If I haven't said it before then I'll say it again, Zhoe knew how to organise and throw a party.
It was at times like this I couldn't help but admit that I knew I had married her for a reason. Well, many reasons, but her knowing how to throw a party was just one of many.
A small army of tents and grand pavilions had been raised up on the banks of the God's Eye, the largest of them to hold the notable of the realm as they partied and dined with the newly made husband and wife. There were other tents as well, not as grand as the main one, but more than big enough to deal with the sort of traffic they would be seeing.
In fact, it was rather difficult to escape all the sounds of merriment that were happening all around me. It almost seemed as if they were following me everywhere I went.
"You want to rename Tumbleton?" I asked, stroking the beard around my chin that needed seeing to once I got the chance.
Jon Harroway nodded as he walked beside me, Ciri's arm looped around his. "It's only fitting, your grace. Me and Cirilla will be starting a new house, it's only fitting that we name are given leave to name our new home."
Oh right, Jon wasn't going to be a Harroway for much longer was he? I didn't mind since he was a grown-ass man who could whatever he wanted.
"Well, I don't mind." I just felt sorry for the guys that had to redraw the maps with the new name. "As you said, it's going to be your new holding after all. Have you thought of a name? Not after me I hope. Edmynburgh will just do for now." I finished with a little quip that brought some light smiles to the faces of my daughter and my new goodson.
Ciri jumped on my little quip though. "Please father, I hope you spare the realm of any more places named after yourself. Edmynburgh is bad enough by itself."
I swear, I get no respect sometimes. "It is a great name, but yet, you have not answered my question."
The newly-wed couple shared a look with each other before they looked away and Jon answered. The look had lasted for barely a moment. "We have some names, though we have yet to agree on one. Hopefully, the deed will be done by the end of the next moon's turn." He said with an even tone.
Now that I thought about it, I don't think I have ever seen him raise his voice or his tone change much. Jon was a quiet fellow, probably was the reason why he got along with Henry.
"Well, tell me when you do. And Jon? Try to not let Ciri brow beat you into accepting a name you don't like."
He smiled at me then. "I promise, your grace, I plan of not doing such a thing." He was even able to keep his composure from when Ciri pinched him in the arm.
Seeing these two get along so well made me realise I had made the right decision in how I approached the whole arranged marriage scenario of Westeros. Ned and Catelyn might have been able to work something out by pure luck from their own arranged marriage, on the other hand though, I didn't plan on leaving things to fate.
A marriage to the Harroways was a good thing, but I wasn't going to risk my daughter's happiness just like that. At the very least, I had to see how good of a man Jon was.
"Good, because I fear you shall have your work cut out for you in your new fiefdom." I said, nodding my head. "Apologies for that. The blame can rest on my shoulders for some of the difficulties you shall experience."
Ciri had a delicate little frown on her face when she spoke. "The business with the reach?"
"And whatever is happening in the stormlands." I added with a sigh. "I'm starting to regret acquiring all that territory from the reach. It's a pain in the ass."
"The 'bandits'." Jon said doing little to try and hide disgust he felt.
"Yes, those very same." I chuckled some. "I swear, these reach lords are rather petty."
More than a decade later, they were still being assholes. I mean, some might say this was sort of karma for me for what I pulled on them with their smallfolk, but that was just me being completely civil and humane.
It's not like I had intentionally returned their smallfolk armed or anything like that. Whatever trouble they caused in the reach proper was initiative they took upon themselves. I honestly had nothing to do with that.
Honest.
I had even written letters saying the same to the reach lords, yet they didn't believe me. So, over the years, our southern borders saw some increased banditry. Quite well armed bandits.
Annoying? Yes, but something that was eventually sorted out with watch towers and regular patrols.
The Brackens were coming good with their breeding of useful horses. They certainly knew what they were doing.
"I would wager the stormlands to be the most worrying prospect, your grace." My new goodson said with a frown. "The war between House Cole and Grandison has led to small bands of men crossing in our borders. If it goes on for any longer without the storm king doing anything, we might be seeing actual armies fighting in our lands."
Ciri sniffed. "Although I'm surprised that Argillac has been able to live this long, but he is not as young as he was, now bedridden if Lord Darklyn is to be believed. When his death comes, chaos is to come to the stormlands, of that I'm sure."
Jon was of a different mind though. "Princess Argella might very well keep order in her lands when she becomes queen. With the power of her husband's family, she will have more than enough support."
I liked Jon, soft-spoken, quiet and an all-round gentleman. He was of somewhat optimistic, not really a bad thing as long as he didn't let his optimism blind him. Then again, he didn't have the same knowledge that I did to know that the union between Houses Durrandon and Buckler wasn't apparently as cordial as it was.
If it was, their vassals wouldn't be busy fighting amongst themselves.
"I wouldn't worry about it too much." I said, thinking of the Coles and Grandisons. They were principal bannermen to the Durrandons, great lords of their realm, but not anywhere near the top. At best, between the both of them, they could probably raise two thousand men to fight, maybe add a couple hundred more with freeriders and sellswords. "I'll write letters to Grandview and Castle Cole asking them to keep their fighting in their lands. As well as to Storm's End. If it happens any more times, I'm afraid I shall have to launch some punitive raids."
And I didn't want to do that. I planned on not getting myself involved in other people's wars, but the constant skirmishing of the Coles and Grandisons that found their ways into our own borders was beginning to annoy me.
"And I shall be ready to lead them if it time comes to act." Jon declared, the timbres of his voice showing that he was deadly serious.
Ciri slapped him lightly on the shoulder. "And get yourself killed? I think not."
"My lady, I'm more than capable to look after myself if it comes to battle."
"That I have no doubt in, I have seen you ride in the lists, my lord." Ciri replied, smoothing out her skirt with her one free hand. "But father has men for this. Men who spent most of their time training for such things. Our duty, until he calls upon us, is to raise a respectable family and administer our lands. Or is the appeal of battle more enticing than me?"
Jon stumbled some before he regained his composure. "No! Of course not, my lady!"
She smiled at him coyly. "Excellent, and for that, I think you shall deserve a prize."
Do I need to be here for this? No, I don't think I need to be here for this. So, I said my goodbyes and slipped away from the couple. Jon protested, wanting to talk to me some more about matters that involved his new fiefdom, but I left that for another time. It was his wedding night after all, a time he should spent enjoying the food, drink, entertainment and all that.
I had been pointedly ignoring and avoiding to ask Zhoe how much everything was costing us, because I'd rather not think about it. The good thing was that the Harroways were nice enough to pony up half the cost and us doing the same.
It seemed the union of our two houses wasn't going to be so bad.
Now alone, apart from my two constant shadows for the time being following me. Kinda felt sorry for them, they should have been out there enjoying themselves, but Ser Garrett wasn't having any of that.
I could now see why Ser Patrek had given him his support to become my new captain of the guards. He was just like Ser Patrek, just a little bit more bitter.
He was an acquired taste.
I made my way through the camp of revellers towards my destination, stopping a little here and there to share in the toasts of some of my lords and knights. I paused for a moment at a shadow play theatre that retold the story of Jack and the Beanstalk.
I knew of the story, me being the one that had introduced it, along with the shadow play theatre idea anyway. What caught my sight was several of my household knights hanging around the seated group of children and young teens. That only meant one thing, and looking over the crowd, I saw the striking red hair of Triss and the familiar black hair Henry beside her.
Triss was busy clapping and cheering to the last part of the tale as Jack cut away at the beanstalk as the giant descended along with the rest of the younger children. "Come on Jack!" She cried out above the rest. "Just a little more! You can do it!"
Her cheering brought a small measure of amusement from me. Triss might as well have known the story as well as the as the back of her hand, yet she always cheered and clapped.
Henry was able to catch sight of me, turning around before nodding his head in acknowledgement in my direction. He made to move, but I motioned for him to stay. Him and Triss seemed to be enjoying themselves and I decided to slip away and not disturb them.
I left the children to their entertainment, my mind wandering to my firstborn. I had seen Alfie slip away from the main pavilion with Andrew, Edward, Alfie and a group of other young lordlings he was of an age with. It was nice to see my son going around socialising with future lords and knights, but I hoped he wasn't off doing something stupid.
Nah, I had nothing to worry about. Alfie was a smart kid.
Off into the perimeter of the camp, where the loud sounds of instruments being played, men and women singing, I entered into an unassuming tent. Sers Ronald and Lucas were quick to join their fellow knights in taking positions around the tent.
Inside, Ser Garrett loomed at the back of the tent like a silent sentinel, his eyes having a clear view of the other inhabitants. Those inhabitants happening to be guests that had taken it upon themselves to invite themselves to my daughter's wedding and people I had generally thought kept to themselves despite everything.
Though I would admit, Gared Boggs, Eldred Crabb and Marvin Pyne looked like the sort of people that would come out of a place like Crackclaw Point. They all happen to share the same look of grim determination, even if they happened to wear it differently.
They didn't even bother to rise from their seats when I made my appearance. That was pretty ballsy, but then again, all four of us were kings? Perhaps there was some power playing being done here? My knowledge on the houses of the point and how their culture worked was not really the best.
I'm going to need to have someone give me a brief about that, just in case I happen to offend someone by accident or lack of action on my part.
I drew back a chair. "Your graces," I said as I took the seat. "I can honestly say that it is a surprise seeing you here."
A surprise that I didn't like. Just like that Ruthermont knight just dropping in on me out of the blue and expecting me to suddenly drop everything and follow him. Was there something about me that made me look like an idiot?
Eldred Crabb cleared his throat as he made to speak. "Certain events on the point have made it prudent for us to join our forces together. Though we did not plan on bringing issues of state to mar your daughter's wedding."
I gave the Crabb king a once over, noting the paleness of his skin and the gaunt look that was on his face. Honestly, it looked like he was starving himself or maybe he was just predetermined to skinniness?
"From my understanding the Brunes are making good way into conquering the rest of the Point." I said evenly, looking over the three petty kings.
They all shared a look, Eldred slowly nodding his head as his lips twisted to form a grimace. "More than I would wish to admit."
The biggest and largest of the three petty kings Marvin Pyne slammed a fist onto the table that we all sat around with enough force to make the table shudder as it took in the impact. In the back, Ser Garrett's head snapped to stare directly at the petty king.
The man half-growled, half shouted as he spoke. "Those fucking whores the Brunes sold themselves! Our ancestors have fought over the Point over countless centuries and millennia honourably!"
I frowned as I looked at him. "Sold themselves?" I asked.
Gared Boggs sighed as he slowly nodded his head. "It was small at first. Just little things here and there."
"Like?" I urged, trying to hold back my annoyance at the vagueness the petty king was using.
"Weapons, using arms and armour that were better made than most castle-forged steel." He elaborated with a grimness to him.
Eldred Crabb nodded as he carried on for his fellow petty king. "Then some five moons ago, they launched an offensive that saw the kingdoms of the Caves, Hardys, Marshes and Pewts overrun and conquered."
I slowly nodded my head. "Okay, so the Brunes are winning. I still fail to see how they whored themselves out." I finished, nodding in the direction Marvin Pyne.
"The Celtigars." Marvin Pyne grinded out and with the way he said the name with as much venom as he did, I don't think he liked them all that much. "The fucking Brunes whored themselves out to those inbred fuckers!"
Celtigars? Oh fuck off, that meant the Targaryens.
Was Aegon turning his attention towards Westeros? I'd have thought that his newfound Freehold would be enough to keep him busy for the entirety of his life. Why would he try to add anymore territories when he has yet to consolidate his new-found dynasty?
Perhaps this had nothing to do with the Freehold and more to do with the Celtigars acting on their own? Possible or maybe they were acting on orders of the Freehold to have an actual foothold in Westeros for future invasions?
I was just making assumptions and guesses here without any real concrete knowledge. All I really knew was this beginning to be a headache that I really didn't want to deal with anytime soon.
"Alright," the words came out slowly from my mouth as I spoke. "Why don't we start from the beginning?"
What was it with Westeros and weddings?
And this was just one problem before the next one that included Sharra Arryn and the I haven't even talked to him properly Ser Roland Royce and his delegation of valemen.
Man, I just cannot catch a break.