On a bright, clear afternoon, Samwell returned to the Arbor. It had only been a few days since his last visit, but the change in his reception was stark.
During his last visit, House Redwyne had sent only a servant to meet him at the docks, leaving him to wait in the reception hall all afternoon—only to never actually meet Lord Paxter. The treatment had been undeniably cold.
This time, however, not only was he escorted personally by Horas Redwyne, the eldest son, but a section of the docks had been cleared specifically for his arrival, with several members of House Redwyne awaiting him.
At the head of the welcoming party was none other than Lord Paxter's daughter—Desmera Redwyne.
The reception was nearly one befitting a high lord.
Yet, Samwell found himself growing cautious. Clearly, House Redwyne was after more than just a distribution deal for brandy.
On the dock, Desmera stepped forward with a playful smile. "Ser Samwell, it's wonderful to see you again. You've grown quite handsome since your childhood!"
The lord's daughter was tall and shapely, with fair skin and lively features—not a classic beauty, but bright and captivating, her few freckles lending a touch of playfulness to her look.
Samwell quickened his pace slightly to meet Desmera, intending to bow. However, she unexpectedly extended a smooth, delicate hand toward him.
He paused for a moment before taking her hand and, with a gentlemanly grace, kissed it lightly on the fingertips.
"Lady Desmera, you're more beautiful than ever," he replied smoothly.
Desmera withdrew her hand, gesturing for him to follow. "Please, young knight. My father awaits you in the castle."
"Very well."
Samwell boarded House Redwyne's lavish carriage, which carried them through the Arbor toward the castle.
Before long, they arrived at the castle gates.
Upon stepping out of the carriage, Samwell was greeted by a servant who presented a silver platter.
Once Samwell had taken a bite of the traditional bread and salt, an elderly man, likely a steward, bowed respectfully and said, "Ser Samwell, My Lord awaits you in the reception hall."
With that, he led the way.
Entering the hall, Samwell saw a slender, middle-aged man by the window, holding a silver goblet.
With thinning hair and rough skin that made him appear somewhat aged, the man wore a white linen shirt emblazoned with House Redwyne's purple grape sigil. His presence radiated authority.
Samwell recognized him as Lord Paxter Redwyne, lord of the Arbor.
Despite the years, Lord Paxter looked almost exactly as the original Samwell remembered him.
"Lord Paxter, it's an honor to meet you," Samwell said, offering a respectful bow.
"Ser Samwell," Lord Paxter replied with a faint smile and a nod, gesturing toward the table. "No need for formality."
"Thank you, my lord." Samwell relaxed and poured himself a glass of wine before stepping up beside Lord Paxter to enjoy the view out the window.
As he did so, he felt the man's keen gaze studying him.
After a moment, Paxter said, "Sometimes, I wonder if you're still the same Samwell Tarly i know."
Samwell's expression froze briefly before he replied, "Now, I am Samwell Caesar, my lord."
Lord Paxter gave a small smile, letting the topic go, and turned back to gaze out the window.
From here, they could see a garden brimming with flowers, where Lady Desmera and several companions were enjoying tea.
In their company was a young man with striking blond hair—clearly not a Redwyne.
Though he was too far away for Samwell to make out his features, Paxter's words provided the answer to his curiosity:
"Do you recognize the man having tea with Desmera?"
"I'm afraid not, my lord." Samwell answered honestly.
"He's Stafford Lannister's son, Daven Lannister."
"A son of the Lion," Samwell commented, noting the man's proud golden hair.
At the docks, Samwell had seen a banner bearing the roaring lion of House Lannister, but had assumed it was simply a trading ship from Casterly Rock. He hadn't expected an actual member of House Lannister to be aboard.
Though he couldn't recall Stafford Lannister from the original story—likely a minor figure—he did recognize Daven Lannister, a formidable figure who later commanded the Westerlands' forces at Riverrun. After Tywin's death, Daven was even appointed by Queen Cersei as Warden of the West.
Though this appointment may have stemmed more from Cersei's quarrel with her uncle Kevan, it was still a testament to Daven's skill and merit.
Still, Samwell wondered what business Daven had here on the Arbor.
Lord Paxter soon clarified, "Stafford came here to arrange a marriage between his son Daven and my daughter Desmera."
Finally, Samwell understood the intent behind Lord Paxter's earlier words.
However, feigning ignorance, he smiled and said, "Then, congratulations are in order, my lord. I've heard Ser Daven is a remarkable knight."
Lord Paxter shot him a look, his expression unreadable. "No need. I plan to refuse."
"That's a shame," Samwell replied with a carefully crafted air of regret.
"Do you know why I intend to refuse the Lannisters?"
"I trust you have your reasons, my lord."
Samwell was certainly not naïve enough to think Lord Paxter was turning down the Lannisters out of a desire to marry his daughter to him.
Paxter's motives were clearer than he let on.
While Daven was indeed exceptional, he was still only a member of a cadet branch of House Lannister—a fact Lord Paxter wouldn't overlook.
But more importantly, Lady Olenna was maneuvering to make Margaery the queen by appealing to Renly Baratheon, the naive would-be suitor.
If this plan succeeded, it would sour the relations between House Tyrell and the Lannisters—despite Renly being Olenna's chosen front, House Tyrell would inevitably be implicated.
Since House Redwyne held close ties to the Tyrells, they would likely be caught in the fallout as well.
So, Lord Paxter would not marry his daughter into a family that seemed destined to oppose the Reach.
With this insight, Samwell didn't flatter himself by thinking the Lannisters had been turned away in favor of him.
Still, he was curious about why Paxter was so insistent on steering the conversation in this direction.
Surely Paxter wouldn't actually want him to marry Desmera. Or was he simply using it as bait?
Seeing that Samwell wasn't taking the hint, Lord Paxter finally spoke plainly:
"Alright, Samwell, let's get straight to the point. Do you want to marry my daughter?"
(End of Chapter)