Jon X
Queen Alysanne was supervising the packing of the Royal Family's possessions, clearing their apartment in the White Sword Tower for the move to the Crown of Westeros.
"My lord Hand," she greeted Jon, curtseying in response to his deep bow.
"Your grace." He kissed her hand. "I have news from the West."
Her hand sought her throat. There was a locket there that she'd only worn since her husband left. "Robert?"
"He is well," Jon assured her swiftly. He held out a small roll of paper, small enough for a raven to bear. "He sends his regards. Viserys is also unhurt."
"Thank the Seven." She accepted the note. "Since Prince Stannis' injury..."
"While I don't wish his grace any misfortune whatsoever, I must say that if it was Robert that had lost half his leg it might be easier to keep him securely in King's Landing."
The Queen gave him a withering look. "Prince Jon, I don't believe that Robert would be slowed down by that any more than his brother. Aemma has sent me the most furious letter when she learned that her husband wasn't going to return from the war to recover from his injuries."
"There are ladies, your grace -" Jon was very careful not to name names "- who might very much prefer that their husband was absent extensively, leaving them charge of his lands and control of their child. For myself I'm very glad that Prince Stannis made a better match than that."
"Speaking of heirs..."
Jon raised an eyebrow. "Again, your grace?"
She coloured. "I am not with child as yet, no. Nor am I to ply you for information about Lysa, having learned my lesson there. Although she does seem to have had a strange mood or two of late."
"I can only speculate." It was far too early to know if the book had led to heirs but Jon had to admit that encouraging Lysa to join him in bed more often was a considerable start towards it.
"Quite. It's actually Lord Bolton's heir I wanted to talk about. Did you know he has another son in the north?"
"Yes, living with his aunt I believe."
"Well he's talking about bringing young Domeric to court for a while. Lollys seems amenable but I'm not so sure the other Stokeworths will take it so well. I gather most of them thought Barton would inherit the northern lands and have little claim on his mother's inheritance, but now they're quite distraught to know that Barton is only the secondborn."
"I'd imagine so. Lord Bolton is more than able to defend his son though. The City Watch are far from his only resource."
"I'm more concerned about the conflict spreading. The Stokeworths and their allies control a great deal of land around King's Landing. A falling out while Robert is on the other side of Westeros isn't something that would be desirable. Particularly with a Lysene sellsail fleet at large somewhere."
"You've been talking to Lady Olenna."
"Among others." She turned her head slightly, watching some ornaments being packed carefully and nodded when she saw they were being well-cushioned. "The prospect of a fleet closing the Blackwater while the roads north are... uncertain. It is troublesome."
"Please permit me to set your mind at ease. If Saan is so bold as to threat the way then we can keep him from penetrating the Blackwater past the bay with a chain across the Rush so we will have a secure route to the south into the Kingswood. With the King's Men brought back to full strength despite the men with the King and reinforcements from the City Watch, we can certainly hold King's Landing long enough for reinforcements to arrive from the loyal Stormland lords."
"That puts my mind at ease," Alysanne admitted. "While Robert is here, the thought that someone might seek to overthrow his rule seems laughable but in his absence."
"Caution is far from the worst of traits, your grace," Jon assured her. "But even if Robert's enemies were to move they have no candidate to unite behind: there are no Targaryens left save for Viserys and Daenerys and they are closely protected."
"Daenerys is a sweet child, but Viserys... I am concerned by his temper."
The aged Prince couldn't entirely disagree, although the temper was less of a concern to him than ambition. Viserys was reaching manhood and if he managed to form alliances of his own he would become increasingly dangerous. It might have been better for him not to survive this war, he thought. But Robert has made it clear that only he will make that decision.
Tywin XI
Since a raven had preceded him, Tywin wasn't surprised to see his elder son disembarking from one of the supply ships. A little disappointed but not surprised.
"You have grandchildren," Jaime advised once he reached his father.
"I received the raven. Twins. Your wife is well?"
The young man nodded. "She's well. You did say -"
"I remember." He looked at Jaime and then shook his head. "Your uncle Tygett has our cavalry patrolling the coasts for any attempt to relieve our siege. Tell him you're taking over from him and send him back here."
The Ironborn had been on the back-foot since Stannis smashed the core of the Iron Fleet at Seagard. Save for a few castles, Pyke and Harlaw were in their hands but there was always the possibility that one of Balon's remaining brothers could pull an army together sufficeint to try to retake their home.
Jaime nodded. "I'll need a horse then."
"Naturally." The letter he'd received from Genna had told him tersely that Jaime wasn't only here out of a desire not to miss the war. He and Cersei had quarrelled somehow, fiercely. Not something he was accustomed to from them, except when it came to their brother. "And Jaime."
"Father?"
"Remember that you'll be Prince of the Rock someday. The King has all but promised it. Cersei is Lady of Queenscrown, not of Casterly Rock."
Jaime lowered his head. "I remember, father."
"Good." With that dismissal, Tywin turned back to the problem of the Greyjoy's castle. Pyke, sharing a name with the island, had outer-works on the mainland but the keep and several towers stood on tall pillars of rock rearing out of the sea. The Ironborn had strung bridges between them but nothing substantial so even if the outer part of the castle was taken, one man with a knife could make the rest of Pyke almost inaccessible.
He'd requested - and been granted - a squadron of Royal galleys to patrol this part of the waters. Unless the Greyjoys got a ship or ships up against the pillars there would be no escape for them. Unfortunately, as Storm's End had shown, a castle garrison could hold out for months without additional supplies.
Tygett found him still studying the charts. "Jaime didn't waste time coming here."
"I would have preferred he spend more time with his wife now that she's given him heirs." Tywin turned away from the chart. "Pyke won't fall quickly or easily. The King's engineers are setting up siege engines but it is more likely to be hunger that ends their resistance."
"I could assemble a storming party."
"No." Tywin shook his head. "I'm sending you to take Saltcliffe. Prince Stannis has ordered the Redwyne fleet to provide transport. We can afford to wait for Greyjoy and it'll give me the time to see that whoever replaces him doesn't have the wealth to build a new fleet."
"A Lannister pays his debts."
"Indeed. The Tully's division will be sent to Wyk once shipping is available so pick your forces from the Reach levies as well as our own."
"That should be easy enough. It's not a large island."
"No, it isn't. Deal with them thoroughly."
"I'll take care of it." Tygett glanced up at the towers beyond Tywin's camp. "Greyjoy should have taken the King's terms. They were generous enough."
"Those who don't see which way the wind blows rarely bend in the right direction." The terms had been fairly generous, in fact: every adult Greyjoy man to take the black, compensation in goods and gold to the Lannisters and the Mallisters for damage done... and the Seastone Chair to King Robert who would probably treat it no more kindly than he had the Iron Throne.