Chapter 14: Thorns and Roses

Royal Ballroom, Red Keep, King's Landing

5th Moon, 259 AC

(Lord Ormund Baratheon POV)

What I just heard has left me wondering for just a few moments, not that I can be blamed, honestly, for it is most unusual for a Prince of the Blood to be given the choice over the selection of his bride, and not any bride, it is a daughter of Lord Paramount.

It would seem that my good brother still feels guilty over the anguish he caused his late daughter, by forcing her into a marriage to her brother, the Prince, for whom she has nothing but a sister's love.

The King is giving his son the choice over his spouse so that he doesn't lose him, his only remaining child, over a bloody prophecy a second time.

And what a choice Aerys has made! It was a damn brilliant choice, and I used to think of Aerys as a boy with too much ambition and little determination to go with it. But as much as Summerhall was a tragedy, it gave both Aerys and Jaehaerys a drive to change for the better, and Aerys took it in strides; he had shown remarkable growth through the previous months, and now he showed the backbone to go with it.

Nowadays, you can see that aforementioned growth at every Council meeting, every morning at the training yard, with his interaction with people, and now even at court, surrounded by hundreds of Lords. This move of his will makes every one of those Lords scramble to either take advantage of the situation or even make sense of it. And with the expected conflict with the Blackfyre pretender at our gates, no one will have the time to scheme against the House of the Dragon, at least, not in any fruitful way.

This inclusion of the North, which is by far the most isolated region of the Seven Kingdoms in the Crownlands-Stormlands alliance, will make the Lords of both the Riverlands and the Vales look for a way in, lest they be trapped in the middle of a Royal-Northern coalition. This will work wonders in curbing the ever-increasing influence of the Tyrell on the Reach, which will overall weaken their presence at the court, thus completing the late King's plans that started by appointing loyal Lords from southern regions to important positions in the Red Keep, and King's Landing at large. Making the Tyrell tight-knit network of alliances fall, as many of their Lords will start seeking Royal favor henceforth.

(Lord Edwyle Stark POV)

It was about time for the North to finally get some recognition in this new regime, and while it was not exactly what my ancestor Cregan has asked for hundred years prior, Prince Aerys has shown keen interest in solving some of our most glaring issues.

Unlike his ancestors, who only knew how to call for the North when they needed to solve their fuck-ups, Prince Aerys has not only chosen a Stark to be his future queen, but also secured us some of the most profitable deals on timber, furs, and wool, that we've ever had with the South.

Had he stopped at that, I could've attributed it to him seeking profit, but he has gone even further and provides us with the fairest deals for food that we could ask for, deals that won't cripple us, leaving us with no spare coin for even the simple thing as the maintenance of our Towns and Keeps, deals that started after the taking of the New Gift, where the North was left with no choice but to purchase food from the South, or die of hunger when Winter Comes.

He did what no previous King showed any concern about; when House Stark complained, he did his duty by the North, and the North will do their duty by him with pride.

But 'The North Remember', and as we remember Prince Aery's honor, we will remember the Reach dishonor, and House Tyrell will sooner or later pay their debts.

(Olenna Tyrell 'born Redwayn' POV)

What in the Seven Hells did just happen!? Did the boy prince just choose a savage heathen harlot over countless proper ladies of the South?

I lost my composure there for a moment, and just as I turned to my oaf of a husband, what did I find doing? The bloody fool was looking at the prince with such venom in his eyes that I didn't know it was there, and his face was as red as a ripe tomato. Looking around, I noticed that a couple of people or so had seen my fool husband's reaction, and now it is too late to get this under control.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

The boy prince has committed a terrible mistake by choosing a Northern barbarian for a bride, while he needed all the support he could to get his House from the ruins his more fool of a grandfather brought upon them, this shows that every Targaryen is a bigger fool than the other, first Aegon the Unlikely killed most his family by his futile effort to revive myths, then Jaehaerys II gives his spoiled child the freedom to chose his bride, and I thought he was following their accursed tradition when he had children to marry each other, but it appears he is just a fool who believes in love, what a waste of King, and now lastly the boy prince choose a Stark for a wife, he most definitely think himself smart, and dream of taking the North out of their isolation, what a fool, there was a reason none of the previous Kings didn't care about the North, it is because it's a frozen wasteland full of heathen barbarians, there is nothing good coming from them.

Now that House Targaryen has nailed the last nail in their coffin, I have to make sure to get back to them for the humiliation that I suffered when that sword-swallower Daeron refused to marry me. House Targaryen will pay, but first, it's about time my oaf of a husband will have a riding accident. I can't plan my revenge while he draws attention to me, so he has to go.

(Prince Aerys Targaryen POV)

Wow, what a surprise! That was intense. Who could have thought that the Lady of the Reach has so much hate for my House, huh? Honestly, I knew that Uncle Daeron's actions would have slighted House Redwayn and Lady Olenna, just as Uncle Duncan's slighted the Laughing Storm, and just as Father and Mother's actions slighted another two Lord Paramount.

But Lady Olenna took this to another level. It is one thing to hold resentment over a broken betrothal, but it is entirely another to plot the fall of the Royal House over it.

If I were a betting man, I would've put both my arms on her aspirin to be the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms when her betrothal to Uncle Daeron was made. Because, in my opinion, for a woman as her, who so lightly decided to take her husband's life, it wouldn't be too farfetched to plot the demise of my family, had she married Uncle Daeron.

And in hindsight, his decision to break their betrothal was a lifesaver. I wouldn't imagine my predecessor surviving long enough for me to arrive here and inheriting his body.

Coming back to the presence, someone would wonder why I have gone for such a dramatic way to announce my choice of wife, Right? Typically, such an announcement has a protocol of some kind. Some protocols involve a lot of politics and formality, and while what I did was against protocols, it has a few advantages for me to go and do it anyway.

First things first, that's how Northerners traditionally announce a betrothal at a feast; thus, what I did won me more respect from my unruly subjects. Second of all, the element of surprise in the unusual way I did it made it infinitely easier to infiltrate the minds of the most important players, and see their opinions on this matter, and further on me and my House, as they wouldn't usually gather around to think about those kinds of things. Last but not least, the way I did it will make the prideful ones amongst the Players think less of me, as a spoiled boy who doesn't understand or doesn't care about subtleties, thus, underestimating me, which in turn will make it easier for me to either manipulate them to fit my plans, or to plan their demise in peace.

Lord Quelon Greyjoy's faith in me was touching, and would go a long way in helping to implement my plans for the Ironborn.

Good Uncle Ormund's reaction, on the other hand, has confirmed my original impression of him, as someone who hides his intelligence and cunning behind a facade of brashness.

The thoughts of Lord Tully were some welcome surprises, to be sure, as I thought he would still feel slighted about the broken betrothal like Lord Tyrell is, but he seems to be more of a pragmatic man, which will get him far in my planned future.

Lord Arryn proved to be a complete surprise. For someone as pious and proud as he is, I thought he would be the one who would find it the most disagreeable for the future queen consort to be heathen, just like how many Reachers did, but he seemed to be more focused on the practical side, rather than the social one, proving to be a talented politician.

Others' thoughts were as I predicted them to be, which was good. Being predictable makes them easier to handle, which will go a long way toward making my goal of a life of adventures and knowledge-seeking closer.

I was broken out of my thoughts when Father started moving. And I looked at him as he stood up and made a gesture for Lord Commander Gerold to bring the audience to his attention, which the Lord Commander did by ordering the royal guards to bang their shields with their spears.

The King stood straight as he cleared his throat and started speaking. "My Lords, and Ladies, as you all heard my son's announcement, he made his choice of bride, and he chose the lovely Lady Branda of House Stark."

He stopped for a moment to let his words sink and make it clear that his opinion was supportive of mine.

Then he looked around the hall at the gathered crowd, settled his gaze on Lord Stark, and said, "Lord Stark, I would like to hear your answer to my Heir proposal; do you agree to bind our two prestigious Houses together, and make the Seven Kingdoms stronger than ever?".

All the gazes in the hall were trained on Lord Stark at that, and the Stoic Lord took it all with a grace befitting of his position, as he stood up, then deliberately took to the knee, and said in his calm voice, "It would be an honor, your Grace, to bind our Houses, and renew our old oaths," thus making his answer sincerely to match my Father's own.

And the Hall broke into clapping and cheers, the loudest amongst them being Lord Umber, cementing his House reputation. Lords started to offer their congratulations, some sincere, some not.

And no sooner did the music resume; with the band starting some Northern songs, the audience descended back into a festive mood, with men taking ladies back to the dancing floor. The sound of glasses of wine clicking and tankards of ale banging, the Ironborn and Stormlanders matching Northerners in their loudness, Riverlanders, Valemen, and Crownlanders coming right behind, Reachmen divided into different groups, some celebrating, some secretly seething in silence and fake platitudes, Westerlanders divided into their two camps, and Dornish being Dornish, drinking their expansive wines and flirting left and right in their revealing silk and cotton clothes,

I looked around the hall with a smile of contentment on my face, and I met the shy gaze of my betrothed, which made my smile broaden, as I stood and headed her way for another dance and a nice conversation, letting myself enjoy the celebration of tonight, to break away from the gloom that took over the City and my Family for the last several months, knowing that I need this break, as there is a lot to be done in the coming days before I can enjoy some peace of mind.