"I hate this….."
"You hate this lad; how do you think I feel?" he asked into the gloom.
"We, we should have struck while we had a chance, cleared out
these cunts once and for all!"
"With hindsight maybe, but not everything can be fixed by dragonfire
Hugh."
"Bugger that, it's as good a cleanser as any my Lord Regent!"
The pair of them were seated close together in one of the larger
storeroom's underneath Maegor's Holdfast, in the middle of the room
and in a cleared space that would preclude any eavesdropping on
their conversations.
Hugh had insisted on it, and they met here regularly as required,
ever since he had been confronted with Larys Strong in his Solar
and with his seemingly outrageous demands. He had gone straight
to Hugh with what had happened, and the lad had wanted to bring
'Fire and Blood' down immediately, scouring every Reach House out
of existence, starting with House Hightower. Not that he blamed the
lad, he was none too pleased with what Lord Strong had presented
him with either.
But the realities of the situation he found himself in had been,
somewhat poor he had realized.
It had boiled down to the simple factor of coin in the end, the Iron
Throne was bankrupt, with no revenues from the Westerlands, the
Reach or the Stormlands and with its treasury stripped bare by the
Greens. His House had provided the Iron Throne's expenses for nigh
on three years and as a result was in an even worse position
financially than the Iron Throne.
The Iron Bank, traditionally a reliable source of funding was suffering
from its own financial problems as a result of the Three Sisters War
and House Rogare were greedy, grasping cunts who he would not
touch with a barge pole. Many of the smaller banking Houses in
Essos were equally unsuitable, either not in a position to lend coin or
likely to charge exorbitant interest rates.
He had needed an end to the war as fast as possible, for he was not
going to beggar his House for the Iron Throne, especially as he had
no direct blood ties to it currently.
But that did not mean that he was stupid or naïve, he knew exactly
what he was getting into when he had made that deal with Lord
Strong, and he knew that it had only been a postponement of the
real and true settling of the…. debts of the Dance of the Dragons.
And what better weapon to ensure that these debts were settled, and
all accounts were paid up in full than Prince Hugh, the rider of the
largest surviving dragon?
"All in good time Hugh, all in good time, though mayhaps
impalement would be better than burning them?" he grinned in the
darkness.
"So long as they expire I don't care, but as you said, impalement is a
slower and much less merciful death than dragonfire."
"You appear to have made that method something of your own my
dear Hugh, Mushroom delights in weaving this into his japes and
capers!"
"That smart mouth of his will land him in serious trouble one of these
days."
"He is the court fool; he is supposed to have a 'smart mouth'."
"He is no fool, that one. He bears watching closely."
"Put him out of your mind Hugh, we have more important things to
consider."
"Yes, like the dangerous game you are playing Lord Corlys, one
which I scarce got a chance to reject, and which I am playing along
with you….."
"That is the price you pay Hugh for now being a noble…"
"Bollocks to that, kill 'em all I say…."
"A simple, but impractical course to pursue I'm afraid. Once the Iron
Throne's treasury is safely returned from Casterly Rock and the
Hightower, then we can start the real plotting."
"I don't like having a target painted on my back."
"You think I like this? Having to compromise, having been brought to
this situation by a lack of fucking coin? House Hightower is in the
process of returning its share of the treasury, House Lannister is
being a bit tardy in returning its share."
"Let me guess, the Lannister's are blaming the Ironborn?"
"Aye, how did you guess?" he replied, irony dripping from his voice.
"You should let Addam and I loose on those reaving cunts, our
dragons would make short work of them!"
"They would indeed, and immeasurably enrich and empower House
Lannister into the bargain. And one or both of you would find
yourselves with Lannister brides, no matter if you wanted them or
not! No, the Ironborn will survive and will continue to be a thorn in
House Lannister's side yet, and our 'good friends' in the Reach, we
must not forget them…." He added sarcastically.
The Ironborn, cunts that they all were, could find themselves useful
to the Iron Throne, despite, or maybe because of their foolishness.
To keep the Westerlands and the Reach under threat from reaving
and raiding would weaken these realms, and delay their recovery
after the war, just punishment for their participation on the wrong
side. And with the imposition of sufficient fines and levies which
would go some way to restocking the crowns empty coffers, which
had not been popular in the slightest, but what did those arrogant
pricks think, that they were getting off for free?
"Speaking of brides….."
"Yes?"
"Addam, and I, are attracting quite a bit of attention and offers….and
not just from the Northmen either…"
"Luckily for you few of the northmen have their daughters with them,
the same cannot be said for the daily influx of Lords into Kings
Landing and the Red Keep."
"It will be like Mickey Money Night1 in Coppers2…." Hugh muttered
under his breath.
He ignored this, Hugh oft made nonsensical statements and sayings,
"Aye, and King Aegon is also attracting his fair share of attention
also."
"Even though he is betrothed?"
"Especially because he is betrothed…" he replied, letting the irony of
this statement bleed into his voice.
"You, and Addam, will continue to accept as many of the invitations
that you receive, within reason. You will not favour one House over
any other, both of you will be polite and courteous but you will rebuff
any direct offers of marriage. Oh, and you may tone down the grief
you are projecting for my granddaughter, you are overdoing it…."
"I, I did, have….feelings for, for Rhaena you know…."
"I am sure you did, she was a sweet girl, but like I said, its time to
move on."
"It's, it's a good… defense against the….proposals I am getting."
"For now, it won't be forever, and no doubt the heart broken Prince
will attract its own coterie of empty headed maidens looking to mend
you tragically broken heart."
"Playing the witless fool is less easy, I grow tired of it, if I am honest."
"That you must keep up I am afraid, the more people underestimate
you, the better your chances of survival are."
"You son Addam must be bloody immortal in that case…." Hugh
replied in a deadpan voice.
"That is unkind Hugh, the lad respects you, even worships you a
little, but I will admit he not the sharpest blade I have ever come
across."
"Alyn is at least less naïve, but he is no great thinker, at least Addam
will think before he acts, Alyn, not so much…."
"Ah, the joys of fatherhood eh lad? Let's see how you do shall we?"
he snapped back, though with little heat in his voice, his lads by
Marilda, his little mouse, though good lads, were still unsuited one
way or the other to truly inheriting Driftmark. But he was stuck with
them and had to, as a poet had once said, 'work with the clay he was
given'.
"You know Lady Baratheon has already made a move?"
"You burning her husband alive appears to have had no impact on
her ambitions," he replied dryly
"She wants a dragon, to deal with the Dornish."
"Of course she does, just like Lady Lannister wants a dragon, and
she will not get one, even if you do marry one of her winsome
daughters."
"She also offered me the title of Lord Protector of the Stormlands if I
married her eldest daughter, with the proviso that I brought Vermithor
along to burn the Dornish out of the Marches."
"Quite the title….."
"Shut up, it's as worthless as 'Master of Dragons', and you know it!"
"The title of Lord Regent is not worthless."
Hugh shifted in the gloom and moved to face him more fully.
"Are we negotiating?"
"Always Hugh, always…."
"When?"
"When Strong and Hightower are dealt with, I will step down and
propose that you replace me. You will feature….prominently in the
downfall of that pair. There will be few who will oppose your elevation
to this position. Though it will be up to you to keep yourself seated
atop that uncomfortable iron chair."
If the lad was attached to using 'fire and blood' he could see his reign
being a rather troubled one though. Mayhaps he should take a more
active role in Hugh's education and preparation for this eventuality?
He would look forwards in truth to stepping down from the role of
Regent, it was not an easy one, especially with the viper's pit that
Kings Landing was at the best of times.
Now with the Greens seeming to think that they owned the place,
with resentment building from some of the Blacks to this, and to top it
all winter still having its claw around the throat of the realm, the lad
could have the job. The Greens would be dealt with by then, but the
usual plots and conspiracies would be bubbling along as normal, and
what would Hugh make of them, and how would be deal with them?
He would probably enjoy the view from Driftmark, watching all of this
occur, while safely removed from it.
"And in return?" Hugh asked easily, showing no concern or
annoyance.
"The rights and privileges accorded to House Velaryon are honored
in full, Addam, and Alyn receive a due station according to their
status, a seat on the Small Council would be ideal, Master of Ships
would suite either of them, though probably Addam better. Lady
Daenaera Velaryon is betrothed to Prince Viserys, and that certain of
the events that surround the end of the Dance of the Dragons are
kept…..between friends….."
Especially the bit about how you killed the man who claimed you as
his father and allowed you to wed his daughter he reminded himself
in his head. Addam had been conflicted on this matter and had come
to him to reveal what he suspected. He had quizzed the lad and
came to the conclusion that Hugh had probably not meant to kill
Prince Daemon, but that the actual truth of the matter, whatever it
was, was easily subject to negative interpretation. And this made
Hugh vulnerable, for if he was branded as a kinslayer, well that
would ruin his reputation, which was not exactly stellar with the
nobility in the first place.
"Deal."