The carriage was tampered with
"Ser Davos, here are our new warship plans with instructions and possible tactics I expect you to start full time production as soon as possible." she handed the man the documents waiting for him to read them through before continuing.
Davos, as the Master of ships read everything carefully, but since his eyes felt on the second page he could no longer hold in his excitement.
"My Lady is it true what the young Lord wrote?" he checked the information again and again while asking.
"Did you see your Lord ever joke about things like this?" her clear answer confirmed his thoughts.
"My Lady i-if this is true..." he shook the documents in his hand "if this is true we will rule the seas with this Frigates!" he wanted to run out to the navy shipyards and start building. 12 scorpions on each side 2 on bow and stern, 200 men and faster and more maneuverable than anything he knew that existed up till now, even the carracks were less effective when converted to a navy vessel and he tried it all!
"Remember to keep this a secret, when you have 20 manned ships ready, send them to raid the Ghiscari ships in Slavers Bay under Dale and Allard command, the islands need to be cut off from most of their supplies, especially New Ghis and the other islands close to Valyria. No one can know it's our ships for now so send each new ship there and don't change the ones we have now understood?" since Davos knew his place and was a real sea person he didn't even pay attention to anything and just wanted to move.
"My Lady, but why coat the additional ship like the Lord asked?" he didn't understood the request. Were they faster? Stronger? He wanted to try right now making him fight hard his urge not to storm out right now out of there as it would be lack of respect for his Lady liege.
"That I do not know. Go. I can see you can't wait already." Lady Dustin smiled and waived her hand letting the man go.
Just as he left, the doors were opened by Ser Hadrian and in came Wolffang.
"My Lady, we are ready." he already gave the young guards of his Lord time to get ready for the trip after they explained the vision the Lord had.
"Did you find anything?" Lady Dustin asked while getting up from behind her desk and Wolffang only shook his head.
"There are no new spy's, no new people in the castle servants, no new contacts. My people are checking everything, but there's nothing out of place." truthfully he didn't believe the "dream" of their young Lord. "Is it possible the Lord made a mistake?" his words made Barbrey stop as she was walking by him.
Her head turned and just looked at him without saying anything for a moment making the warg stiffen.
"You know how many times my son's dream was inaccurate?" she slowly articulated her words.
"No my Lady..." the man didn't know how she did it, but even he, a warrior of hundred battles felt fear down to his core in her presence. The poor man didn't even know when he started calling her Lady and the unknown boy a Lord.
"Never." She said her last word and moved outside the door.
When he finally calmed down and wiped the sweat from his forehead he wanted to follow her when the old knight blocked his way.
"Don't ever question the Lady or young Lord again." Ser Hadrian said calmly, but the threat in his words was not even hidden.
The ex Free folk leader looked the man in the eye and was sure that he would go through with it if needed, and if not him then the knights that were now looking at him with clear anger holding the handles of their swords.
He wasn't stupid, he couldn't be as stupidity beyond a wall made you a brainless expendable follower or simply dead.
Seeing the old warriors that were reeking of blood so loyal and uncompromising there had to be something special in House Dustin that he didn't find yet, even so, in his opinion it was worth following them.
The group soon caught up to the rest of the guards that left with the Lady of the house.
In the large castle plaza there were already 10 lavishly decorated four charger horse drawn carriages waiting with the 500 cavalry escort.
This simple gathering was worth more than some armies of other lords, the horses used by this simple guards were of the best breed that even the tourney knights not always could afford, the full, identical armor of the guards of best quality another sign of wealth and splendor. Not even mentioning the personal guards destriers and the gorgeous, black palfrey that was Lady Dustin's personal mount.
"My Lady..." one of handmaidens came up to the head of the House and whispered to her ear making the woman smile, something that she didn't do often.
Lady Barbrey nodded her head in affirmation and waived her hand indicating for Ser Hadrian, her trusted Master-of-arms to open the door while the rest waited for her to enter.
When Ser Hadrian did and checked inside, a smirk was shown on his lips.
The surrounding people without exception, be it knights, handmaidens, doctors, the household cook or servants were all smiling more openly looking at the Lady and the "stone" knight gesture.
There were only two people who could make the both of them show any human emotions in public and one of them, the young Lord was not here.
"My Lady... I think someone tampered with the carriage, something doesn't seem right." the old knight said surprising the people not in the known.
Lady Dustin looked inside, the brown and white interior, inside the white, decorated carriage with glass windows on both sides and the roof, with their coat of arms on it was as always magnificent.
Thanks to her son's invention of the spring that made the traveling in this fashion comfortable and the insides which her son made with the craftsmen as he was always grumbling how uncomfortable it was to travel in them.
Who would have thought that you can use the mattresses they produce in this way. Even the royal family couldn't travel with such a style.
She looked fondly inside, where on one of the chairs, under the blanket, two small wolves and one small lady behinds were sticking out.
"Oh my Ser Hadrian, should we change the carriage then?" the Lady said teasingly.
"I believe we should my Lady." seeing the young girl starting to fidget the knights had his third real smile for this year using up all his quota.
"No! the carriage was not tempered with!" a childish voice sounded out from under the blanket followed by a whine of a wolf.
"Oh my! Did you hear anything dear Ser?" Lady Dustin couldn't miss the chance to tease her lovely little girl that she came to treat as her own daughter in private.
"It's all your fault Loki!" Bri knew she was discovered, she didn't have too much trust in the plan in the first place, but the lazy Laika didn't want to move from the comfortable chair and hide with them so she didn't have a choice.
Under the laugh of everyone around that gathered there to see the little sunshine in the castle antics the girl blushed, with her clumsy movement got down and hid her face in Lady Barbrey's dress.
"And what did you think would happen young Lady?" Lady Dustin asked while gently brushing her hand over Bri's cheek.
"Please, I want to come as well my Lady!" The child hugged her with more force not wanting to let go.
The young girl was usually such a good and obedient child, but few moons after her son left, she became quiet and distanced herself from everyone. Fearing for the 5 name days old child the head of the house allowed the youngling to follow her and like that they came to love each other like mothers and daughters do.
The Lady of Neverwinter hesitated for a moment, yet when she remembered what it took to make the child her usual self after the last time, her heart softened and she already agreed to the request deep in her heart.
"My Lady, it would be good for young Bri to see the rest of the kingdom if she is supposed to take over the management of businesses later on." Ser Hadrian seeing as his liege already made her decision offered a way out to his Lady.
"Alright, but you will listen to everything the knights say alright?" Barbrey tried to sound strict not fooling anyone here, especially not the child that knew how good her heart really was.