(Stannis Durrandon, Firmridge)
Stannis clutched the reins of his horse as they arrived in the Capital. The small settlement that used to surround the keep now a fledgling city in its own right.
It had taken some time for them to enter the city, as a large flow of merchants, travelers, and migrants entered the city, only made worse by the Tournament as men from all over the realm came to witness or participate in the first Grand Tourney since Harrenhal.
Much to his surprise the city was a stark contrast to King's Landing or even Lannisport, for one, there were no slums in sight. Another would be the casual air around the smallfolk who did not bat an eye at the presence of his party, something practically unheard of in the former capital where peasants would flock to nobles in the hope of coin.
The air not stinking of shit certainly helped, not to mention that a majority of the smallfolk were dressed in clothing that felt remarkably similar to what a minor noble would be seen in.
It was quite the sight and clearly, he wasn't the only one surprised by it. Many of his party were staring in shock at their surroundings, taken aback by how prosperous the Capital seemed to be, despite it being only a few years since it was first built.
Steffon looked star-struck, his son seemed enamored by the sight around him. If the occasion wasn't so important, he wouldn't be surprised if the lad ran around, exploring the city.
Both his son and wife sat in a small wheelhouse, while he and the rest of the party rode either behind it or next to it.
"I take it that you like what you see, my Lord?" His guide asked.
The man, a minor noble from the Riverlands he assumed, had arrived alongside a team of guards to escort them to the castle once their identity had been confirmed. Whether it was protection or to prevent him from sending any spies around the city, he didn't know.
"It's quite the improvement from my last visit," Stannis answered, refusing to give the man an inch.
"With the projects being completed all around the Riverlands, much focus has been placed onto the Capital recently." Their guide explained.
"Do you mean to say that developing the capital hadn't been His Majesty's primary goal?" Jeyne looked taken aback by that revelation.
Stannis barely kept his reaction in check at that revelation. If they could build what was quickly becoming a major city within Westeros without much focus, what had they managed to achieve in the projects Erlend actually cared for?
Steffon, who was riding alongside his mother, looked at the guide with curiosity "Is it true that the curse of Harrenhal vanished when King Erlend claimed the haunted castle?" he asked.
"No one really knows, many say the gods themselves cleansed these lands once His Majesty made these lands his home. Truly our King may be blessed by the Seven." the Guide said with a proud look.
Stannis inwardly scoffed at such nonsense, while the Harrenhal had been quite grim and a depressing castle on its own, he assumed it was the vast resources and wealth that had allowed the King to finally be rid of the so-called curse.
If faith was all it took, then the Whents would have gotten rid of the curse swiftly on their own, they were some of the most pious nobles in Westeros after all.
(A/N: Hoster felt too pragmatic to be all that religious aside from the necessities, so I figured Catelyn had to have gotten it from someone, and it definitely wasn't from the Blackfish.)
Sure they had gained immense wealth from holding some of the richest lands on the continent, but it was barely enough to maintain the castle.
Fools, the whole lot of them. The king was likely aware of the sheer cost of maintaining such a behemoth, so he took it down. Tearing down the castle and building a new one out of it was a far more practical move and saved him a lot of gold in the process.
Jeyne glanced over at him with warmth in her eyes while she fussed over Steffon. His wife knew what was on his mind and certainly assumed the same.
"But I heard there were lights and bright figures made of light surrounding the castle." Steffon protested.
The guide nodded to his son's words, "Ah yes… I too heard of that, some say it was the King's ancestors congratulating him on his reconquest of his fatherland."
"The king was out ridding the land of the bandits and deserters that plagued it while on his way to the Vale, he wasn't even there at the time the storm occurred." Stannis pointed out.
"You think it was a storm, my Lord." the guide said.
"What else could it have been, likely a drunkard's words might have been taken too seriously."
"If you think so, my Lord." His guide said noncommittally.
The man was skeptical of Stannis's reasoning but maintained his silence on the matter. It would not do to offend a Lord Paramount, especially one trusted by the King.
"Do you think that the king and queen will meet us?" Steffon wondered.
"I've heard that King Erlend has been busy making sure the settlement of the refugees is at hand, so it's unlikely I'm afraid," Jeyne answered her son gently.
"Indeed, his Majesty has prioritized the well-being of those hit worst by the wars, he's, unfortunately, thus he's unable to greet you at the moment." Their guide confirmed Jeyne's words.
Stannis nodded his head in understanding, whilst Steffon looked put out at being unable to meet the King.
"You know Stef, you met the King already," Jeyne said to her son.
"I did!" was his shocked response.
"Yes, in fact, he even held you once."
"Father, is this true?" His son's stormy blue eyes looked at him expectantly.
Stannis shook his head at his son's excitement, "Aye, you were but a baby at the time." Confirming his wife's words.
"I hope he remembers me then, I bet Uncle Renly would be jealous."
Renly had been unable to attend the tournament, his poor brother had fallen ill just a few days before they left. Maester Cressen had confirmed that the lad would be fine in a moon's turn but would be unable to make it to the Tourney in time.
An unfortunate incident, but he couldn't delay the trip for him. It would send the wrong message if a Lord Paramount did not attend the tournament held by the King.
…
Finally, they arrived at the gates of the fortress, where they were promptly allowed entry after the Guide informed the keepers of their identities.
While Stannis and his family were the main members of the party, a smaller portion of the Stormlands nobility had opted to join their party, though mostly from the minor nobility.
They rode through the gate once the portcullis was raised and headed straight to the courtyard of the castle.
He pulled his horse to a stop and swiftly dismounted, before moving to help both Jeyne and Steffon step out of the Wheelhouse, as they faced the entourage that stood ready to meet them.
Turning his head towards footsteps striding towards them. His eyes widened at the sight of a much younger version of Erlend moving towards them with a bright smile on his face. It seemed so odd, seeing the usually stern face smile so innocently.
No… it should be the Crown Prince Edmund, his clear sapphire eyes were a quick giveaway of his true identity. Other than his eyes, the boy looked like his father was reborn.
Following behind him was his mother, Queen Catelyn, and the King's paramour, Princess Elia. Instead of the glares or barely concealed hatred that many would expect. The two looked quite amicable and even dare he say on friendly terms with each other.
Not wanting to insult the Royal Family, Stannis quickly bowed his head in respect to them, Jeyne and Steffon following suit.
"Your Highness, it's a pleasure to finally meet you," Stannis said.
"None of that Lord Durrandon." The young boy spoke with a wide grin on his face. "According to my father, we're practically family."
This earned a confused glance from Durrandons, as they were unaware of any blood ties between the two Houses.
Catelyn seeing their confusion decided to explain to them, "My husband has decided that since His Uncle the late Lord Arryn raised both Eddard and Robert as if they were his own sons, House Stark and Durrandon by circumstance should be considered kin to us, even if not by blood."
While Stannis tried to make sense of this absurd reasoning, his son had no such qualms. "So does that mean we're cousins now?" Steffon wondered.
"What else could we be?" Was the response from the crown prince.
The two boys showed no hesitation in grinning at each other, with what he felt were near identical mischievous grins. He could already feel a headache coming up. Jeyne looked both wary and relieved that the two heirs got along well, though she was afraid of the chaos they might pull now that her son had a fellow mischief in arms.
"Edmund!" an annoyed voice rang out.
A beautiful young girl who was only a few years younger than Renly appeared. She had dark hair and piercing violet eyes that stared intently at the crown prince. The young girl showed no hesitation in grabbing the younger boy by his arms and pulling him towards her. "You were supposed to wait for me," she said.
She could only be Rhaenys Targaryen he assumed, the King's ward and the poor boy's fiance.
"You were taking too long." the prince muttered, earning a chuckle from his son.
This caught the attention of the princess who simply raised an imperious eyebrow at his son, unimpressed by his presence.
Puffing out his chest, "I'm Edmund's cousin." Steffon said.
Only to receive an unimpressed deadpan from the princess, who snorted at his words, and dragged Prince Edmund away.
"Hey wait, let him go!" Poor Steffon showed no hesitation in following after his friend, trying to save him from the clutches of the princess.
Stannis didn't know what to say at the scene that had just occurred in front of him, it was far too bizarre for him to comprehend.
Looking embarrassed by her daughter's actions, "I apologize for my daughter's behavior, she was quite put out when Edmund befriended Jon and has been very careful in keeping him in her sights. She's been extremely possessive of him lately." Elia clarified.
"Lord Stark's son?" Stannis questioned.
"Indeed, Lord Benjen and his entourage arrived a few days ago." This time the Queen was the one to respond. "Shall we head to the gardens while the servants move all your baggage to your chambers?"
"Ah… thank you, if that's not too much of an issue," Jeyne said.
"You know… the poor girl was worried silly by the idea of so many eligible young ladies showing up for the Tournament." Catelyn continued.
"Ah yes, with young Edmund looking so similar to his father, I'm afraid the Princess will soon be forced to beat them off with a stick." Jeyne said sympathetically.
The women let out a chuckle at the image Jeyne conjured, as they headed towards the Gardens. Though it wasn't that far off from the truth.
Stannis for his part couldn't help but ponder where the King was and what he was currently doing.
…
(Olenna Tyrell, Firmridge)
As they traveled through the Riverlands she noticed the changes made over the past few years.
Both the Kingsroad and parts of the Roseroad that were now situated in the capital region had been improved, their quality now consistent throughout it. Inns littered the way, looking far better maintained than they had been in the past.
They had only managed to view one of the infamous fortresses that surrounded the capital kingdom and it made quite the intimidating sight. Olenna dreaded the thought of having to take the damned thing.
To think that there were four more of them.
Patrols could be regularly seen throughout the roads and the people looked well-fed. A stark contrast to what she had used to in the past.
Passing through the lands that had been previously under the Reach had been awkward, to say the least. Lord Roxton had acted quite insufferable much to her family's irritation, thankfully his wife's presence had kept the fool from taking it too far.
The fools had benefited from Mudd's reforms, making them a hefty sum. She wondered if he ever realised the true reason the crown took him as a vassal.
It also helped that the Banners kept banditry to a minimum within the Riverlands, allowing trade to flow smoothly throughout it.
Due to the most recent fight between her son and Alerie, they had been delayed for quite a while. Olenna had wanted to make it to Firmridge sooner, in hopes that her grandchildren could befriend the Royal Family, hells, even the bastard falcon would've done.
It had taken Leyton himself to convince her daughter-in-law to come and only because he used the fact that little Margaery would be heartbroken if her mother didn't come to visit her.
They would be joined by Paxter shortly after the arrival of the Hightowers and begin making their way to the Riverlands. Thankfully, It was a peaceful if boring trip. Her grandchildren kept themselves entertained by playing among themselves, whilst the adults watched over them.
There had been a few hiccups along the way, but their household guard made quick work of them.
Baelor had boasted about how close Malora had become with the King, not wanting to be overshadowed, Mace did the same. It came to a point where both argued on whether the King preferred Malora or Janna.
It gave her a headache, knowing that they would argue about which of their sister bedded the king the most. Neither Mina nor Alerie appreciated the fact that the two oafs were using their sisters to stroke their egos. It was safe to say they kept their mouths shut after that.
Honestly, if that Mudd boy wasn't so popular and respected, he would have been hailed as the second coming of the Unworthy.
The damned man wasn't even bothering to hide the fact that he took lovers. Hell, what made it worse was that the trout didn't even bat an eye to it and the man had the balls to have a bastard with her own sister no less.
It was baffling to Olenna, though she wouldn't have minded a go at him if only she was a few decades younger. The words Janna used to describe him in her letters certainly had her thoughts running wild.
Unfortunately Janna couldn't become his wife, as the blasted gigolo had been adamant about securing the Riverlands above all else. At least it proved that the blood of the first men still ran strong within him at least. His stubbornness would have made his ancestors proud she had no doubt.
Shockingly the faith remained silent as ever, last she heard they were still debating on who to name High Septon. She suspected that many of the most devout had purposefully delayed the choosing.
Those old geezers had gotten quite powerful now that there was no singular figure within the faith to curtail their influence. Whoever the new High Septon would be, was likely to be nothing more than a figurehead.
Another tool for the King to use as he saw fit, she assumed.
Interrupting her thoughts was a group of horsemen who rode towards their party. She noticed a short stunted figure with blonde hair so pale it almost appeared white leading them.
The imp of Casterly Rock.
"Greetings my Lords and Ladies, a pleasure to see you here."
"Well met Lord Tyrion, it's a pleasure to see you too," Mace responded first. The oaf was trying to seem in charge as always.
"We noticed your party close by our own, and felt it would've been rude of us to just ride past you."
Mace beamed "Much thanks to your consideration."
"Think nothing of it, my lord, we Great lords should be setting an example for our men to follow." Olenna noticed the emphasis the imp placed on the word.
The frantic nod of her son embarrassed Olenna. She ignored the byplay between the two as she turned her attention to the other members of the pride. Kevan and Genna were keeping a cool eye on her party.
She could practically feel the lack of trust coming from them.
Both parties ended up riding towards the capital, Baelor and Gerion seemed to get along far better than anyone expected. The City was a sight to behold, far larger and more prosperous than she had expected it to be for a new city.
The dwarf and her oaf of a son did seem to get along somewhat but it was strained by the fact that her son kept putting his foot in his mouth.
There was some talk about a potential betrothal between Janna and Tyrion, one she had allowed to be entertained for a few moments, before deciding to put her foot down.
"That's enough Mace."
"Mother?"
Ignoring her son's confusion, she kept her attention on the Lannister Lord "Are you willing to ride against a Dragon for Janna my Lord?" she asked, raising her eyebrow at him.
The visible confusion on his face brought a smirk to her own.
"I don't understand Lady Olenna."
"You're a smart man, Lord Lannister, it's not that hard to figure out."
The smirk on her face did not let out as his gaze switched to her son, clearly wanting an answer to what was going on.
It would be Genna Lannister who first understood the implications of her words, "He's taken another lover!" she said in shock.
They were interrupted by an outraged shout, "That's… That's PREPOSTEROUS!".
In response, Genna Lannister made some sort of excuse she couldn't quite make out, before making her way to the wheelhouse where the shout came from.
That brought the dwarfed lion up short quite swiftly. The man turned apologetically towards Mace, "I'm quite sorry Lord Mace, but I am not looking for a wife at the moment."
The lack of shame and clear nervousness in his tone didn't fool anyone.
"An honor to meet you my Lady." the dwarf said, finally acknowledging her presence.
"At least you're better than your father," She said to the boy.
"You knew him?"
"Who hasn't, I certainly drank to his death."
"MOTHER!"
"Oh… come off Mace, it's not like he hasn't heard these words before."
"You still can't just say that."
"If he took offense to it, he would've said something."
The young Lord hadn't said anything to her words, unsurprising if the Old Lion's attitude of him had any truth to them. Though Kevan looked like he wanted to bore holes into her head.
Gerion merely looked amused while Baelor looked on disapprovingly.
Not that it mattered, she disliked the old lion just moments after first meeting him. Shuddering at the thought of having to live with that ruthless bastard. How that girl Joanna fell in love with him, she would never understand.
"So are you offended or what?"
"No, my Lady, but I advise you to keep your comments to yourself."
Amused by his audacity, "A threat, how refreshing."
The glare she received made for a disturbing sight. His mismatched eyes made it more so. The Boy clearly didn't care for his father, so why was he so offended by her comment?
"I'll keep that in mind for the future, Lord Tyrion"
"See to it that you do." was all he said in response.
Mace did his best to distract the Lord of Casterly Rock, showing he had some tact in him by bringing up some mundane topic or other. Olenna for her part frowned in thought. The threat from the lordling had rubbed her the wrong way. Were her spies discovered?
Perhaps she'd have to have them checked or pushed some of her plans ahead to make sure nothing was awry.
At the moment She listened as her grandchildren curiously asked the Lannister party questions. Something about comparing Westerland Knights to Reach Knights.
This trip was beginning to look far more troublesome than she had expected.