14 Farewells (3)

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[Several minutes later]

[William's senior POV]

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It goes without saying that running away is never the answer when it comes to facing problems...

It has always been an issue with Hoster when things weren't going his way, and now the only thing I could do about it was blaming myself for not having tried to correct this side of him when I still could...

Years ago, my mindset was to content myself with the knowledge that Hoster would do a better work than I did as Lord of our House and the Riverlands, but now the stakes were such that I simply couldn't settle for just that.

House Tully had before it the opportunity to become something grand, a force that no one could piss on anymore, and Hoster was going to shit on that chance out of pride...

I could no longer ignore his shortcomings on the basis that overall he was still fairly good at what he was doing, soon, being fairly good wasn't going to be enough to protect our House given the direction in which it was heading...

Someday, the rise of our family will become a nuisance in the eyes of the big fishes, and when that day will come I don't see Hoster standing up to them, let alone crush them, he wasn't destined to become the person who would lead the Tullys to greater heights, neither were his children, it was William's fate, but sadly my son seemed to be one of the few who hadn't yet realized it.

Hoster was forcing me to do something I wasn't going to regret, but that was going to hurt me a whole lot to do; since he told me that if Minisa were to give birth to a boy, the latter would become his heir, I was going to make sure that it would never happen.

*KNOCK*

*KNOCK*

'Here he is.' I thought, my eyes shifting from the sheets of my bed to my door...

I was supposed to see William last and the knocking was far too loud for it to be him, therefore, it could only be Brynden.

"Enter." I said weakly, my voice too broken after having yelled at Hoster for me to speak any louder without seeing myself spit out a spray of blood.

A few seconds after I gave my permission to enter, the door opened slightly and I saw Brynden (I was right) walking in my direction before stopping in front of my bed...

He wasn't as tense as Hoster when the latter was in his place, most certainly because unlike his older brother he had little to reproach himself for the way he had behaved towards me.

"I came accross Hoster, he looked particularly shaken by what you said to him. Father, is there any chance that what you have to tell me will put me in the same state?" He said half-jokingly as his tone, which was quite serious, suggested.

I returned a rather bleak smile, "Maybe... unfortunately." I answered him in a heavy tone before getting to the subject I wanted to discuss.

"So... the Queen of Thorns... is using my death... as a pretext... to see William?" I asked rhetorically with a frown, referring to a discussion from a few days ago in which Brynden expressed his concerns about this problem to me.

Brynden's face displayed a tense expression at the mention of the matriarch of the Tyrells, and when he started to squeeze the frame of my bed with both hands, making the wood it was made of creak audibly in the process I figured it was his way of venting his frustration, "She didn't budge from Highgarden for Bethany, why would she for you if it isn't for that reason?" He retorted, his voice carrying a contained fury.

"She understood that... if she let us grow any more... we will end up... being a trouble for... her House in particular." I developed, following his line of thought.

"If her spies are as well implanted in our midst as I have reasons to believe, then yes, she must have understood it and that makes her action much less surprising. We have a few more years ahead of us before the Lannisters come after us since our existence will temporarily benefit them, but for the Tyrells it's a whole different story. Now, what I can't figure out is what exactly she wants from William, do you think she knows how... different he is?" He asked me with a worried expression that was leading me to believe that he was afraid that what I was going to reply would go along with his intuition.

Unfortunately, I wasn't going to reassure him, worrying about your child is a parent's job and it's always preferable to expect the worst in order to better prepare for the future, "She must know... to some extent... if not... she wouldn't have... put so much... emphasis on... her request to talk to him." I replied with palpable apprehension in my voice.

In response to my words, my son's face went through several emotions, first annoyance, then a heated anger, and lastly a cold anger, as if he was having an intense internal dialogue...

After a while I interrupted his introspection with another of my pessimistic opinions, "She will try... to manipulate him... by exploiting her... relationship with his mother." I told him, treating that assumption as fact since I couldn't see Olenna not playing that card.

Brynden lifted his eyes towards me, then stared at me as if he was analyzing my statement, after having briefly thought about it he brushed aside my argument, "William's attachment to his mother can be summed up as gratitude for having brought him to life, no more, no less, he has much more love for his aunt than for her. Olenna Tyrell will need much more than that if she wants to achieve something."

I sighed, "It was just... one example of... the things she can use." I hinted while wondering to what extent I should reveal the content of my discussion with Hoster so that Brynden could understand the entire issue.

Brynden raised one eyebrow as a sign of questioning, "The others being?" He asked me in a harsh way, as if he wanted to let me know that he understood that I was aware of something important he didn't and that I better say what it was right away.

I marked a pause, "Hoster won't make... William his heir... if Minisa gives him... a son. Olenna can exploit this." I finally admitted under Brynden's pressure.

Brynden opened his mouth but no words were coming out of it, seeing this I could only imagine the struggle that was going on between his thoughts...

His view on this subject wasn't as radical as mine, he too felt that William was the best choice for Hoster's succession, but he never claimed it as openly as me since he considered that his opinion as a father was bound to be biased.

Brynden slightly shook his head, "From now on, let's talk without veiling ourselves with the hope that William will never entertain the aspiration to become Lord of this House." He said in a fatalistic manner, recognizing that this was very likely to happen.

"He already has big ambitions and in the future they will inevitably grow to the point that he will consider that giving orders suits him better than receiving them. He's made to lead. To rule. It's in his blood, we can't change that, that's just who he is..." He added, continuing to speak in the same tone.

"Accordingly, if Hoster sticks with this decision it will be a problem at some point because William will sooner or later come to the conclusion that our House is unable to offer him what he needs to completely thrive." He finally concluded, with a gaze loaded with concern.

A very dangerous thought came to my mind, "Perhaps the reason... Olenna wants to see him... is that she wants... to determine if she... can control him... if she gives him... the opportunity to completely thrive... like you said..."

Brynden's eyes widened as if he had come to the same conclusion as me, "Do you really think she would have the nerve to try to interfere with Hoster's succession?" He asked without saying exactly what he was insinuating.

"She must think... that if Hoster's successor... is one of his future sons... then our Houses will... inevitably become enemies... and that... if it's William... she has a chance to turn... the situation to her advantage... because of their blood ties. I'm not very... familiar with the character... but I know enough... to believe that... she won't shy away... from taking the chance of... harming Minisa and, or... her future sons... if she thinks that... this possibility really exists." I speculated, glad by the way that even if I was wrong about Olenna and it was me who would do what I had just described, Brynden would still point to her as the culprit because of this conversation.

Brynden suddenly stopped clutching the frame of my bed, "In the end... I think the most concerning thing is what Olenna Tyrell might do to Minisa and the child she's carrying if it's a boy. I trust my son, one meeting will be far from enough for that cunt to make him her pawn." He told me, in order to relativize.

Once again, I expressed a less optimistic view, "I think so too... but one meeting... will be enough... for William to... question his future... and I think that... Olenna will consider that... she has succeeded... in her task if... she manages to lead him... to this reflection." I countered, while starting to feel a vivid pain similar to a fire blazing in my stomach.

"Father! Do you want me to bring William?!" Brynden suggested directly when he saw me wincing in pain while holding my stomach with both hands, probably thinking I was on my last legs and that if I didn't see my grandson right away, then I might not be able to say farewell to him.

Having already felt similar pains, I knew that it was only temporary, but I wasn't going to tell Brynden I was fine either, we talked about what I wanted to talk about so I needed him gone to deal with William and something else, "Get Maester Corwyn... here first... I don't want William... to see me like this... as soon as he walks... through the door..." I said with difficulty, talking through my teeth because of the pain.

"Yes, Father." He answered while hurrying towards the door of my room.

Realizing that it was my last chance to say something to Brynden, I stopped him before he could leave, "Wait!" I demanded, not caring about the blood gathering in my mouth because I had just yelled.

My son turned back slightly, I could only see the upper part of his head, from his clear blue eyes to the top of his skull which was filled with mid-length auburn hair, the rest was hidden by his left shoulder. He was silent, just waiting for me to say what I had to say. I could see in his gaze that there was some expectation so I didn't rush my words even if it meant that I was extending the time it would take for Maester Corwyn to get here.

*PTU*

I spat the blood which was in my mouth on the floor so that it wouldn't bother me when I would speak, then I placed my right hand in front of me to indicate to Brynden not to worry about what just happened...

After having taken a few breaths I opened my mouth, "All your life... you have done nothing... but make me proud... to be your father. I hope you will live... the same experience... with your son... you deserve it... and I can see... that you are doing... everything to... make it happen. Brynden... make sure you... don't regret anything... in the rest of your life... not like me." I told him, with an almost pleading tone at the end of my rant.

Brynden turned back to the door, "I will." He contented himself to reply with a firm voice before leaving the room.