She sat with mother and her two sisters, embroidering away, the
room was small, and the fire provided more than enough heat to
drive away the chills of the winter day. The sky was a clear, cold blue
through the glass of the window and for now provided more than
enough light for their delicate and intricate work. Only the four of
them were present, a tea service had been brought in a few minutes
ago and they had partaken of the warming beverage, pausing in their
work, but not pausing in the main reason for these get togethers,
gossip.
Her mother had laughed at her when she had mentioned this, saying
that they were not here to share 'gossip', but intelligence about their
enemies, the plans of said enemies and to plot their own moves in
the endless games of court.
Strom's End had never been like this, the court there was much
smaller, much more restrained, here it seemed as if every day there
was a party, a hunting expedition (if the weather was amenable), a
ball, a feast, a performance of mummery or music.
It was whirl of pretty dresses, handsome young knights, Lords and
Princes and she basked in all of it, enjoying it to its fullest. But of
course her mother had to spoil it, and remind her why they were
here, and that all the fun she was having had a price. And that price
was marriages for them, all three if possible, and at the very least for
Cassandra and Ellyn, mayhaps she was yet too young for a
betrothal?
She did not want to get married if she was honest, for she was
having far too much of a grand old time in the Red Keep, with its
whirl of dances and parties, and new dresses to wear. Well, not
always new dresses, often older dresses that were changed and
styled differently, something added here, something else removed
elsewhere, giving the illusion of new dresses.
For none could match the Lannisters and their unending stream of
gold from Casterly rock, the two blondes from the Westerlands were
always attired in the latest fashions and no reused dresses for then,
oh no, from what she could see, and the whispers she overheard,
the two Lannister girls had new dresses for every ball and party that
they attended.
Her jealously knew now bounds at this, those two golden bitches,
parading around like their coin made them owners of the Red Keep,
never shy of reminding any in earshot of their new gowns and the
expense of the material from which it was made. Add to that the fact
that both chits fairly dripped with golden jewellery and precious
stones, and none could truly compete with the lavishness of the
Lannister sisters.
It annoyed her elder sisters also, both of whom had raged at her
mother when they had been denied new clothes, their mother
adamant that she would not bankrupt House Baratheon in a
spending match with House Lannister.
Which had resulted in hysterics and endless balling from her sisters,
if truth be told she had also been disappointed by this, but her
mother was right, you could not outspend House Lannister, and
other tactics would be required.
Just what her mother meant by 'other tactics' she never said, and as
far as she was aware all they were doing was constantly tailoring
their dresses to look different and wearing their hair in increasingly
elaborate styles.
Part of their regular embroidery was devoted to making new panels
and decorations for existing dresses of theirs, and her fingers were
getting increasingly sore from all the needlework she was doing,
though her Septa was impressed by how much she was improving
by. 'Practise makes perfect' as her Septa had said, well, she would
have much preferred to be out horseback riding, or hunting, or
hawking, or anything else really, even with the cold of winter she did
not mind.
"I hear some serving wench was found with her throat slit a few days
ago" Cassandra mentioned casually, to a sharp intake of breath from
her and Ellyn.
"Not just any serving wench either, she was the chit who told us of
the affairs of the Lannister's and Prince Hugh…" replied her mother,
Cassandra immediately adding, "we should put this about mother, I
cannot understand why you have not spread the rumours about that
golden haired slut Tyshara being found naked in Prince Hugh's bed!"
"For this very reason my dear Cassandra, our informant suddenly
turns up dead, and nobody else in the Red Keep is breathing a word
of this, indiscretion on the part of Lady Tyshara? No, my dear, we will
keep our mouths firmly shut about this," she noticed Cassandra pout
and then begin to open her mouth to reply, but her mother continued
before her eldest sister could speak. "No Cassandra, I command this
as your mother, you will not tattle about this matter. The very fact that
not a peep seems to be being said about this means that it is not
widely known, and that Prince Hugh and the Lannister's are in
cahoots. It is the only explanation that makes even the slightest bit of
sense."
"So, so that, that cunt Tyshara will wed Prince Hugh after all?"
hissed Cassandra, her use of such coarse language shocking her,
so she turned her face more fully to concentrate on her work to avoid
the flush spreading across he checks being visible.
"Until we hear of an announcement of a betrothal we will do nothing,
if such an announcement is made then we may have to unfortunately
spread that little rumour about Lady Tyshara and her nocturnal visit
to the chambers of Prince Hugh."
Her face burned even redder at this; she felt her ears warm as the
flush deepened. Prince Hugh was one of the men her mother was
angling to catch for them, along with the King and Ser Addam, the
legitimised bastard of the Lord Regent's son. Prince Hugh was the
legitimised bastard of the late Prince Daemon, and she could not
help but remember all her Septa's warnings about bastards and how
lustful they were.
A part of her liked the thought of…..of lustful, and especially in
relation to Prince Hugh, with Ser Addam not so much. But Prince
Hugh, oh, now that was a very, very different thing altogether. And
she was not alone in this, both Cassandra and Ellyn very much liked
the look of Prince Hugh, and both often bickered and fought over
securing the Prince's hand in marriage. She would have thought that
both of them would have been more interested in the King's hand,
even with his betrothal to Princess Jaehaera, but no, apparently
Prince Hugh was their favourite.
The King was acceptable enough looking to her eyes, and sure to
grow into a handsome man, but Prince Hugh was already a man,
and that seemed to be enough for her and how she felt about…..the
situation.
Strange, confusing emotions often surged through her when she was
in the presence of Prince Hugh, she would feel lightheaded and
heavy at the same time, excited and weirdly languid, and with
frustrating flashes of heat across her face, chest and between her
legs.
"Lannister cunts!" hissed Cassandra, "I bet they will even try and
snap up the King or Ser Addam!"
"They will no doubt try my dear," replied her mother, and she
wondered why her mother was being strangely passive on this, it, it
was not like her mother to be so. And this she wondered what was
her mother really up to here, and what was her true plan?
"And you mother? You sit there and do nothing!" Ellyn chimed in,
noticing the slightest twitch in her mother's eyes at this accusation
from her sister.
"Nothing you say my girl, nothing…..you must remember your dear
sister Maris?" came the low but menacing response.
When none of her sisters dared to reply her mother continued. "I had
the tongue cut out of that silly girl's head, on the orders of the Lord
Regent, and do you know why I obeyed Lord Corlys?" silence
greeted this statement, neither of her sisters daring to look upon the
coldly raging visage of their mother. "Because when your sister
should have held her tongue she did not, and her handful of cruel
words said to goad a fool of a Prince set Westeros alight! Her tongue
was the price we paid for not being annihilated, for the Baratheon
name not being cast down into the dirt, for the life of your brother
Royce, the future of our House. Your father and a goodly portion of
his bannermen are nought but dust now, burned to a crisp by
dragonfire, with not even a grave to their name. What is to stop the
Iron Throne marrying you three off to whomever it pleases Lord
Corlys eh? Nothing! So, we play the game, ever so slowly, ever so
quietly, and we DO NOT DRAW ATTENTION TO OURSELVES!"
When none of them deigned to reply her mother continued. "House
Baratheon came within mere inches of being attained, thanks to your
sister's actions, and those of your father. Our power is broken, for at
least a generation or more, and we must be very, very careful. The
Dornish already raid the Marches with near impunity, our coffers are
empty after the spending of your father to equip and feed his armies
for a war that amounted to them sitting still for moons on end and
then getting reduced to naught but ash in a morning. We play this
game of parties and balls and feasts, and you flirt and cavort with the
handsome young knights and lords, but we must make no missteps,
we must be very, very careful that we stay within the good graces of
the Iron Throne."
"Then why not have us chase Lord Corlys?" she asked, noting the
shock, and then condescending smirks that her sisters gave her.
"Floris my girl, I did not know you liked… Sea Snake!" chortled
Cassandra.
"Why, he is, is older even than father was! Mayhaps a match for
mother, but for you Floris? You are really such an empty-headed little
thing now aren't you!" Ellyn added cruelly.
"Could, could the Sea Snake's….sea snake even still work? He is
very old…." Laughed Cassandra, giving her a look of pitying
condescension.
"Enough!" her mother announced, not loudly, but with enough force
and command to shut up her cackling sisters, whom she hoped were
made to marry fat old lords for their teasing of her!
"Enough, your sister Floris does make an interesting point, and if I
thought the Sea Snake was even the slightest bit interested in
remarrying you would be paying him as much attention as you do to
the King, Prince Hugh and Ser Addam!"
"But, but he is….old…." gasped Ellyn, a disgusted look plastered
across her face.
"And what of it girl? I am the head of House Baratheon and if I and
Lord Corlys agreed upon it you would wed him. The survival of our
House depends on you three, and on who you can marry for our
advantage, and let none of you ever forget that, for a second. I'd
marry any one of you to Mushroom if I thought it would bring House
Baratheon sufficient advantage!"
This led to a prolonged silence, only punctuated by the quiet sounds
of embroidery and sewing, horrified thoughts be being wed to the
Court Fool Mushroom filling her mind.