when you play the game of thrones you win or you die
Years have passed since King Tommen's reign over the Seven Kingdoms, and with those years things haven't changed. Much.
King Jon Hightower managed to regain the treasury from being in debt, that alone took many years. The Late King Tommen
was the last of his pure name, he left no heirs and married no woman. His brothers were struck down in a rebellion in
the Free Cities, his father had long passed.
So who gained the Iron Throne? Whose rightful place was to be seated in a thousand swords? No one knew, and no one still knows.
The High lords of Westeros meet each moon cycle to talk about things that have gone amiss in their Homelands, and to hear
the people of King's Landing. But how much longer will this go on? Time grows short for the Kingdom, for a storm is brewing.
Who will reign over the once mighty Kingdom?
How long has it been since I last set foot in this place? The great fortress around him, which had once seemed so familiar, now looked to him foreign and unfamiliar. It has been far too long. He took in took in the high ceiling, the marble floors, the stained glass windows and, most of all, the lack of banners lining its walls. Why sort of king would leave behind no heir? It's foolish, not to mention selfish. His family could have had it all; they could have ruled over Westeros. Light eyes drifted down to where the great Iron Throne sat. Now we scramble for a king. Pitiful.
He turned away, not allowing his hungry gaze to rest on the throne any longer. One day that will be mine. I know it. True he was neither the oldest nor the most experienced candidate, but even still his skills as a leader were well known far from his home in the Vale. He had made a reputation for himself during the time he served in King's Landing, the time before he took his father's title. They all know I can lead the Seven Kingdoms, but still they must wonder just how capable I truly am. It's not like I've had that long to prove myself. He ran his hand along a stone column off to his left. I wonder if they believe that someone else would be more capable.
His mind sifted through all the other Lords that may have been a threat to his chances. No one in particular stood out, yet the act of doing this still left him with an uneasy pit in his stomach. Others may not think this way. He thought, the faces flashing through his mind once more. Perhaps I have more reason to worry than I thought. He sighed and brushed his fingers through his hair. Regardless, I have to do my best. I won't let the crown fall to some undeserving little pup. Unable to help himself, his eyes fluttered back to the throne. This is what I've been training for.
The lord sighed and sat down on one of many chairs that had been placed inside the Great Hall. It was time for another meeting of the Lords; a regular occurrence now that there was no king to watch over them all. Somebody has to keep the peace.
[/b] they were all told, and he would be damned if he let that job fall solely to the City Watch that policed these walls. I need to have some influence in here after all. That's more important now than it ever has been before. He closed his eyes. I need to prove myself fit to be a king. [/size][/blockquote][/blockquote]
It had been nearly half a year since King Jon had died, leaving no heir to the Iron Throne. His wife, Queen Grace, had passed before and he had never remarried. What a fool, the all of Westeros is in chaos due to his 'loyalty' to Grace. Brandon was one of the many Brandon's of his name. Brandon the Builder had made the name famous among Starks, and ever since at least one child was named Brandon.
It the banners that once bore Jon Redfort's house sigil were now just empty banners to hold their spot. It shouldn't be long now, a new King should be named. Flames from the torches danced along the walls, I wonder if the walls were on fire when Aerys the Mad King rules from the Throne. A Lord's meeting had been called, as was the new tradition since the King's passing.
Brandon took his seat, across the table from Lord Arryn in the Great Hall. The hall looked empty without the ruling King's sigil and furniture everywhere. "Well, what is the meeting about this time, or do you not know?"
[/color] Those were the same words he had said nearly every time since he'd started coming to King's Landing for these special meetings.[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]
Long trips up the Roseroad tired Lord Leo out to the point of exhaustion, yet they were unavoidable for the young Lord of Highgarden. If he stayed home and gave up his right to an opinion at one of these meetings, then the other Lords would obviously create laws that went against the Reach's best interest. As a Lord, Leo could not and would not stand for that. Yet he could not stay in Kings Landing when it was just a road away from Highgarden. He could leave the Reach's decisions to his mother and Garett, his brother; but he could not do so for long.
As a fairly new Lord, Leo had to take charge of events in his lands, otherwise his people would think of him as weak. He could not be thought of like that. He had to keep up the proud traditions of House Tyrell. He could not let his house's standing fall. Some descendant of his might, but he would not.
On the matter at hand, Leo was rather bored. The Lord's council, or meeting of Lords, had gone on for far too long in his opinion. Either there would be a King or there would not be, those were the two options. These meetings got little to nothing done, as all the old rivalries affected the decisions. Just being in the same room as the Martells made Leo's blood boil. Even the thought of working together with them was sour.
Leo had been sitting for a while when one of his fellow Lords, Brandon Stark, spoke up, "Well, what is the meeting about this time, or do you not know?" The answer was simple enough to Lord Leo, nobody knew. These meetings were a formality more than a necessity. The Lords got nothing done besides figure out the treasury. Everything else was a bunch of bickering where most looked out for there own interests. That's what he was doing, at least.
Leo spoke up, "Lord Brandon, from what I know we are here as a formality. The Kingdom expects us to come up with a King or do other important things, but that seems to be impossible. That is my opinion. If anyone else sees these meetings as something else, I pray you say so."
Balthazar looked up as he heard another approach. Another man, shorter than he, and clearly a lord. It only took a second for him to connect a name to the dark-haired man who had just come in. "Lord Stark,"
[/color] he said, dipping his head in acknowledgement. The Lord of Winterfell was younger than he, but that still didn't mean he wasn't a threat. It was well known that Lord Stark was an honourable man. That was a trait many valued in a prospective king. For now, it would be in his best interest to keep him as an ally. "I trust things are going well in the north? It's been quite some time since I've been up that way."[/color] He didn't really care what the man's answer would be. All that mattered is that he appeared to give a damn.
"Well, what is the meeting about this time, or do you not know?"[/b]
He opened his mouth to answer when another voice began to speak, cutting off his voice. His jaw slowly closed and he sat in silence, listening to what the third man had to say. When did Lord Tyrell get here? The Lord of Highgarden was by far the youngest of the three; it was unlikely that he would pose any threat to Balthazar's attempt to take the throne. Even still, allies were always a good thing to have, and the young man did seem to carry a decent amount of wisdom with him. "Lord Tyrell." he murmured once the man had finished speaking. "Good to see you here."[/color]
After greeting the newest addition to the party, he turned his gaze back on Lord Stark. "I'm afraid I have to agree with Lord Tyrell in this instance. I know they say that these meetings are just a way to keep the peace, but surely we all must know that everyone is waiting for us to reach some grand decision concerning the continent's fate." He sighed and ran his fingers along the mahogany table in front of him. "Unfortunately I see no way that us lords could agree upon a new king. After all, we all seem to have our own ideas about who would sit best upon the Iron Throne."[/color] His lips twitched. "Rivalries and alliances will always stand in the way. Unless we can somehow manage a majority to agree upon one king, I fear we will soon see the end of Westeros."[/color] He grinned an rested his head on his hand. "But I suppose this isn't the time for such talk. Isn't that what these meetings are supposed to be for?" [/size][/blockquote][/blockquote]
"These meetings are to keep the peace of the Kingdoms. We gather here to help contribute to each other, and keep the peace in King's Landing. If we did not gather, the Seven Kingdom's would crumble away in to dust."
[/color] Brandon couldn't bear to see the other Lords talk so horribly about the gatherings. He did not like then anymore than anyone else, however they gave him power. The meetings allowed Brandon to oversee what was happening in the different lands.
Brandon rather liked having the power. It felt refreshing, although he would never admit that. He couldn't help but feel like that was how it was supposed to be. "At these meetings, we help the people of the Kingdom. We make them feel safe. Is that not enough for you right now? We will choose a King, but all in good time."[/color] His words echoed off the wall of the Great Hall. Maybe even one day the walls would be decorated with the Grey direwolf on a snowy white field.[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]
To Lord Leo, it was obvious that the battle he was fighting was the right one. There was no doubt in his mind that the vote for a King would eventually have to happen, and it could only happen with all seven Great Lords in attendance. This meant that the Lord of Highgarden would have to deal with Princes and Princess of Dorne, which he greatly disapproved of.
Though these meetings were extremely boring for Lord Tyrell, they were not a total waste. The food was always exquisite, and it took him a great effort to not put on a few extra pounds. There was always just so much, like a never ending supply of food. I could get used to this. But instead of thinking those thoughts, he most certainly had to focus just a little on the meeting, lest he get left behind in terms of knowledge.
"Lord Balthazar, while it is nice to have someone who agrees with me, it is quite concerning. The belief we share is not one full of joy, and instead one of war. But yet, how could there ever be a true decision amongst us Lords, and how can we ever truly be ruled peacefully by anyone but those of Valyria? I say we cannot." Lord Leo did not mean to be one of such dreary ideas, so he moved on.
"Let us talk of other things. It has come to my attention that the royal treasury actually has a surplus now for the first time since King Robert I's reign. I'd call for celebrations, but those - as we all know - are a way to put us back in debt. If I happen to be wrong about the treasury, please correct me. I do sometimes get mixed up in the reports after extended days of travel." If the news he had heard was true, then the treasury situation was one of the few pleasant ones currently in Westeros.
"It has come to my attention that the royal treasury actually has a surplus now for the first time since King Robert I's reign."
The words caught Brandon's attention. Of course the treasury was in a surplus, they hadn't had any reason to celebrate in a long time, nor hand they been making repairs to King's Landing to keep the people happy. That was something they needed to start doing, seeing the people. If they ignored everyone but themselves, there would be just a bunch of empty land to rule over.
"Lord Balthazar, Lord Leo. We must be positive about these things. If we appear to be feuding in front of the people, they will get scared." It was a boring task, to hear people complain about simple things like a stolen chicken, or a bastard boy wanting to make a claim.
The Iron Throne sat to his right, each edge sharp as when it was forged for the Targaryen King. Sitting on the Throne looked uncomfortable, however it was once said that ruling a kingdom shouldn't be easy.
Balthazar closed his eyes as his listened to the other lords speak. For now he would just let them get their thoughts out of the way. His opinion could come in later. Besides, he thought, It's always good to know what your opponents are thinking. I need to know where my allies are. A shadow flickered across his face. And where they aren't.
Feeling his thoughts beginning to drift, he snapped his mind back to the conversation at hand. It wouldn't do if h missed the entire conversation; he would just end up looking like an incompetent fool. There is no way I am going to let that happen. He paused, assessing the situation. It seemed that he had missed a few words, though he believed he had caught most of what both Lord Stark and Lord Tyrell said. Right. We need a new king. We don't know how to agree on one. We don't know what to do. Yada, yada, yada. He sighed. Ah well, at least it seems like we've decided to change the subject. Just as he was about to respond to the new topic the Lord of Highgarden had put them on, he heard Lord Stark once again speak up. I guess I'll have to wait my turn. He focused his gaze on the Warden of the North. Waiting never really has been one of my strong suits.
Still, he waited until his fellow Lord had finished speaking before he opened his mouth. "That has come to my attention also, and I suppose it really shouldn't be much of a surprise. Without a king, there hasn't been anyone to decide what the nation's money should be spent on. It's certainly not shocking that this has finally allowed the treasury to flourish." He leaned back into his chair and thought for a moment. "Yet I have heard rumours that many of our citizens, especially the less fortunate ones, are feeling a bit neglected as of late. I suppose we haven't been doing as much as we can to keep them happy. But doing so would cause the treasury to diminish again." The corner of his mouth twitched. "It seemes like we've gotten ourselves into a bit of a conundrum, haven't we?"
"We must be positive about these things. If we appear to be feuding in front of the people, they will get scared."
"I believe it's a bit late for those words, lord Stark. From what I understand, the common-folk already are quite frightened." He sighed and shrugged. "Or perhaps I have been misinformed. It's hard to find reliable help these days." He looked at Lord Stark, then Lord Tyrell in turn. "I don't suppose either of you heard anything?"
Honestly, Lord Leo had heard nothing of the peasants feeling neglected, yet the other two Lords at the table felt the need to constantly bring it up. They were summer, and the early stages of one it seemed. The only complaint that the small folk of the Reach had was that the weather was too hot. They prayed for rain and bountiful crops, but not for a more competent government. They people of the Reach were already fine with there current ruler.
Really, Leo's only problem was House Hightower. With them as rulers, the Reach had flourished, but it had also been just a bit awkward with the conflicting interests. After all, how could House that did not rule a region be the Rulers of the whole kingdom. No matter the means, it left a rather difficult situation in Oldtown that he was not quite sure of dealing with. At least the Maester's would counsel him on this. After all, a Maester did know Oldtown like his hand.
Although there were only two others in the room, Lord Leo Tyrell was struggling in terms of listening. Lord Stark had went back to his 'let's all be friends' act, and Lord Balthazar had kept his hard stance. Leo, although not fully trusting of the Arryn, at least respected this of his fellow Lord.
"Ah, my Lords, this is where you are wrong. I understand that things may not be going so well here in Kings Landing, the North, or even in the Vale, but down in the Reach we are exceptionally well off. Our first few harvest have been bountiful." Lord Tyrell was not trying to show off, it was just a fact that the Reach always prospered during the summer. He continued on, "The only issue that has actually caught my ear was the grieving of the Hightowers of Oldtown, they have taken the death of King Jon quite roughly, and the Maester's say there is a worry throughout Oldtown. They also advise me this worry will subside over time." In reality, within Leo's realm there was not much that he had to worry about.
