, Hugh invited all of the lords to join him at Highgarden, to see to his plans.

Lanna felt uneasy as she walked through the halls of Highgarden with her small escort. The whole reason she had done this was for Hugh and Anya to bleed each other dry. Where were the armies? Where was the vicious war that would cost thousands of lives? As Lanna continued down the halls, she took note of how there were hundreds of soldiers in every corridor. They all wore the sigil of House Waynwood and yet Lanna had no idea who they would serve.

Eventually Lanna reached a group of nobles gathering around someone. The person they were surrounding was Hugh who had his own force of guards. She did not recognize the men with him, only their sigils. The more prominent of the sigils were the Hightowers and Redwynes. Below them were the Cranes and Merryweathers. While these men alone had enough troops to stand up to the loyalists, the men with Hugh only had a small band of guards.

Hugh smiled when he noticed Lanna arriving with her men. He weaved through the Hightower men and greeted Lanna with open arms.

"Lady Sheeran!" Hugh said happily. "I'm glad that you could make it."
"My lord," Lanna said.
"Well, we have everyone we need now. I don't think we should keep my sister waiting."
"Waiting? What do you mean waiting?" the old man standing in front of the Hightower soldiers asked.
"A figure of speech. By the end of the day, Highgarden will be ours. Don't you worry those little heads of yours. Come now, let's go overthrow my sister."

He's so nonchalant for someone about to overthrow his sister, Lanna thought. She could feel her spine dance erratically. The Waynwood guards she passed were numerous and well-equipped. All of them wore fine plate armour and carried spears, swords, or shields that all looked finely polished. In comparison, the men accompanying Hugh's supporters were small in number and wore armour that had seen better days.

Hugh had his own squad of guards with him. However, they were not many and Lanna worried about how such a small group would fare against the garrison of the castle. She passed by an open door in the corridor, the room looked big enough to fit her and the rest of her allies, maybe they should retreat in there and funnel the enemy.

"Why are there a lot of guards out?" the man leading the Redwyne soldiers asked.
"A lot more than I expected," Hugh answered, his smile still on his face.

Lanna had no more time to worry as the group finally arrived outside the great hall. Anya was supposed to be behind those doors, there was no turning back. Everyone looked nervous, even the guards protecting Hugh showed fear. Hugh on the other hand still had a skip in his step, his smile refusing to make way for reasonable emotions.

"Are we ready?" Lanna asked.
"As ready as we'll ever be. Let's get in there. Have faith, my loyal subjects, we will prevail."

Hugh did not even wait for a response before stepping toward the doors. The guards opened the door for him and were lead into the great hall. While the guards in the corridors were many, the great hall was a new level of ridiculousness. The guards stood in rows and columns, shoulder to shoulder. It looked more like battle formations instead of men standing watch.

At the far end of the elongated hall was Anya Waynwood, sitting in her chair. There were many guards but the only man standing close enough to swing his sword at the woman was a knight wearing armour with intricate floral patterns. His armour was black with green along the trimmings, the man was most likely the captain of Anya's guard.

Anya scowled at the party. Lanna had heard Anya was always an angry woman and that seemed to be true as she did not seem pleased to see her own brother. Hugh disregarded the reception and crossed his arms when he stood at a respectable distance from his sister and her guard.

He was still calm after being confronted by this army. Every single one of the guards on his side kept their hands close to their weapons. There's enough guards in this hall alone to cut us down.

"Hugh," Anya said.
"Anya, it's been so long. Having to go out and do your bidding and all," Hugh said.
"You've brought several vassals with you. Why?"
"These are all men that wish to pay tribute to you."

Hugh's famous mischievous smile had returned. Lanna and the rest of the lords recoiled at the statement. They were not here to pay tribute, they were here to overthrow a tyrant. Traitor! He's betrayed us! I never should've trusted him!

"Tribute?" the woman asked, leaning forward on her chair. She then leaned back lazily and gestured with her hand in a way that looked like she was dismissing them. "Then let them pay their tribute. Go on then."

Hugh began laughing.

"I guess I wasn't clear enough. That is my fault. Dear sister, these vassals bring you tribute, a tribute of steel."

The guard with black armour immediately stepped between Anya and the party and drew a sword that looked massive.

"You would betray me? Your own flesh and blood?"
"I am father's first son. Not only do I deserve Highgarden by right, but I seem to be the one doing all the work since we took over."

Anya's scowl turned to a slight smile.

"You're hopelessly outnumbered. I thought you were smart, it seems I have no other use for you."
"I'm quite smart, dear sister."

The black knight turned around and gracefully brought the edge of his blade close to Anya's neck. Anya made a sound that almost sounded like a squealing pig. At the same time, the hundreds of Waynwood guards in the room drew their weapons and oriented themselves toward Anya and the black knight, ignoring Hugh and his supporters.

"What?"

Hugh smirked and began walking toward his sister.

"You spend so much time sitting on that chair of yours, you forgot to check up on what's happening in the rest of the castle, not to mention The Reach."
"Hugh?"
"Get out of my seat."

The black knight brought his sword away from Anya. He sheathed his longsword and then grabbed Anya by the arm and dragged her out of the chair. The knight threw the woman to the ground and towered over her, preventing her from standing while Hugh sat himself in the lord's chair.

"How could you do this to me?!"
"You did it to yourself. Get her out of here."

Two guards rushed out from the formation and put away their weapons. They began dragging Anya out of the hall, she was kicking and screaming the entire way through. Hugh did not even watch his sister get taken away; he was too busy getting accustomed to the chair he had stolen from his sister. In a short period of time, Hugh had seized The Reach from his sister.

​

Lanna and the other lords were speechless. Their fears turned to amazement. While Lanna was relieved she made it out of these seemingly impossible odds intact, her plan had backfired completely. The whole purpose of this plan was to make Hugh and Anya fight each other in a bloody civil war. Now there was only one of them, and he managed to take power without spilling a single drop of blood. Worse, he knew exactly who would have been willing to stand against House Waynwood. Lanna dared not say a word, she could only stare at the smiling man sitting in the seat of Highgarden's lord.

King's Landing
Humfrey Sheeran

The Queen was dead. All reigns had to come to an end, at least, she died after a long one.

​

Succession fell to Prince Jacaerys. Humfrey considered him a man of good character, someone who could at least continue the rule that everyone had gotten used to. His coronation was a modest affair compared to his mother's. There were no sudden declarations of rebellion or visits by a dragon. It was peaceful, an omen of Jacaerys' affect on Westeros in the years to come.

​

While the transition had no major issues, Jacaerys was met with his first test rather quickly. One of the Queen's final acts was to keep her dragon, Drogon locked away in order to keep it from going wild. The beast however could not be kept in chains and hidden in some dungeon, with fire and blood, it freed itself from The Red Keep.

​

For a time, it flew over King's Landing, holding the city hostage with fear. After a long period of flying, the massive black dragon took residence in the ruins of The Dragonpit. Jacaerys had the area surrounded, Goldcloaks and his personal army were summoned to take up the task. The standoff lasted for weeks, Jacaerys had meet shipped to The Dragonpit on wagons in order to keep the dragon contained.

Precious time and resources were being expended on this crisis. It made Jacaerys look weak. Humfrey advised that the King needed to end this quickly, whether it would be through killing the beast or sending it away, Jacaerys needed to act fast. He wanted Jacaerys to chase the dragon away, Humfrey could not trust it to not harm the King. Against Humfrey's wishes, Jacaerys declared he was going to tame the dragon.

Humfrey followed Jacaerys who was leading five of his Kingsguard to The Dragonpit. The man defiantly marched ahead, as if there was nothing to be afraid of. But Humfrey was no fool, he could sense the fear in the King. If he really did want to tame a dragon, showing fear was probably not a good way to go for it. Not only was he scared, but the King was going through yet another loss. His second wife, Helaena Targaryen had recently died. So many things clouded the King's judgement, this could only go wrong.

Even as a ruin, The Dragonpit was beautiful. The stone structures were massive and had been reclaimed by nature over the centuries. There must have been some sort of magic to it as well, making Drogon return to it after a long period of inactivity. While it would have been an amazing building restored, right now, it looked like a castle under siege.

Humfrey finally caught up to Jacaerys and the Kingsguard right when they were passing the frontlines. The King wore no armour, he was wearing robes with similar colours to his mother's. He was also wearing the crown, the very same his mother placed on her head. Humfrey realized the man was trying to make himself look as much like the late Queen as possible.

Jacaerys ordered his Kingsguard to wait with the rest of the soldiers and Goldcloaks. He began stepping forward.

"Your Grace!" Humfrey called.

The King turned his head around as Humfrey passed by the Kingsguard.

"Humfrey, I am glad to see you're here," Jacaerys said.
"Are you mad? That dragon's going to tear you apart!"
"The city can't be at peace as long as Drogon remains wild."
"Then chase it away like I said!"

Jacaerys shook his head.

"I think it's my destiny to tame this dragon. I am my mother's son, it will know me."
"There's no guaranteeing that. We've just crowned you king, we can't lose you now."
"This is my only chance to tame Drogon. I am no fool, one of the things that kept my mother was a giant dragon. I have not done much yet, I need Drogon."
"You have the support of House Sheeran, you don't need the dragon."
"Better to get any advantage I can, right?"
"Not if it means getting yourself killed."

Jacaerys continued walking forward. Humfrey pushed past the Kingsguard and made it to the King's side. He tried to ignore Humfrey, but the man stayed on his tail in order to continue making his case.

"I am thankful for your support, Humfrey. But I cannot rely on House Sheeran forever. My mother was quick to utilize House Sheeran, but it was a tool, not the means for her survival. I must be self-sufficient, lest everyone call me your dog."
"So what if they call you that? You've got my might to keep them quiet."

Jacaerys smiled.

"You saying that is precisely why I must do this."
"Your Grace, Westeros needs a good king, not a dragon. I don't know much about your brother or sons, but I know you'll be a good king."
"Do you remember when we talked about the three tenets?"
"Yes, Your Grace."
"I may already have your respect and have wealth. But strength is still what I lack, I need more than just the support of House Sheeran. I need Drogon's strength."

Humfrey bit his lip. He looked back, the siege line and the Kingsguard were now quite small. The Dragonpit lay ahead, Humfrey could hear the dragon inside making noises and shaking the ground with every step it took. Undaunted, Jacaerys pressed on.

"What makes you think you can tame that dragon?"
"I've done everything I can. I've tried to look as much like my mother as possible. I am her blood too, the blood of Old Valyria in fact."
"That doesn't matter. If those things are anything like men, it'll be able to sense your fear."
"It'll be just as scared as me as I am to it."

Humfrey grabbed Jacaerys' arm, stopping the King.

"At least the dragon has fire breath and a giant set of teeth. Please, Your Grace, this is a bad idea."
"Unhand me. Humfrey, please stay back and stay quiet. The dragon may think we are moving in to kill it if more than one were to approach it."
"Your Grace, are you sure you want to do this?"
"I need to do this. If things don't go well, then support my successor."

Humfrey let go of Jacaerys' arm and frowned. He hesitated, but then nodded his head.

"As you wish, Your Grace."

Humfrey followed the King all the way to the exterior of The Dragonpit. The two walked around the perimeter of the structure until they found a section of the wall that had crumbled. Jacaerys urged Humfrey to stay back and worked his way through collapsed stones to enter the pit. Humfrey could still hear the dragon, it was practically in front of him with how loud its breathing and movement was.

Humfrey leaned against the wall and peered around the corner. He could see the beast, a massive thing that was almost as big as the ruins itself. Black scales that were like the night covered the beast while its wings and spinal plates were as red as the blood this dragon must have shed. If fear were ever made manifest, this creature would possibly be the vessel from which fear would terrorize the world.

Jacaerys approached the dragon. His strides were small and he kept his hands where the dragon could see. The beast crawled down from the walls and placed all of its limbs on the ground, slowly advancing on Jacaerys as the King refused to give any ground. Humfrey could feel his breath become irregular, he was trying to hold it in order to stay silent, he was worried any small noise would provoke the dragon.

The King held one of his hands out, carefully bringing it forward to show the dragon he only wanted to touch it. Using its long neck, the dragon brought its head forward to meet this hand. It's massive nostrils were right in front of Jacaerys, the sniffing and breathing were so intense that the crown fell off his head. For now, it looked like the dragon was at least tolerant of the King's presence.

Humfrey resisted every urge to run forward and drag the King away. It was too late to rescue him or talk him out of this, the King of the entirety of Westeros was now at the dragon's mercy. The dragon, however, also resisted its own urges. Instead of attacking or eating Jacaerys, it simply waited. It waited for the King to touch it, to run his hands along the scales that surrounded its nostrils.

Jacaerys ignored his crown on the ground and walked along the dragon, running his hand along the scales. Humfrey's interest met with another wave of worry. He may have managed to approach the dragon, but mounting it was something different altogether. Was it too quick to try to climb on? Humfrey wanted to say something, but there was no way to communicate this to the King without revealing his presence to the beast.

Once the King reached the massive wings of the dragon, he carefully stepped on, using them as if they were a set of stairs. The dragon allowed this, even moving its wing up when Jacaerys was near the top to allow him to slide on its back. Jacaerys secured himself between two spikes on the spine. Humfrey was too far to hear clearly, but the King said something. It may have been a foreign language altogether, the only thing Humfey knew was that the dragon prepared to fly the moment he said the word.

It leaped off the ground using its legs and then kept itself suspended in the air by flapping its wings. Humfrey took cover behind the wall as he could feel the great amount of force that followed each cycle of flapping. He fought through the great rushes of air and peered around the corner again. The dragon was heading into the air, lifting off. The King had done it, he had been accepted as the rider of Drogon. This was the same dragon his mother and the great Daenerys Targaryen rode.

​

After hovering over the ruins, the dragon surged forward in the direction of The Red Keep. It flew so fast that the trees and vines that blanketed the grounds of The Dragonpit threw up leaves as if they were celebrating. Humfrey could hear loud cheering all around the area, it was like the euphoria that followed a great victory in a war to decide the fate of something.

"Fire and blood! Fire and blood! Fire and blood!" the cheering from all around chanted.

The dragon soon flew out of Humfrey's view. He sat down on a big stone and leaned against wall. Humfrey sighed, it felt like all the air inside him was escaping as his back skid along the stone wall from sinking down. He had reason to fear the dragon's reception to Jacaerys, they were dangerous and unpredictable. But with this, Humfrey could be happy.

It would seem Jacaerys would have a great start in the two's race to succeed the legacies of their parents. Humfrey's mind turned to the King's coronation. It was boring and uneventful which was good for the realm but not for the history books. The taming of a dragon would show everyone that Jacaerys was capable of succeeding his mother in a way that simply giving a crown could not. In a way, this moment was like a second coronation. Instead of being declared a King, Jacaerys would be declared a Dragon King.

​

 

[Rufy_King]

I was genuinely tense in Jacaerys scene, that was really something.
As for Lanna, her plan was good on paper but in the end Only managed to put another Waynwood on the throne. And a stronger one.

 

[stnylan]

Lanna's situation shows the problem of playing from a position of weakness with a weak hand. Not a comfortable place for her to be.

I think Jacaerys is showing good beginnings, certainly in terms of attitude if not necessarily ability.

 

[EmpireofOne]

Chapter 118: Alliances

King's Landing
Humfrey Sheeran

Humfrey waited in the gardens for the King to arrive. He had scheduled a time to meet him, to discuss one last thing before he left for Casterly Rock. Jacaerys was nowhere to be seen. Some guards claimed he was flying around in the sky with his dragon. Humfrey hoped the King did not forget the meeting. He continued waiting, giving the man the benefit of the doubt.

Much to his relief, Humfrey saw the great black dragon swoop in from out of view and land at the far end of the gardens where there was room. Humfrey began walking toward the beast, wanting to meet as soon as possible. The King was rather short since he was so far but that did not detract from his graceful dismount, jumping off when he climbed low enough and landing to a kneeling position. Humfrey began clapping his hounds loudly as he closed the last bit of distance between him and Jacaerys.

"Impressive, Your Grace!" Humfrey greeted.
"I'm sorry for being late, I lost track of time," Jacaerys said.
"You've been riding that thing for days."
"I can't help it, I've found new joy in life ever since Drogon accepted me. My mother and wives are gone, Drogon has helped fill the void they have left."

Humfrey placed a hand on Jacaerys' shoulder and smiled.

"I'm glad for you; the whole realm is glad for you."
"What is it you wished to speak with me about?"
"One little matter before I leave for Casterly Rock. Have you considered who you are going to marry? Everyone king needs a queen."
"I haven't really thought about it."
"Well, my sister Genna is unmarried."

Jacaerys' expression became one of surprise.

"The sister of Lord Humfrey Sheeran is unmarried? I would think every single powerful man in the land would want to try for her hand."
"I've had several offers, but none were people that would've been best for her."
"You think me worthy?"
"Who better for the daughter of the great Dale Sheeran than the King on The Iron Throne?"

Jacaerys smiled.

"You think very highly of me."

Humfrey crossed his arms and sighed.

"When I said those things back when you went to tame the dragon, I meant it. Your brother Maerys keeps to himself and your sons are not old enough. Right now, if anyone is going to keep the Queen's realm strong, it's going to be you."
"Then, I must accept this proposal. It will be symbolic, a union between the Houses of Targaryen and Sheeran."

​

Humfrey nodded.

"My daughter told me that Genna had quite a thing for you. Maybe she still does."

Jacaerys snickered to himself.

"Really? That might make things easier."
"Well, that settles that. Now I can finally head back home to Casterly Rock. I fear my court may be upset that I was gone longer than I told them I'd be."
"Humfrey, before you go, there is something I also wanted to talk to you about."

Humfrey had a feeling he knew what was coming. The King was going to appoint him to the Small Council, it was obvious. Staying for so long at the King's side only reinforced this. In the period of time he was here, he had gained the King's trust. It honestly would have been a surprise to be anything else. Although, Humfrey did want to return home to Casterly Rock.

"I'm all ears, Your Grace."
"I've come to enjoy your company. Just like my mother did with your father, I would like to appoint you to the Small Council."

It was exactly as Humfrey predicted. He smiled and politely nodded.

"What position do you have in mind?"
"They say you are a great swordsman and leader of men. Instead of serving as Justiciar like your father, I would make you my Master-at-Arms. I'd also rely on you as one of my chief generals in any future conflicts."

​

"A great honour, Your Grace. Although, I must postpone my acceptance for now."
"May I ask why?"
"I would like to return to Casterly Rock, to see my wife and children."
"When will you come back?"
"Give me a month, Your Grace."

Jacaerys took Humfrey's hands and nodded.

"The position will still be open when you come back."
"Thank you, Your Grace. And, it'll give me a chance to escort Genna to King's Landing."
"Has she changed much since she was here? I didn't meet her much, but she struck me as the naive type."
"She's been through a few things, she's not as naive as she used to be."
"Well then, I look forward to seeing her after all these years."

Humfrey stepped back and bowed his head.

"I'll be back soon enough, Your Grace. For now, farewell."
"Thank you, Humfrey. Everytime we talk, you reinforce your support more and more."

Humfrey smiled and turned around to walk away. After several months, he was finally heading home. His absence was most eventful: he attended the King's coronation, witnessed him tame a dragon, became a member of the Small Council, arranged a marriage alliance, and most importantly above all, he managed to gauge what kind of man Jacerys was.

The capital was not as interesting as his father made it out to be. It would seem that the age of politics and deception that followed the death of Robert Baratheon was barely a spark on the candle by the time of Allyria Targaryen. Nevertheless, Humfrey was going to serve in order to please the memory of his father and protect the realm. With the great influence he had gained from this meeting, it was Humfrey's responsibility to prevent it from corrupting him.

Highgarden
Lanna Sheeran

The inn was empty and quiet. Lanna and her escort were on their way home to Oakenshield. Her plan to weaken the Waynwoods a failure, Lanna decided to drown her sorrows in drink. She has never taken to drink when she was younger but when she heard about the things it could do to one's head, Lanna desired anything to get her mind off of what had happened.

The third cup of wine did not feel any different. Her memories were still clear, a vivid recollection of Hugh Waynwood's bloodless coup. Lanna called for Ale instead, hearing it was a much harder drink than wine. She waited patiently for the tavern maid to bring it out. Lanna was quiet, not engaging with her guards who also were silent while they drank.

Just as the tavern maid arrived with the pitcher, the door to the inn opened. There were a group of men coming in. They were all soldiers who displayed the sigil of House Waynwood. Behind them was a man in black armour, Lanna recognized him to be the same knight that brought his blade to Anya Waynwood's neck. Finally, Hugh Waynwood stepped into the inn making Lanna's heart sink.

She frowned and quickly poured herself some ale.

"Lady Lanna Sheeran!" Hugh called.

Lanna did not say a word. She picked up her cup and drank her ale without acknowledging the man.

"My lord has greeted you, it'd be wise to greet him back," the black knight threatened.

The Waynwood guards began to surround Lanna's table. Her guards were uneasy and kept their hands close to the hilts of their swords. Hugh smiled and raised his hand up, making his men and the black knight ease up.

"That's quite alright, Paxter. The young lady is in a bad mood."

Hugh gestured to Lanna's guards to make room for him. The men scooted over and Hugh sat down right across from Lanna.

"Why are you here?" Lanna asked.
"So you do want to speak with me. Drinking to celebrate my victory?"
"You could say that."

Hugh reached his hand over the table to grab the pitcher of ale Lanna was drinking from.

"Ale? A poor man's drink, very hard on the mind. I think I'll go for the wine you have there."

Hugh put back the pitcher of ale and took the other one. He snatched an empty cup from one of Lanna's guards and poured himself enough wine to make it dribble over the edges of the cup from any movement.

"Why are you here?"
"The other lords are staying in Highgarden. I was actually surprised to hear that you left so quickly, especially right before my celebrations could happen."
"I'm just trying to go home. How did you manage to find me?"
"I was born and raised in Highgarden, well, raised for some time before Ben Tyrell took over. I know my way around the land."

Lanna gulped down her entire cup of ale. She was starting to get impatient as the effects of the drink were taking their time. Her senses were still quite sharp, the only thing that felt out of place was her stomach that was filling with what felt like gallons of liquid.

"So you knew I was here. Why would you want to follow me?"

Hugh's smile intensified. He took another sip from his almost full cup of wine and gently set it down.

"I'm still quite surprised you still think I'm stupid. Was our little dinner at Oakenshield and my seizure of Highgarden not obvious for you?"
"Just answer the question, my lord."
"You will speak to my lord with respect!" the black knight interjected, stepping forward from the encirclement of Waynwood soldiers.
"Calm down, Paxter. She is young, let her be angry. I say, this will be good practice for me in parenting," Hugh said.

The black knight looked displeased. Despite his annoyance, he did as he was commanded and fell back in line.

"If you're so smart, why don't you just kill me? You know what I am, you know what my father was. Why play the games?"

Hugh rested an arm on the table and leaned forward. His smile still remained. Lanna was beginning to believe that Hugh's smiles were permanent fixtures on his face that could only be removed by some sort of magic.

"Because I have some respect you."
"You do?"
"Make no mistake, I consider you a threat, a minor one at that. But, I'm not one to dismiss potential when I see it. You are a weak player in the game, but you are capable of great gambles. And, your plan had some merit to it, were I more of a fool, I may have fallen for your tricks."
"So you're not going to kill me because you think I have good tricks?"

Hugh laughed.

"I think the ale is starting to get to you. Don't you remember? I promised you that I'd leave you in peace. To be honest, I was always considering to take Highgarden, our little dinner convinced me to go for it. Now, I rule The Reach and it's all thanks to you. I owe you, and like I told your father once, I'm a man of my word."
"What deal did you make with my father?"
"I don't think you'd want to know. And it wasn't much of a deal either."
"I think you're right."

Hugh leaned in closer, he squinted his eyes and stared deeply into Lanna.

"I can see it in your eyes. There's a fire, a fire that cannot be extinguished."
"A fire? I don't know about you, my lord, but all I see are pupils in yours."
"A sense of humour, another reason to like you, Lanna. But that is not what I meant. You have a desire for revenge, and that desire is something that is not easily satisfied."
"I'm starting to remember our dinner. I did promise you that I wouldn't pursue any vengeance."

Hugh leaned back, adopting a lazy position.

"Lanna, Lanna, Lanna... How many times must I remind you that I'm not as stupid as you think I am? You can say you won't come after those you believe wronged you, but we both know you cannot resist those urges. Which is why I'd like to make a deal with you."
"A deal? You'd make a deal with someone you consider a threat?"
"A minor threat, don't get ahead of yourself. The deal is simple. House Tarly used to be kings in The Reach. While they have been loyal so far, the recent upheaval may fuel their own desires to bring themselves back to a position of power. Not to mention Anya still has lands in her name, a base from which she can plot to try to take back Highgarden."

Lanna scoffed at Hugh.

"If you're so smart, why don't you deal with Anya and the Tarlys yourself?"

The black knight was about to step forward again but Hugh managed to raise his hand up without even turning to the man.

"My what a fierce little lioness you are. If only your father were as fierce as you. But to answer your question, why exert myself when I can have someone else do it? Did I forget to mention that this will be mutually beneficial for the both of us? You will have an outlet to pursue your justice; it was Anya and the Tarlys that wanted me to take your father. I keep my sister and the Tarlys in check and you get to continue what you were doing without any worry for either of us."
"You're asking me to do your dirty work?"
"Is serving the rightful Lord of The Reach dirty work?"

Lanna clutched her cup tightly and breathed through her nose. She bit her lip and then shook her head slightly.

"No, my lord."
"Before you make your decision, answer me this. Is survival something you are working toward?"
"Yes, my lord."
"And what will you get from having my support?"
"Survival, my lord."
"Lanna, you're a smart girl. Put that head of yours to work and think about it. So what do you say? Will you serve me?"

Lanna scowled at Hugh. She drank from her cup, stalling for time. Her eyes were tilted to see if Hugh was watching, he was most likely aware that Lanna's cup was about to be empty. Everything about Hugh frustrated her, he was so pompous and yet had the intelligence and power to back it. He's backed me into a corner, there's no way I can decline without looking unreasonable, Lanna thought. Eventually, she nodded her head.

"I will serve, my lord."

Throughout the conversation, Hugh's smile fluctuated. It was at this point that it reached its zenith, something that Lanna rarely saw him do no matter how much he heard things that made him happy.

"A wise decision. If you apply yourself to keeping my enemies in check like you did trying to plan this whole elaborate scheme, then I'd have nothing to worry about. Well, that's settled. I'll leave you to your drinks, enjoy yourself."

Hugh finished his cup of wine before standing up. Half of his men headed for the door while the rest and the black knight waited for him. Before turning away to leave, Hugh dug in his robes and tossed a small bag of coins onto the table. It looked and sounded like it would be enough to cover the drinks and a hot meal or two. The man gave Lanna one last wink before departing the inn with his men.

Lanna's guards looked to her and said nothing. She was not in the mood to speak, she simply continued drinking. The effects of the wine and ale were beginning to come to her, Lanna almost cursed loudly at her luck. While being drunk could have lead the conversation down a dangerous path, Lanna did not care, she was beaten every step of the way by a superior opponent. Her sobriety may have allowed her to live another day but the mercy of death was beginning to look much more attractive day by day.

Lannisport
Melara Sheeran

Melara called for her Aunt Genna and sister Leana to join her in a walk around Lannisport. Harwyn was still too young to join and so was left at Casterly Rock. Today was not a gathering of family, it was an attempt to strengthen the bond between the Sheeran woman. Leana was always bored and upset while Genna locked herself in her room for most of the day after the incident involving Moon Tea. Her father was still in King's Landing and so it was up to Melara to shape up the family in his absence.

Melara felt proud. She had just purchased a sword from a blacksmith and even got a good price as the shop was the very same shop that reforged Jade, the Valyrian Steel sword her father wielded. The sword had to be carried in one of her hands, she had yet to acquire a belt to fasten the sheath of her weapon to. Her companions did not look so pleased as Leana was bored while Genna tried to hide her face with a hood.

The citizens of Lannisport bowed to the party as they passed, Melara did not try to conceal her identity. As more and more people payed their respects, Leana began to perk up and smile.

"The fresh air, the happiness, and the prosperity. This is all because of Dale Sheeran," Melara said.
"There's so many people," Leana said, starting to take in the sights around her.
"Lots of people, cities have lots of people."
"And these people are our servants?"

​

"Well, no. These are our people, but they are not like the servants back at Casterly Rock."
"What's the difference?"

The explanation was on the tip of Melara's tongue. It was odd, she knew exactly why the servants in the castle and the people in the streets were different. Yet, she could not explain it, at least, in a way that Leana would understand.

"Well.... I- Hmm..."

Melara halted the party so she could think of an explanation. The group stopped in front of a man selling fruit. Leana was getting impatient and turned her head to the stall, eyeing the fruits the man had on display.

"Apple!"
"Here you go, m'lady," the man working the stall said quickly, handing an apple to Leana.

Leana was about to take a bite when Melara snatched it out of her hands. The little girl made a noise that Melara recognized to have come before a temper tantrum.

"Leana, you can't just take what isn't yours. Either we have to pay for the apple or give it back," Melara explained.
"But these are our people, they serve us," Leana said.
"They are our people, but they aren't our servants. We have to pay for things just as they do."
"But you didn't say why they're different."
"They are, Leana. I'm just having a hard time explaining it to you."

Leana clenched her fists and pouted her lips. Melara could see Leana's face began to shake from the quivering of her lips. Her face was showing signs of turning red. All the signs pointed to a tantrum.

"Give me back my apple!"
"Leana, it's not yours yet."
"Give it to me!"

Leana began stomping the ground and yelling an incoherent grouping of words that meant absolutely nothing.

​

"M'lady, I'd be willin' to give you the apple," the man offered.
"I'm sorry, but I'm trying to teach my sister a lesson," Melara said as she gave the apple back to the seller.

People were beginning to stare at Leana's tantrum. Melara felt the secondhand embarrassment invade her body but she stood her ground. But no matter how hard she tried, Leana refused to listen and continued stomping around while crying.

Genna sighed and took out a small coin purse buried in her dress. She produced a copper and walked over to the man. After placing the copper in the man's hand, she swiftly grabbed an apple off the display and handed it to Leana. Leana wiped her brow and accepted the apple, taking a bite out of it. Melara scowled at Genna for ruining an opportunity to teach the girl a life lesson.

"I want to go home!" Leana whined.
"The day is still young," Melara said.
"I want to go home!"

Not wanting to endure another tantrum, Melara relented. She nodded at one of the guards that was following them. The guard took seven of the fifteen men to escort Leana back to Casterly Rock. Once Leana was gone, Melara and Genna continued on through the streets of Lannisport. Melara kept looking at Genna, she was staring straight ahead and seemed to not acknowledge Melara.

"I know what you're trying to do, thank you..." Genna said, breaking the silence.
"You don't seem happy," Melara said.
"After the things that have happened..."
"You've survived those tough times. You don't need a sword like I am carrying right now to be tough."

Genna flashed a smile but quickly reverted back to her permanent frown.

"My father's death, the death of my child, and the loneliness. It's all so much."
"About the child, I'm sorry, it's just... it was a child."
"Maybe I should've kept it. Humfrey worried about a scandal making me less desirable for marriages. And now I am still not married, I got rid of it for nothing."
"What's done is done. The only thing we can do is learn from this mistake. If this ever happens again, you can remember about what happened."

Genna tilted her head down.

"I thought you hated me when we were in King's Landing."
"Oh I did. But people change. I changed, you changed. You're no longer that little girl wearing pretty dresses and chasing after Jacaerys."

Genna smiled.

"Maybe it was for the best that Jacaerys never noticed me."
"Of course! We shouldn't get everything we want. We have to earn it!"

Genna nodded and even kept her smile.

"After seeing Leana's tantrum, I think things were right that I didn't get what I want."
"I'm glad you're finally understanding that."
"Then, I'm sorry for buying that apple. I just didn't want everyone to stare."
"Let Leana be a child for a little longer. It did take you quite a bit to get over Jacaerys."
"You're right. Although, I sometimes still think about what life would be like if I were the Queen. I even dream about it too."

Melara smiled. She had gotten through to Genna. Her plan was working and she needed to push a little harder to ensure this foothold she managed to create was permanent. The two women continued walking through the busy streets, accepting the blessings from the people. They chatted and laughed. After several hours of exploring, Genna had thrown off her hood and showed the world her beauty.

Genna's childhood traits did return at one point. However, it was for good, Genna had lead Melara to a store that had a good reputation for making fine clothes. With this tip, Melara was able to get a fine leather belt to go along with her precious sword. Melara was quick to put the belt on and fasten her sword to it. Although her dress was still a bit inhibiting, Melara finally felt like a proper fighter, one who could draw her blade at a moment's notice.

The two went to an inn in the noble quarter of the city for supper. Melara and Genna shared a pitcher of wine between them and continued their discussions. The day turned to night and the two still talked, never running out of fresh opinions or topics. For the first time in the girl's relationship, they felt like friends, like sisters. Genna had went through so much, Melara was happy to see that she was making the best of her situation.

A man came running into the inn. The guards quickly stepped between him and the two women, making the entire inn tense up.

"A letter for Lady Genna Sheeran from Lord Humfrey Sheeran!" the man said desperately, keeping a respectable distance from the guards.

One of the guards took the letter and presented it to Genna. Melara watched Genna rip the seal open and read. It was indeed from Lord Humfrey as Melara spotted a heart imprint in the wax on one half of the ripped seal. As Genna read, her eyes widened. Melara became concerned. She's been locked in her room for a long time, what could she have done that warranted a letter? Why would father want to write to her all of the sudden? Melara thought.

"Melara..." Genna said softly.
"What is it?" Melara asked.
"Humfrey's written to me. He says that I am to marry King Jacaerys."

Melara could not believe what she was hearing; the timing was too perfect. Her chest felt hollow. After spending hours preaching about accepting that people don't get what they want, here Genna was getting the one thing she desired since she was a child.

"Really?"
"Humfrey managed to arrange a marriage between us. But, what we talked about..."
"Go ahead and marry Jacaerys."
"What? But everything we-"
"We still talked about it. We both listened. While you're getting something you wanted since you were a little girl, just keep remembering that people have to earn what they want and that you're a very tough woman even without a sword. Besides, it's bad form to make the King angry."

Genna stared down at the table. She took a sip from her wine.

"Then I will. Thank you, Melara. Thank you for being around for me. Any lesser woman would have left me to the dogs."
"I wish you happiness in your new life, Genna."

Genna smiled. Melara, however, was not pleased. She had broken through Genna's walls, a daunting task that took quite a bit of talking. With a few words on some letter, everything that she tried to teach Genna was being threatened. Melara wanted Genna to be happy, she was family, so she could not stand in the way of this marriage. The only thing she could do was pray that Genna would take everything they talked about to heart. Melara feared that if Genna forgot what happened today, the bad things in her life would only come back to haunt her.

 

[Rufy_King]

A good chapter. So now Humfrey and Jacaerys are building a good relation, and Genna is to marry the man she always wanted to marry.

Lanna... She is going to be Spymaster, I guess? That's interesting, especially because Hugh Waynwood has this kind of "control but respect" relation to her.

 

[stnylan]

The episodes with Humfrey, and Melara and Genna, seem remarkably upbeat. If it weren't for the more gritty episode with Lanna I would be very concerned.

I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.

 

[EmpireofOne]

Sorry, this will have to be a short one. I just didn't have the time to sit down and write. It's actually a little past 4:00 A.M at the moment of posting this.
Chapter 119: Linked Together

King's Landing
Genna Sheeran

​

Genna felt like she was dreaming. Standing across from her in The Great Sept was Jacaerys, the one she had desired from her childhood. Between them was the High Septon, the highest authority of the faith; he was the only one that was worthy to unify the greatest houses of Westeros.

Everyone was smiling, even Humfrey. The High Septon said his words but Genna did not pay any attention, her mind was being overwhelmed by a hundred different sensations. She felt warm. She felt... happy.

Most of the ceremony had already passed. Jacaerys had put the cloak of House Targaryen over her, it felt warm in more ways than one. The High Septon continued droning on with his words. Genna grew impatient, she anxiously waited for the final moment, the kiss. With a kiss, they would be man and wife, King and Queen.

"Please speak the words," the High Septon said.
"With-" Jacaerys began.

Genna tried to remember what the words were. She quickly figured it out and did her best to catch up.

"This kiss, I pledge my love," Genna and Jacaerys said in unison.

Genna stepped forward toward Jacaerys who also did the same. She had to stand up on the tips of her toes to reach the lips of the King. Jacaerys held Genna's arms during this, it made her feel safe. The two savoured the moment and let the kiss last long. Only after when Genna's toes began to feel sore that she brought herself away from Jacaerys.

The King smiled. He turned his head to the High Septon who was preparing to say something.

"In the eyes of the gods, you are now man and wife. I declare you to be one flesh, one heart, one soul, now and forever," the High Septon said.

Genna and Jacaerys stared into each other's eyes. They both laughed and then returned to a smile. The audience began to cheer loudly. The ones whose voices could be heard shouted blessings, hoping the royal couple would live a happy life together in the eyes of the gods. Jacaerys turned to the crowd and waved, accepting their cheers and compliments.

All that was left was the feast and then the bedding. But there was time for that later, for now, Genna enjoyed the moment. Genna joined Jacaerys in the waving, something made her want to do so. It was strange, a little over a fortnight ago Genna would have locked herself in her room. She felt confused, disoriented, unsure of what she was thinking when a hundred thoughts bombarded her at once. There was one thing that Genna knew, she did not want this moment to stop.

King's Landing
Humfrey Sheeran

The Small Council chamber was empty. Every single member of the council seemed to be running late. Humfrey could not blame them, a full week of celebration would take quite the toll on any man, especially one who could not handle his drink. The council had been suspended for too long, it needed to meet to discuss any business that needed royal attention. Humfrey sat patiently and waited for anyone to arrive.

The King was the first to arrive. He walked with a careful step, the man must have still been hungover from the parties. Humfrey sympathized, he felt a tingling in his own head althought it may not have been as intense as Jacaerys'. The King smiled as he took his seat at the head of the table.

"Good morning, Your Grace," Humfrey greeted.
"I'm sorry, your sister fought to keep me in bed," Jacaerys said as he rubbed his forehead.
"I don't need to know that."
"How are you so in control of yourself? It's like you haven't even drank."
"I lived with sellswords for a time, a man who can't keep up in drink is cursed to be ignored by his comrades."
"Remind me never to sign up with a sellsword company."

Both men laughed.

"Your Grace, the other councillors seem to be running late."
"Unfortunately they will be gone for some time, they drank even more than I did."
"Hmm, there is some business that I wanted to discuss. But the absence of someone important like Lord Sables might require me to wait."
"Is it something military-related?"

Humfrey nodded.

"Yes, Your Grace."
"Go ahead, Humfrey. You are my Chief General, I would trust your judgement in military affairs over the Hand of the King."
"A petition was made by our Essosi vassals. Norvos, Volantis, and Meereen are all threatened by the Dothraki threat. With sellswords and their own armies, they have kept them at bay. But they say they require Westerosi assistance to break the Dothraki."
"What can you tell me of the Dothraki?"

Humfrey began to recall his time with the Ragged Standard. The battles against the Dothraki, the slaughter of innocents, and the long marches. A part of him relished this moment the rest of him wanted to move on. Besides, the King was waiting for his answer.

"The Dothraki have managed to maintain an empire that spans from the Bone Mountains in the east to Qohor in the west. Their Khalasaar is said to number a hundred-thousand riders, far greater than any army Westeros can muster. While they are numerous, they lack discipline. They favour breaking off and engaging in glorious single combat instead of formations."

​

Jacaerys rubbed his forehead more and groaned.

"Ugh. Such a great army the Dothraki have mustered. Even without discipline, could we hope to defeat such a foe?"
"In Essos, there is a famous story. Many years ago, the city of Qohor gathered a large army to resist the advances of the Dothraki. The sellswords had mostly fled at the sight of the massive Khalasaar said to be over eighty-thousand strong. All that remained were three-thousand Unsullied. For days, the two armies fought and for days the Unsullied kept the Dothraki back. With their discipline, a much smaller force held against the greatest horde anyone had ever seen at the time."
"Well, there aren't any Unsullied left after what Daenerys Targaryen did. Can we hope to emulate their skills and abilities?"

Humfrey nodded.

"I can try to whip the men into shape. At least we can take solace in the fact that we won't be marching against the Dothraki with only three-thousand. We will have Westerosi armies and the support of our vassals in the east. Also, the Unsullied didn't have a dragon to aid them. Together, we can overcome them."
"If you believe you can drill my army in a way to overcome the Dothraki, then I trust your judgement. As much as it pains me to leave your sister after just marrying her, we'll have to do this as the Essosi lords will expect protection to be granted by the crown."

​

"You won't have to leave her just yet. We've yet to start the preparations and it will take me some time to instruct the officers and nobles on how to drill their troops on dealing with the Dothraki."

Jacaerys smiled.

"Then I will enjoy my time with Genna as much as I can."
"I'm glad you two are getting along so well."
"There is a spark in her."
"A spark?"
"It's hard to explain. But when I look into Genna's eyes, I see a spark, a flicker of hope. I've stared into many eyes for many different reasons, but Genna's eyes are different."

Humfrey rolled his eyes at the statement.

"Well, as long as you two are happy she could have a whole explosion in her eyes for all I care."
"This is only just the beginning. I feel that this marriage will last long unlike my last few."
"Genna doesn't get sick so easy, so that's most likely true."
"You joke, but there is true love between us."

The Hand of the King, Lord Robbett Sables entered the chamber. In contrast to Jacaerys' careful steps, the greying man stumbled with every step, not enough to fall but enough to be noticed. Humfrey relaxed himself in his chair and smiled.

"Lord Sables, I hope you're having a good morning so far," Humfrey joked.
"I think I might sit out the next wedding," Lord Sables said.

Humfrey and Jacaerys snickered to themselves while Lord Sables took a seat close to the King. The other members of the council were still not here. Despite that, Humfrey felt that the only person necessary to explain the plans to head east was the Hand of the King.

"Well, Lord Sables, the King and I were discussing something and wish to inform you of the matter."

Humfrey began to explain the proposal. Lord Sables fought through his hangover and listened intently. Everything was moving so fast. Last night everyone was still celebrating a royal wedding and now plans were being made to confront the Dothraki in open battle. It was abrupt, but the Dothraki did not care or respect the fact that Jacaerys had just gotten married.

Taming a dragon was a personal trial but waging war against the Dothraki would be Jacaerys' first real test as the King. Not only that, preparing the army for battle would also be Humfrey's own challenge as Master-at-Arms and general. It felt strange, him and Jacaerys' lives seemed to be linked together in more ways than one. Humfrey quickly dismissed his fascination with the coincidences, he had a war against the largest Khalasaar in the history of the world to plan.