Ned XI
The sea breeze blew away much of the tension that Ned had been carrying with him for the last few weeks. Harlaw's surrender had freed much of the army to move on Orkmont and Blacktyde, the next two islands to the west. But while Robert and Hoster Tully had taken command of those portions of the army, Ned had been left to deal with the aftermath.
In theory the terms were simple: Rodrik Harlaw had agreed to take the black before he even opened the gates of the Ten Towers. What hadn't been so clear before that was that both of the lord's sons had died in the war - one during the first clash of fleets and the other trying to break up the landings - at the hands of Viserys Targaryen, no less!
With a bitter laugh, the deposed lord had declined to take any hand in the settlement before departing for the Wall and that left Ned with the problem of determining the succession between three Harlaw cousins and Rodrik's great-uncle Sigryd Silverhair, who ruled the older Harlaw stronghold from before the construction of the Ten Towers.
It hadn't helped that Robert was still being very cagey about what would happen to the Iron Islands. It all depended, the King claimed, on what happened on Pyke. This didn't help with the need for Ser Harras Harlaw (Ned's choice as the new Lord Harlaw) to swear allegiance to whomever the Lord Paramount was of the Iron Isles.
There was a stumping noise and Ned turned to see Stannis Baratheon approaching, gripping one rail determinedly as he limped along on the wooden peg that filled the place of the missing foot. "Prince Eddard."
"Prince Stannis." Ned offered his hand.
Stannis turned to face out to sea and took a deep breath before speaking. "A strong wind. We'll reach Orkmont by tomorrow."
"I'll take your word for it. We Starks aren't natural sailors."
"Except the Manderlys. Whose wealth doesn't seem to sway you." The Baratheon shook his head. "How long have the Ironborn been savaging your fishing fleets?"
Ned frowned. "I've had no reports of that."
"Probably because your eastern lords are used to dealing with it themselves."
Now there was an uneasy idea. "I'll ask them then. If they're right then I suppose I'll be the first Stark since Brandon the Shipwright to build ships."
That got a grunt from Stannis. "What happened to him?"
"He tried to sail across the Sunset Sea and was never seen again. His son burned all the ships he'd built in grief."
"Fool."
Ned frowned. "To lose his father..." Memory caught at him. "Ah, my apologies." Steffon Baratheon - father of Robert, Stannis and Renly - had died with his lady in a shipwreck.
"I watched my father die at sea. I will never trust it. But only a fool ignores it."
"Are the Ironborn at sea, do you think?"
"Likely." The younger man accepted the change of subject. "Not as a single fleet though and they have no great number of war galleys left to them. The lords with sense have taken their ships home or hidden them."
"And those who don't?"
"Some have gone south and we'll likely hear from them in the Stepstones. The rest are why half our ships are patrolling the coasts of the islands." Stannis shook his head. "The longships are better for raiding than for attacking our ships. Save for the remaining war galleys they're no real threat any more."
Ned nodded. "So it's mostly a matter of taking their remaining strongholds."
"Robert seems to have a lot of faith in his King's Men for that."
Ned shrugged. Sieges hadn't played an immense role in Robert's Rebellion so he couldn't claim personal experience there. "They seemed to know what they were doing at the Ten Towers."
"Perhaps. But they haven't got Tywin Lannister into Pyke yet. Once I get you to Orkmont I'll be taking Robert across to Pyke with four hundred more of the King's Men."
"You're working your crews hard."
"We can't change the number of ships or the number of tasks. So there is no other way." Stannis glanced down at the rowers. "The squadron sent to Lonely Light should return within a week so the crews can rest then."
"And will you be resting too?" Ned indicated the other man's leg. "It's only a few months since you were injured."
"You sound like Davos. Or my wife."
"I've not met either, but they sound like sensible people."
Varys IV
"Let him pass," Varys called to the guards as he saw it was Arthur Dayne demanding entrance. The man was far more trouble than he was worth.
Dayne took his hand away from the hilt of his sword. Fortunately he hadn't drawn it or the magistrates would have paid attention. Not to mention that all four guards wouldn't be enough to actually stop the knight. Varys only actually expected them to slow such an intruder down long enough for him to respond.
"Come into my office, Ser Arthur," Varys said mildly. "Perhaps if we both try very hard we can have a conversation without causing a scene in public, hmmm?"
For a mercy Dayne waited until they were inside and the door closed before demanding: "Where has he gone?"
"I'm keeping track of hundreds of people for one reason or another," Varys said, steepling his hands. "Could you be more specific?"
"Connington, of course. Connington's vanished and he's the one who knows where the boy is."
"Oh? He didn't tell you?"
"Tell you what?"
"Where he's keeping the boy."
"No, so you tell me."
Varys shook his head. "Oh, but Robert Baratheon could have me seized at any time. My location isn't a secret after all. It's not safe for me to know where the boy is being raised."
"Well then - !"
"And no, I won't help you find him. His best defense right now is to remain hidden. And you're very bad at being discreet, Sir Arthur. There are many spies in Pentos and I can assure you that the Baratheons know you're here. Lord Connington has done the right thing by dropping out of sight."
Dayne rose to his feet and slammed his hands on the desk. "Then what am I to do, Varys! I am the last of the Kingsguard and he is my king!"
"You would have done better, my lord, to have remained at Starfall. There, without arousing too much suspicion, you could have laid the groundwork for Dorne to support a Targaryen restoration." When, or if, the time came. "Now, of course, you've drawn too much attention."
The knight stared at him. "Then..."
"Among his other qualities, for better or for worse, Robert is patient. He's giving his opponents every opportunity to make mistakes and then capitalizing on them one at a time. The Greyjoys are just the latest: he managed the Lannisters, playing them off against the Martells. He used the Reach's internal divisions against the Tyrells."
"Divide and conquer. That's why we need a Targaryen king. Only with that can we unite his enemies against them."
"And he has made another enemy: Pentos."
"Pentos? What's he done?"
Varys reached into a stack of correspondence and leafed through it. "A new decree by Jon Arryn but not the sort of thing he would have issued without Robert's support."
Dayne frowned and accepted the letter. "He's ruling that free bond servants are to be treated as slaves... that any who set foot in Westeros or who are aboard ships that dock in Westeros, are to be freed. What's a free bond servant?"
"Pentos was forced to forbid slavery by Braavos, eighty years ago. Free bond servants are technically freemen... but bound like slaves due to debts. A legal fiction."
"You just said he was patient: why would he do this?"
Varys nodded thoughtfully. "That's the question, isn't it. Particularly since the Greyjoys, although doomed, will keep his fleet and a substantial amount of Westeros' armies committed to the west for months to come. Pentos merchants will be forced to trade with Westeros at one remove..."
"A show of confidence, no..." The knight shook his head. "Is he trying to win favour with Braavos?"
"In part, yes. And also, I believe, with the Septons. The Faith of the Seven is very rigid on many matters and they disapprove of slavery even more than they did the Targaryen's incestuous marriages."
"So he's courting the Septs... I don't see where you're going."
Varys leant forwards. "Andalos."
"Andalos?"
"Indeed. The traditional homeland of the Andals, and one currently controlled by Pentos for the most part." Varys smiled. "So he has the ancient Andal faith on his side, strongest on the Reach and he's shown he cares nothing for Pentos..."
"He intends on conquests on this side of the Narrow Sea!"
"It fits together, doesn't it," said Varys. "Of course, no one here in Pentos would believe it. History shows that Westeros may be invaded from Essos but who has ever managed the reverse?"
Dayne rose and walked from one wall to another. "If he can manage it... he'll have expended the military might of the most powerful of his internal enemies, secured immense prestige... not to mention the wealth of his conquests."
"What I recommend - I would not," Varys added, "Presume to direct you - would be that you explore joining an Essosian sellsword company. With Connington dropping out of sight, we have limited connections there. And the prince will need an army once he is ready to become king, will he not?"
The knight nodded. "You've given me a lot to think about."
"I'm always glad to help you, my friend." The eunuch took out parchment and quill. "I'll give you a letter of introduction to my friend Illyrio Mopatis. I wouldn't suggest entrusting him with our real concerns but he'll be glad to help you find a place."
The knight left after more professions of gratitude - a considerable change from his earlier attitude. Varys shook his head once the door had closed. That should keep him busy and out of trouble, at least for a few years. I wonder what Robert's real goal is. Pentos isn't his most valued trading partner but it's far from the least...