168 167
----
299 AC
Braavos
Lomas Dalrio
----
Being Sealord can be needlessly stressful at times, I am just now getting rest after nearly five days of negotiating with Key holders from the Iron Bank. I almost feel like I made a mistake taking this position when I was offered support to run for it. I feel like I am suddenly expected to be the smartest man in the city while also being dumb enough to wear blinders. How they expect me to get the Lords of Westeros to pay their debts when war is brewing I have no idea.
The thing is many of them have been in debt for years but with conflict on the horizon the Key holders are suddenly fired up to get their coin back. They are scared even more bodies will drop that owe them gold, like the fat stag who got taken out by a damn animal. They fear even more of the people that owe them coin will meet a similar fate and they will have no ground to stand on to press for recovery of their 'property'.
The damn fools should never have loaned so much to so many different people when there was already noise of another war coming. We had the Targaryens growing like weeds in Braavos for a long time, they all knew that the dragons would rise up. I just think no one expects actual dragons to take to the sky alongside the red dragon banners.
With the Blackfyres being taken out as well things really began to sink when the third party that was going to be supported by many Key holders went belly up. Their plans to use the Golden Company to force the retrieval of debts is a dream fading into smoke at this point. After what happened in Volantis the Golden Company is in a rough place as they recover and look for work just to get food. But I do find myself smiling knowing many slave owners went down with much of the Golden Company in those flames.
They say R'hllor touched down and punished the wicked and raised Volantis to the side of his child. Though no word has reached my ear if the Targaryens took the bait, damn priests wanting to use dragons to spread their religion. I would not be surprised if they end up getting their way if the whole world is united with dragon flames claiming to be the word of the fire god.
"Bring me some more wine." I rub my forehead and wonder how I will fix what I can to calm the nerves of my supporters just so I don't end up dead.
Many called to support the Targaryens and have them take up the debt in return for a lasting support from the Iron Bank. They even have an account with the bank full of gold already from when they fled to Braavos after the Stags rebellion. They could very well wipe the debt clean after winning the war and solve all our problems and form a strong friendship. With the Targaryens having lived so long among the Braavosi I don't see why they would be against the idea.
There was fear in a few people that the return of the Dragons will bring about the promise of Aerys the Second, to bring the Titan to its knees. They have the fire to burn the legs of the titan and actually make him knee into the waters. I doubt they would though, word is the soon-to-be dragon riders are all the youngest Targaryens. They never knew the old mad king and likely did care not for the old threats he made. They also grew up here and are more Braavosi than they are Westerosi.
My only fear would be them trying to claim Braavos... which would free me of the heavy duties set on my shoulders...
"Find me someone to carry message to the Targaryens for me! I want the dragons to make contact with me and plan for the future!" I smile as I grab the fresh cup of wine and slowly see a way out of my current seat without a knife in my back.
----
299 AC
Dorne - Sunspear
Doran Nymeros Martell
----
Little Nymeria is a blessing from the gods, I am still unsure why she named my granddaughter that. We already have a Nymeria in the family but I will hold my tongue since she carried the babe. She is the living future of our house when this war is over and the dragons sit on the throne once again, one way or the other.
It won't be long before they are on the throne either, Storms End and the Stormlands will be the first to fall. Renly ran off to the Reach and left the Stormlands in chaos as Dornish spears start marching. Blackhaven will be taken then Grandview ending with Storms End and having the Stormlands kneel to their rightful King. A new Lord will be placed in Storms End, I am unsure who at this point but they will call the Stormlands to aid in the retaking of Kingslanding.
The North is distracting the Westerlands and the Crownlands have flipped on their head turning to the dragon's side. Everyone is too busy to even do anything as we take ground, other than the Reach who are deadly silent. I fear what the Queen of Thrones is planning but it won't stop me. The more I am able to do now the more I can demand at the end of this war, it is only natural to want the most accomplishments.
I just wish Oberyn was here to lead the troops himself instead of me passing command over to Lord Yronwood. I can only trust the man so much even if my son Fostered with him, he holds too much power to expect for him to not have ambition. But hopefully, he aims it toward gaining favor with the Targaryens. I will always outrank him in the dragon's eye with a drop of dragon in myself and having Nymeria now carrying their full blood.
But I have people watching Lord Yronwood and if he reaches too far he will be missing a hand and a new Lord will take his seat.
By the time Eragon makes it with the fleet and force from the Summer Isles we will be making good progress. I imagine the Vale will send some men to support the North in the name of the rightful King and some to support the King taking his throne. With the Crownlands flipping and blockading the Blackwater Bay it won't be long till the False King gets desperate or starves on the dragon's throne.
I expect by the time the Targaryens get to Kingslanding the people will be starving and ready to kill for their rightful King. It would do him a lot of future good to simply provide food and promise to lead them better compared to what they will soon go through. Most common folk never even see a King let alone watch one reclaim a throne and hear him sing about bringing better days, it will be a pretty story for them to live. I don't see why they would have problems ruling once the Stags are all gotten rid of, the main problems at this moment are all soon trapped in the Red Keep.
Stannis might be a problem simply because he is up in the wind and will lash out at Storms End being taken. It is easy to see he will want the seat of the Storm Kings of old and will fight for it but he does not have the men to take it if we get it first. If he somehow manages to get it first we will finish what the Tyrells started and starve him to death in those walls. One way or the other this war will end with the King I am supporting on the Throne.
----
299 AC
The Reach - Highgarden
Olenna Tyrell
----
"Someone pull my grandson's cock out of that fool's ass and kick that idiot out of my castle!" I should have stopped Loras from ever bringing that Baratheon into my lands.
He will bring us into this fool's war that is already won the moment Cersei lost her children. She somehow convinced her Father to send his troops North and he burned the Riverlands on the way. Now everyone is after the Lions while the Dornish sun rises in the south to snake its way to Kingslanding. Renly wants the support of the Reach and wants to marry my Granddaughter to get it.
The boy must think I am an idiot if he expects that to happen, we all know he can't get his spear up for a woman. I might as well marry her off to a bannerman to increase loyalties in the Reach before I marry her to a dead man. Renly did not even call for his banners other than the Southern most ones to stop the marching of the Dornish. But I already have gotten a raven letting me know the Dornish are bringing the majority of their forces up the Bone Way and will rip through the Stormlands.
"Grandmother..." I sigh and pat my granddaughter's hand, she needs to see the hard truth before her eyes.
"Sitting out and waiting to support the Targaryens is our best option and any movements on the Dornish will end if Highgarden burning. Please tell me you can see that at this point, I even think my oaf of a son is starting to see it." If he doesn't then he will find himself on his ass when I am done with him...
Margery will not be a Queen unless she can jump into the next Kings bed but it is not the Stag sitting on the throne now. I don't think it will be Viserys either, my coin is on it being the Summer King sitting down on the islands with dragons at his side. Margery even has the best chance of a crown with him as well... I have heard he has a whole horde of queens.
Though I am not sure how that will work, the Faith will be wroth about a King having more than one wife let alone almost twenty sisters according to the rumors. I know it is nowhere near that many but I expect a backlash from the Faith regardless and I know it will be a hard fight. The people will follow the Septons and spit at the feet of the dragons until some of them get burned.
But that is all they have to do, be dragons and burn the problems in their way and I expect it to happen sooner than anyone thinks. Maybe I can even help and have them favor House Tyrell once more, I can see some hope in that path with dragons flying the skies once more. People may have forgotten the fear of dragons but it is something hard to forget for someone who has been in Highgarden so long. Without dragons House Tyrell would not be sitting in this castle as the Lords they are, they would be stewards.
But the Gardeners got burned to ash and the Tyrells step up from those ashes and received this castle from the hands of Targaryens. It is in the best interests of House Tyrell and everything I built if we are on the side of the people capable of making fields of fire and ending family lines in less than an hour.
It will also be nice to outlast that old Lion and see the Westerlands gifted to someone else as the Golden Lion fades away. The Stag will burn away as well, I look forward to seeing who will sit those two seats and rule those lands. More pieces on the board before I slip away into my grave to rest. I just want enough time to prepare the young ones and have them ready for the future game with Dragons sitting up high once more.
