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***
The tenth month of the year 298 A.D.
Red Castle, King's Landing, King's Landings
If anyone thinks that getting into the Red Castle is easy, they are sorely mistaken.
By law, the only people who have free access to the king's residence are the grandlords and their most important lords bannermen. I, for all the power and wealth of my house, was still Lord Vassal, fourth in the hierarchy of the Seven Kingdoms. And not even Doran, with all his power, could help with that-if he gave the title of Lord Bannerman to me, a former merchant and wandering knight, his own vassals would eat it up, despite all their loyalty. And that's not even a pebble in Martell's garden - the eighth-most powerful house in the Commonwealth, the Fossoways of Green Apple, still hold the title of knights-in-arms and cannot hold court without their Tyrell suzerains. And yet their lineage is descended from Foss Archer himself, one of the sons of the legendary Garth the Greenhanded, and surpasses the Rose family in nobility as House Baratheon mine.
There are only two ways for other "lowborns" to get into the castle: to become a petitioner and wait for an audience with the Hand, or to receive a personal invitation from some important figure at court. The first option didn't suit me. Waiting to be treated like peasants and fishermen? My whole reputation, built up over years of hard work, would go to hell if I did that.
So I had to sit in my factoria for almost a week, checking financial reports and meeting with representatives of the local merchant guild, who hardly threw themselves at my feet, waiting for the invitation to come.
And it came. It came exactly a week later, from Ned Stark, who worked like an ox for his king and sent me an invitation the first chance he got.
«That's what I like about you, My Lord Hand. - I said as we strolled through the blooming garden of the Red Castle. - You belong to that rare and, unfortunately, dying category of people for whom conscience means something.
«Don't flatter me, Lord Temper. - Said Stark, walking beside me. - There are many in the North who live by the laws of word and honor.
«Then this is a fine place. I envy you a little. - I grinned, remembering my brother-in-law. There is not a penny of honor and nobility in him. - But here, in the south, the situation is the opposite. Here they believe that a true lord must be heartless, cold-blooded, have no attachments, and do everything for the good of his house. Although I think that's a primary foolishness. It's always easy to be a freak, and you don't need to be a lord to be a freak. It's much harder to remain human.
«That's why I returned to the North after the Rebellion. - Stark confessed, looking sadly toward his abandoned home. - We are too different, southerners and northerners.
«But we are all still human. - I remarked, turning into an ivy-covered alley that offered perfect protection from the midday sun. - Vices and virtues are inherent in each of us, whether we are simple plowmen, lords, or kings. Whether you live north of the Isthmus or south.
«Where are you going with this, Lord Temper? - Stark asked, stopping and turning to face me. - I'm not another merchant or businessman from the Free Cities you've done business with before, and I don't like to beat around the bush. Speak at once, without verbiage, what is it you want to tell me?
Standing in front of the Northman, I made an incredible effort not to laugh out loud. How many years had it been since I had interacted on an equal footing with people like the guardian of the North? No, there were many people like Eddard Stark in my circle, but they were all either my employees or my subordinates, which put a lot of restrictions on our communication. Everyone else was either a Dornish lord or an Essonian magnate. And with both groups I always had to keep my ear to the ground, or I would be eaten.
«Again, the fact that you are a true man of honor is what makes me like you so much. - I said with a slight smile, causing Stark to stare at me for a moment. - Let's go to that fountain. It's the perfect place to talk if you don't want to be overheard.
Though the Red Castle was known for its many secret and service passages, where spies and "birds" of the players lived, there were plenty of places to talk without fear of being overheard. A trickling fountain, in a small recess between the vegetation walls, perfectly concealed the sounds and prevented us from being seen from the outside.
«Let me explain a few things about the Red Castle. First of all, everything said within these walls... - I said, instantly taking a dagger from a secret pocket in my sleeve and throwing it at the rat who had been following us for a long time, scaring the Hand who was standing nearby. As soon as he grabbed the sword, a small girl came out of the bushes at the speed of a bullet and ran deep into the garden. - ...sure to reach the ears of Spider or someone else. You have no secrets here, my Lord Hand.
"Still, he's got an ironclad stamina. I thought, as Stark regained his composure and returned his sword to its scabbard in a matter of seconds. And, judging by the lack of surprise on his face, he already knew about the spies swarming in the castle. I wonder who told him?
«Secondly, no matter how it may look from the outside, this place has been the battleground for the Lannister-Baratheon fight for years now. And right now, the stags are losing very badly.
«What do you mean? - Stark grew wary, furrowing his brow.
«Not long ago, both factions at court were in balance. - I said, drawing a scale with my hands. - On one side was King Robert, his brothers, the masters of ships and laws, and the Hand, the late Jon Arryn. On the other were the Queen, the Crown Prince, and Tywin Lannister, who had given the crown such a debt that she now owed him half of her estate. But recently, the balance has been upset.
«Jon Arryn has died. - Stark nodded in agreement.
«And Stannis Baratheon sailed away, taking most of the Royal Fleet with him. - I added, remembering how many ships were in Dragonstone harbor when we sailed past it. - So in place of the dead falcon, the king had summoned a wolf to restore the balance. But that was a very great folly. Lord Stark, don't be angry. If you'd been Hand at the beginning of Robert's reign, the Seven Kingdoms would have prospered, but it's too late to do anything about it now. Jon Arryn has caused too much trouble with his rule.
«You think Jon Arryn is to blame for all this? - Eddard looked at me angrily, his arms folded across his chest. - He's kept the peace of Westeros for nearly fifteen years, keeping the Southern lords at each other's throats, and you, Lord Temper, say he's to blame for all the problems?
«As hard as it is to admit, yes. - I mirrored Stark's posture and answered. - The Crown's exorbitant debt, making the Iron Throne dependent on the Lannisters and Tyrells, the Protector's Treaty that gave Dorne almost complete independence, the sale of nearly all the grain reserves of the King's and Storrs' lands, the ignoring of the King and Queen's spending....
«Stop. - The shocked Hand interrupted me, putting his palm forward. - What grain sales are you talking about?
«You didn't know? - I was surprised. - To make up for the crown's debts, Jon Arryn and Renly Baratheon sold off nearly all the provisions in the barns of the King's Domain and Storm's End two years ago. It didn't help much - they made a maximum of thirty thousand gold dragons on it, which went to Robert's first tournament.
«How do you know all this? - Stark asked, pale as chalk, his hands shaking involuntarily.
«I was the one who bought half of this stock. - I answered, inwardly pitying the northerner. Who but he, a true son of the North, should have realized the pit into which the lords of Eagle's Nest and Storm's End had driven the lands of the Deer House. Yes, it is now the longest summer in a century, and the farmers have been harvesting continuously for years. But behind the long summer comes a very long winter that can last for years, and without large supplies of food in the barns, the common people will simply die out. The Stormlands are still lucky - not far from the fertile Vastness, with which Renly has very good relations, but the King's Lands... What the king will do when winter comes is unknown to anyone. - My lands are not fertile, and stocked larders have always been the key to survival in the Seven Kingdoms.
«That's enough. Say what you have to say to me and you may go. - Said Stark, sitting down on a small marble bench and slouching tiredly. - I have much to think about.
«Then let us end on three points, Lord Stark. - I sighed sadly, realizing that I had added a few gray hairs to the man sitting in front of me. - Third, you are too weak for King's Landing.
I grinned at the puzzled look on his face and continued my explanation:
«You brought only fifty of your guardsmen from Winterfell, which is three times less than Renly has with him and eight times less than the Queen has. Don't even hope for Gold Cloaks-they're loyal to whoever pays them, and you're not exactly the richest man in Westeros. And yet you have as many as three weaknesses that absolutely anyone can exploit. - I sighed, cursing the peculiarities of Stark's upbringing, which had robbed me of my scheming spirit. - Your daughters. If you take Arya, Sansa, and Elsa hostage, you'll be tied up, unable to do anything.
«Robert will not allow that! - Stark objected with a fierce glare.
«Valar morghulis is a popular phrase in Braavos. All men are mortal. And no matter who the people think the king is, he is a man too. - I said, hearing tinkling footsteps approaching. It was time to end this conversation. - I'm sorry to interrupt, my Lord Hand. We have company.
As if waiting for my words, a very interesting group of lion-family men came around the corner. Queen Cersei and Crown Prince Joffrey were accompanied by Kingsguard Jaime Lannister, a dozen Red Cloaks, and a Hound.
"Quite an idyllic picture - a family on a stroll." - A thought flashed through my mind, along with a memory from Earth of a twin brother having his little sister in Winterfell's dark tower. - "I wonder if the queen started putting horns on her husband before or after their children were born?"
(p.a. I thought for a long time about whether or not to give the GG knowledge of the young Baratheons' bastardy. After much deliberation, I realized no. Yes, he knows that the queen cheated on her husband with her brother at Winterfell, but you have to agree - without having a family tree book, without seeing the king's bastards, and without knowing the true size of the cockroaches in the heads of these two incestuous men, it's very hard to assume that Tywin Lannister's daughter would have ALL of her children by her own brother).
«Your majesty the queen. Your Highness the Crown Prince. - I greeted everyone with a slight bow, noting that only the younger Baratheon's face showed any trace of surprise. The queen was still as detached and calm as ever, and something told me she'd been looking for this meeting herself. - Ser Jaime. It's good to see you in good health.
«Who are you? - He was tall for his age, with green eyes, blond hair, a good build, and a whimsical expression. The prince was indeed handsome, inheriting almost all of his mother's features, but taking almost nothing from his father. - And what are you doing here?
«My name is Felix Temper, Your Highness. - I introduced myself, again surprising the small deer dressed in the Itian silks and jewelry supplied by my house to the capital. - I am Lord Vassal of the Martell family and owner of the Valley of the Sunflame. I was invited here by Lord Stark for a simple conversation.
«I see." The prince said uncertainly, looking at me strangely, as if he saw something strange and unnatural. - And what are you doing so far from your godforsaken wilderness?
- Joffrey. - Cersei looked at him indignantly. - Where are your manners?
«I came to see the tournament organized in honor of the Hand. Your father was always known for his ability to organize a good show. - I replied, glancing at the queen and the royal guard standing behind her. - It's been a long time, your majesty. You've changed a lot since the last time we met.
«Have we met before, Lord Temper? - Raising a finely contoured eyebrow, Baratheon asked.
«More than twenty years ago. - I didn't want to suppress a chuckle, but I answered. Still, remembering that little blond girl running around my ship, demanding to see all the goods she liked, and looking at the beautiful green-eyed woman standing in front of me, already the mother of three children, but not losing her charm and grace, I couldn't believe it was the same person. But I had to admit - the queen looked very young for her age. Had I not known she was thirty-two this year, I would have given her twenty-five, twenty-eight at the most. - Then you, with Ser Jaime, your brother Tyrion, Uncle Tiggett, and Geryon, visited my ship bringing silks and jewels from I-T to Lannisport.
Judging by the older Lannister's widened eyes, only the Queen remembered that occasion.
«You were a good merchant in those days. - Cersei smiled, running her finger along the lion patterns embroidered on the sleeves of her burgundy dress. - Charming, courteous, and helpful. No wonder your coffers were full of gold when we left. Twenty years have passed, and now you are one of the wealthiest lords in Westeros.
«Life is a very fickle and unpredictable thing, your majesty. - I noted, gradually entering diplomat mode - in conversation with the Lannisters, as with the rest of the royal court, you had to think and analyze every word you said, every movement of your facial muscles, every glance you cast. - Twenty years ago, it would never have occurred to me that the future mother of the state and the youngest royal guard in the history of the Seven Kingdoms had entered my ship.
Of course, I could call Lannister like the others - Kingslayer - but having a very similar nickname, I was well aware that over the years it didn't get old, but became even more annoying. Why just ruin relations with the son of the Old Lion?
«That's life. - Without removing the arrogant smile from her face, the queen agreed. - Will you be participating in the tournament, Lord Temper? If memory serves me correctly, many years ago, when you were fourteen, you fought at Lannisport, defeating Ser Barristan and Prince Leaven. And later, at the Harrenhal Tournament, you defeated my husband, who was at the peak of his powers, in a straight fight. I would like to see your skills after all these years.
"What a fox," I thought irritably, noticing the shock in the younger Baratheon's eyes. - Unfortunately, old wounds have long prevented me from participating in tournaments. In my place will be my son Alaric, who has already surpassed his father in martial arts.
«I hope so. - The queen replied.
«I'm afraid it's time for me to go, Your Grace. - When I noticed that Stark, who hadn't been seen from behind the greenery, had disappeared, and Joffrey was beginning to open his mouth, I knew it was time to leave. - I was only able to come to the Red Keep for a short time, at my Lord Hand's invitation. I still had business to attend to in the city, and it was unfortunate that it could not be postponed.
«We will not detain you, Lord Temper. - The Crown Prince replied with a commanding wave of his hand instead of the Queen. - You are free to go.
«Thank you, Your Highness. - After bowing to the little prince and nodding to the others, I hurriedly left the company of lions. Today's meeting was too unexpected, and I had much to think about and compare with the earlier reports.
***
P.O.V. Cersei Lannister.
Ten hours later. Night.
Queen's quarters, Red Castle.
«You were much more assertive today than usual. - I noted, tucking a blond curl behind my brother's ear.
«It's not my fault you were especially tempting today. - Jaime smiled, resting his head between my breasts.
Who knew that when I moved to King's Landing from Casterly Rock, our nights together would become more frequent than ever? All thanks to one fat hog in the next room.
Baratheon loved to humiliate Jaime. Any occasion, any occasion. Always calling him Kingslayer, giving him the stupidest and most humiliating tasks, and only putting him on watch when he slept with his whores or me. And I took advantage of that. Every time he came into my chambers drunk, stinking of sweat, vomit, and sour perfume, I used strong wines from Dorne, diluted with sleeping pills, and my own hands, breasts, and mouth to relieve him and let him sleep on my bed, stained with his own seed. And she herself would call her brother and seclude herself in the next room, where there was not a bad bed. In its own way, my husband's visits brought me a lot of pleasure.
«Can we do this again? - Jaime asked, stroking my thigh.
"Men," I grinned, moving my hand to my stomach. - "You only have one thing on your mind
«Not tonight, my love. I'm very tired. - While I didn't mind another run, I needed to think now, and I didn't have the energy left to do both.
Today was marked by a very interesting meeting.
Felix Temper. A young upstart, who in thirty years from a simple knight became one of the richest lords of the Seven Kingdoms. Some idiots even think he has more money than the Lannisters. Nonsense, of course, but that's saying something.
A distant relative of our house, on his mother's side. It explained how a simple man from a family of sword knights could have such talents.
"He's out of his deserted Dorne for the first time in years," I thought, glancing at my brother's sleeping face. Got what he wanted and went to sleep. A real man. - "We should take advantage of that. The Lannister spinoffs must serve the main house. Whether they want to or not."
If memory serves me correctly, Temper had four children - two sons and two daughters, one of whom is a legalized bastard he fathered with some whore from Essos. His eldest son wants the glory of his father and Corlis Velarion, the Sea Serpent, constantly sailing eastward into the uncharted lands beyond Essos. I don't think he'll live long - he'll die among barbarians and cannibals.
Next in line of succession is Temper's eldest daughter, Elaina. I don't know much about her, but it's unlikely that a girl raised in Dorne, among prostitutes and bastards, will be any good.
But Alaric, the second son of the Tempers, rumored to be a good knight and tournament fighter, could make for some interesting intrigue. As I've been told, he, like his brother and sisters, are still unbetrothed and without a mate. If we could get him a pretty Lannister girl, say Morea or Stila, who has more tits than brains, we could spin him any way we wanted.
"All men think with what's dangling between their legs." - I smirked, running a finger over my brother's perfect face.
'Later, the remaining children of the Tempers can be eliminated or given away to other lions and then the strongest and richest vassal of the Martells will be in our hands. The power and wealth of Casterly Rock will be doubled, the Dornish goatherds will lurk in their wildernesses, having seen with their own eyes all the greatness of House Lannister, and the Tempers will willingly give us the secrets of strong wines, bone ware (a slang name for porcelain in Westeros), and flowing stone. Too much honor to them from possessing such secrets.
"And it's all going to happen because of me" - I huffed, feeling myself getting hot and wet between my legs. - "Everyone will know who is the best of all our father's children. Everyone will realize that I am the one who should rule with my son. And everyone will listen to me when I tell them to kill that little monster."
«Jaime. - I sat up on my brother's stomach, rubbing my thighs against him, wet with excitement. - What were you saying about one more time?
That night, the queen's chambers shook with loud screams and moans of passion and desire as her snoring husband slept in the next room.
***
Middle of the tenth month of the year 298 A.D.E.
Temper Factoria, King's Landing, King's Landing.
«What are you doing here?
«Came to compete in the Tournament of the Hand, of course.
«Smack.
«Ouch! How can you hit your big brother?!?
«What are you doing here again, Aerys? - I asked this great-aged child, not even four decades old enough to be serious.
«Oh, can't I see my favorite brother? - He smiled, spreading his hands apart and beckoning me to him. - A hug?
"God, why do I have to go through all this?" - I thought tiredly, clutching my long-unseen older brother tightly in my arms. Still, no matter how much I grumble, it's hard not to miss him after fifteen years apart.
I had to cut all official ties with Aerys and House Kold as soon as the Rebellion was over. In a matter of days, every known merchant and Westerner in Dorne had been slaughtered, poisoned, or drowned, and it was only Doran's efforts that kept it from becoming an interregional scandal.
There was no choice. I had been treated less than friendly for the first five years after the war, for the mere fact that I had been born in the Western Lands, and if they found out I was still connected to one of the Western Houses... the Dornish have a very twisted and rich imagination, and poison in a glass of wine was one of the most harmless ways.
That didn't mean I had completely cut ties with my alma mater. The weekly correspondence, our mother's frequent visits to Osgiliath, the trade in the new breed of horses my father had bred from northern heavy horses, Dornish Thoroughbreds, and spacious redhorns, and the training camp for my few cavalry kept our children from forgetting the brotherhood of our clans.
It has turned out to be particularly interesting with my cavalry. All the lands I own are mountains and densely built up or planted valleys. They don't have enough space to train riders. Unlike the lands of the Kolds, which my brother has greatly expanded with my help by buying most of the lands from impoverished knights or lords. Because of this, the young knight house of Kold is already considered one of the middle clans of the West, able to quietly field nearly eight hundred well-armed and trained riders.
«How are your lands, your children, your wife? - I asked, sitting Aerys in a chair and ordering a servant to serve wine. - Did I hear you finally had a son?
«On the fourth try, but yes. - He smiled happily, stroking the small locket on his neck. - Two twins. Loki and Tisha. Alisanna is happy and almost stays close to them, the envy of the other girls.
Alysanne Cold, maiden name Lefford, was the biggest blessing in my brother's life, after me naturally. When I learned that this cholomon, who was then thirty managed to marry a sixteen-year-old girl from the main branch of the Leffords, I wondered - how old Leo Lefford gave his only daughter for a knight?
The story turned out to be surprisingly banal - on a hunt organized by the lords of the northwestern part of the Westlands, he saved the head of the house of Lefford from a pack of wolves that killed his horse and almost chewed off his leg. In gratitude, the noble Lord Leo gave the rich and powerful knight his only daughter in marriage, though Tywin Lannister was not happy about it. This immediately raised the profile of my brother's house, giving it the reputational boost it needed to enter the ranks of the high society of Casterly Rock, albeit with a squeak. And when, five years ago, old Leo's wife died in childbirth, refusing to remarry, my brother's children automatically became the first contenders for the place of Lords of the Golden Tooth.
«The important thing is that it doesn't spill over into envy or hatred. Hurt little girls are capable of many things. - I remarked, remembering what happened when Elaine was offended. It was bad for everyone.
«Personal experience?
«Personal experience.
«Zwiak.
«Nice wine you got here, Brother. - Aerys remarked as he drained his glass in one gulp and poured another. - It's hard to find in the West.
«I heard you got drunk with Tyrion Lannister on your last visit to Lannisport. - I said, remembering my conversation with the two senior lions today.
«Is it my fault that only the Imp can drink with me as an equal? - With a feigned look of surprise, my brother replied with a question.
«What is he like? The heir to the Cliff of Casterly? - I asked, for all I remembered was a little four-year-old boy with a very large head.
«Hmmm... - My brother thought. - If you describe him in one phrase - smart, cunning, calculating and well-read king of breasts and wine.
«Pfft..." I choked on my wine, hearing what was probably the strangest description of a man I'd ever heard in both my lives. - Aerys, can you be serious?
«I am quite serious, Junior. - Taking a sip of wine, he replied. - We didn't party together for long, but before he left for the brothel and I for the warm embrace of Alice, we had a very interesting conversation about bastards, cripples, and broken things. And do you know what I realized? All his fame as a lecher and a drunkard is nothing more than a mask.
«A mask?
«Yes, a mask. - The brother's gotten closer, showing that he's very serious now. - All these drunkenness, witticisms, corrupt women, and other "vices" only serve as armor for a simple man who has been despised by his father and hated by his family since childhood.
«And you realized all this from one conversation? - I was surprised, having never noticed Aerys's talent as a psychologist before.
«No, of course not. - He waved me away, leaning back in his chair and looking at the glare on the glass. - But if you know about his childhood, if you look at Lord Tywin and his family's attitude toward him, and if you just talk to him in private, you get the picture.
«Yes... - I pulled thoughtfully, realizing that as a brother I was a bit of a failure - learning about Aerys's gift after all these years... you could have visited him in person instead of sitting in your castle for fifteen years. - Well, thank you for the interesting information, elder. Let's not discuss lions anymore. How's your father doing?
«Not well. - With sadness in his voice his brother answered, putting his glass down on the table and folding his hands. - Since mother's death, he's not himself. He's always sitting in his garden, drinking wine and staring off into the distance. Even his favorite horses have been neglected. He doesn't want to live, Brother.
There was an oppressive silence that shattered the joy of their long meeting.
«He loved her too much. More than you, Elia, Thea, and me combined. - I said, after a moment's thought. - I'm afraid there's nothing we can do about it.
«But, Brother..." Aerys started to say, but was stopped by a raised palm.
«A man determines his own destiny, and we have no right to interfere. - I answered firmly, though inwardly I wanted to go to the old house and see my father. Perhaps we shouldn't resist that wish. - But we can at least support it. I'll send letters to my sisters at the Dreadfort and Sunspear. Father will be glad to see the four of us. Perhaps it will restore his zest for life.
«I hope so. - Aerys replied sadly, draining another glass of wine.
We spent the next month in my factoria. Talking, reminiscing about our childhood, thinking about grooms and wives for our children, discussing our wives' preferences in bed, sometimes going hunting or watching the capital's circus performers. In a word, we rested like brothers who had not seen each other for a long time.
And then came the tournament, which became the starting point for the beginning of many events.
***
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