Chapter 15: Schemes

This feasting business was starting to get on his nerves. Three feasts in three nights and they were far from over. He sat on the dais, swirling wine in his cup, wondering if he could be as useful if he got blind drunk every night. Probably not.

He looked around the Throne Room. The tables before the dais had been cleared so as to make room for dancing and the evening's guests had taken full advantage. Aegon danced with Margaery, as per Jae's suggestion, which earned him a nod of approval from the Queen of Thorns. His cousin Robb also drew a lot of attention from the young Ladies of the Court who seemed to have forgotten his status as the son of a traitor. Jae smiled watching him dance with the daughter of Lord Rosby. She wouldn't get the nighttime tumble she hoped for, that much he could tell. Robb looked far too determined to ignore her batting eyelashes.

The song came to an end and some left the floor, others switched partners and waited for the next song to begin. That's when none other than Myrcella Lannister, the golden beauty of the West, approached the dais. "Would you care for a dance, Your Grace?" she asked.

Daenerys giggled by his side at his dumbstruck look. He had not expected to be asked to dance. Ladies rarely, if ever, did something like that. It also meant he had no choice but to accept.

"Of course, my Lady," he said, putting on his most charming smile. He stood from his seat, moved around the dais, and led Lady Myrcella to the middle of the dance floor.

"You look radiant tonight, my Lady," he told her as the musicians began a slow song and the dance resumed.

She blushed in the practiced way of the ladies of the Court and avoided his eyes. "Thank you, Your Grace."

Jae hadn't lied. It was said Lady Cersei had been the most beautiful maiden in Westeros in her youth and her daughter seemed to have inherited the title. Her golden locks, emerald eyes and ivory skin had her catching the eye of many a young knight. Cersei never quite managed to wrap Rhaegar around her little finger and ended up marrying her cousin Damon and staying at the Rock. Now her daughter represented the best hope the Lannisters had of becoming tied to the Royal Family.

"Do you mean to compete in the King's Tourney, Your Grace?" she asked as Jae twirled her around the dance floor. He sent a silent 'Thank you' to the Septa for forcing him to master all of the Westerosi dances.

"I do not, my Lady, though I shall regret missing the opportunity to crown you Queen of Love and Beauty," Jae said, making his flirting plain to see.

Myrcella blushed again but did not steal a glance towards Aegon. Curious. "You flatter me, Your Grace."

"Not at all, my Lady," Jae continued in the same vein. "But you need not worry. I see many knights here tonight who will happily take advantage of my folly."

"They did not tell me you have such a way with words, Your Grace." She looked up at him from under her eyelashes, the little minx.

"I don't, not usually." He grinned. "My Lady seems to bring out the best in me."

Myrcella was about to say something when Aegon appeared before them, a stupid grin on his face. "Brother, you wouldn't mind switching partners with me, would you? Your choice of a dancing partner for me wasn't the wisest, I'm afraid."

Behind him, Margaery tried her best not to look humiliated while Myrcella looked quite pleased to hear it. Into the dragon's den you go, dear. "Of course, Your Grace."

Margaery went to leave the dance floor but Jae grabbed her by the hand and pulled her into his arms in one quick move. "Care to dance with a lowly Prince, my Lady?" he said, falling into step with the other dancers.

Margaery nodded jerkily, but he could tell Aegon's action had shaken her. Jae would wager she'd never been humiliated like that before. He pulled her closer and whispered, "They did not see and they did not hear, my Lady. A foolish little girl runs out of the room crying, but a wise Lady keeps her cool and waits to take advantage of the King's shame in the morning, does she not?"

She took a deep breath and nodded, a small smile blossoming on her lips. Thank the Gods, Jae breathed a sigh of relief. He couldn't have all his plans go to shit because the woman couldn't handle one insult, no matter how right she would be in acting offended.

What in the Seven Hells is Aegon thinking anyway? Why did he act like his title was little more than a joke whenever he got drunk? If Jae didn't know any better, he'd think the King despised his family and enjoyed nothing more than embarrassing the House.

"Thank you, Your Grace," she whispered.

"Think nothing of it, my Lady," Jae replied, carefully scanning the crowd to see who had seen the little debacle and who had missed it. At first glance, only Lord Tywin, Lady Olenna and the Royal family had noticed the debacle. Everyone with a strong interest in the four of them. Good, good, we can work with that. He'd been more worried about the other Ladies of the Court and what their malicious tongues might do if they got their hands on this type of information.

Margaery turned a new page with surprising speed and asked, "May I ask, Your Grace, who is it that you plan on marrying?"

"Can't say I have any plans," he replied.

"I suppose we are all slaves to our duty," Margaery lamented, sighing as though she'd seen a tragic play.

"No need to pretend, my Lady," Jae said, the corners of his lips curving upwards. "You were born for the Court and its games. I wager to say you consider the nature of the man you marry to be little more than a minor detail."

She did not giggle, nor did she look scandalized. Jae had a distinct feeling that the predatory look in her eyes, the smile that screamed of deceit, represented Margaery Tyrell's one true face. "True enough. Men can be – managed."

A little arrogance then. "Can they? Seduced until they do as they're told and slink off to the corner while the little ladies play?" he asked and she stiffened in his arms. "You seem to have forgotten they will always get in your way with their pride and their delusions. Not every husband does his wife the courtesy of riding off a cliff, you know?"

The song slowly crawled to an end and their dance came to a halt. "Perhaps, but a Lady still has so many other options."

Jae smiled and kissed her hand. "I wish you good fortune in the battles to come, my Lady."

The two parted with smiles on their faces and Jae returned to his seat on the dais, sitting down right next to Arianne. "Enjoying your night, Princess?"

"Clearly not as much as you, Your Grace," she said.

"That's a shame, it is quite a lovely night." A servant poured him a measure of wine and he took the opportunity to wet his mouth a bit.

"Can't seem to tell the difference from the last two," Arianne replied, resting her chin on her palm.

Something in Jae stirred. "Well, there is always the prospect of thrilling endings, I suppose."

Arianne's head snapped in his direction and she did her best to suppress the wicked grin that threatened to spread across her face. "What does Your Grace have in mind?"

"Oh, I wouldn't know, I rarely think so far ahead." Jae examined his fingernails as though he found them fascinating.

Arianne laughed lightly. "You are a devious one, Your Grace."

"I bet you say that to all the Princes."

Arianne laughed loudly enough that time around to draw the eyes of a few nobles. She leaned in closer and whispered, "Only the ones who won't fuck me." Her hand landed on his thigh.

"Sounds like an incentive for further abstinence."

She pursed her lips but huffed in amusement. She looked back out across the dance floor, her eyes landing on Myrcella then seeking out Margaery who sat with the rest of her family. "And what do you think about the Golden Beauty and the Rose of Highgarden?"

"They are remarkable young Ladies," Jae answered.

"Mmm, I must say I agree, but which one will be Queen?" Her eyes jumped between the two of them as if she couldn't decide.

"You don't consider yourself part of that discussion, Princess?" He eyed her, wondering how much she would dare reveal.

"I am not so sure anymore I would even like to be." She seemed surprised to say it.

"How come?"

She looked at him, a smile full of wistful longing on her face. "I used to think to become Queen I only had to marry the man who would be King." She looked out at the sea of nobles, the sea she'd have to part to become a Targaryen. "It's only now that I am beginning to see the truth." She looked back at him. "I suppose you would think me terribly silly."

"Not at all," Jae said.

Most of the highborn Ladies grew up thinking themselves untouchable. Margaery certainly thought that way. They all suffered from the misguided belief that they deserved the world and that the world simply had to accept it. But that is how wars start and untouchable little Ladies get their untouchable little throats slit. He imagined it took a fair amount of intellect and character for a Princess like Arianne to figure it out before it became too late. "I think it quite commendable."

She gave a faint nod, grateful for his compliment but not in the least heartened by it. "I suppose I should pity the two girls. I don't think they quite know what they're in for."

"Shouldn't be so bad." Jae wondered what had her so gloomy all of a sudden.

She nodded mechanically. "If you say so, Your Grace."

A shout came from the dance floor before Jae could get another word in and his eyes found Robb Stark lying on his backside, one of the Redwyne twins standing over him. Jae leaped out of his seat and over the dais in one quick move but Robb Stark moved faster. He jumped to his feet and had Redwyne doubled-over and shrieking in agony by the time Jae got there.

Some Reacher knights wanted to rush Robb but Jae jumped between them, Dark Sister sliding out of its sheath. "Stop!" he roared. "Or I start cutting limbs." The knights froze in place. To drive home the point, Ser Jaime and Ser Arthur appeared beside him, both of their blades drawn.

Having prevented a battle in the middle of the fucking Throne Room, Jae turned back to the affair. Ned Stark and the rest of the northern delegation had risen to their feet but he waved them off. "What's happened here?"

"I don't know, Your Grace, this... man came out of nowhere and pushed me to the ground." Stark looked perplexed but also furious as hell and hoping for a chance to punch him again.

The Redwyne who looked to have a broken nose (Jae sent Robb an appreciative glance for that) had a harder time explaining himself. "Thiz noden dog tinks he can dance wif my sista!"

Jae's eyes found the redhead standing beside Robb, shaking like a leaf on the wind as her eyes jumped between Jae and Robb. Smarter than her brother, it appears. Paxter Redwyne himself chose to make an appearance then and said, "What in the world is going on here?"

"Robb Stark was sharing a dance with your daughter, my Lord. Your son decided that to be sufficient reason to attack the Heir to the North." He tilted his head, giving Lord Redwyne a curious look. "How do you propose we go about this, my Lord?"

Redwyne's eyes went from Jae to Dark Sister to the Kingsguard knights at his back. He swallowed, apparently trying to choose the right words. "You—Your Grace, I sincerely apolo—"

"What's happened here, then?" Aegon said as he approached the group.

Oh, for fuck's sake.

"Lord Redwyne's son has attacked Robb Stark, Your Grace," Ser Arthur explained.

"And why would he do that?" Aegon staggered a little bit but Ser Arthur caught and steadied him.

"He seems to think the Heir to the North has no business dancing with his sister," Jae explained through gritted teeth.

"Well, quite right, I say," Aegon said, raising his cup as if in a toast. The men present exchanged looks, the Redwynes grasping that the situation turned in their favor. One of the twins even looked to be grinning. "Can't have these northern dogs ruining the south's precious flowers. Isn't that so, Ser Slobber?"

The grins disappeared. Silence permeated the room. Rhaenys appeared by Aegon's side, murmuring, "Brother, you can't mean to—"

"Alright, alright." Aegon rolled his eyes as though Rhaenys had spoilt his chance at amusement. "No harm, no foul. Everyone get back to dancing and being merry."

But Jae would not let that happen. He clenched his hands, nearly shaking. He had about enough of smoothing after the mistakes of others, placating and calming those they so happily offended. The Starks were his family and he would not let them walk out of the Throne Room disgraced. "No," he said.

Aegon, who was about to leave, turned back and said, "Excuse me?"

"I said 'No', Your Grace." Jae pointed at Ser Slobber. "He will apologize to Robb."

"You dare make demands of a King?" Aegon asked out loud.

"I make no demands of you, Your Grace. I am talking to Lord Redwyne and Ser Slobber here." He looked at Lord Redwyne. "Your son will apologize."

"And if he doesn't?" Ser Horror sneered. "What is it you think you can do when the King himself has ended the matter."

"Indeed he has. But I am the Crown Prince with power of my own and I tell you right now: if he does not apologize, I will personally negotiate a trade deal between the North and the Free Cities, cutting the revenues from food sales by half in the Reach. What will your liege Lords say to that? There will be no more salt shipments from the North, either, and all those fine furs that keep you warm in the winter will disappear." He pointed Dark Sister at Ser Slobber's shaking form. "And then I will carve him up like the pig he is and we will see if Lord Tyrell considers the death of an imbecile to be a sufficient reason to start a war."

They all stared at him, quiet, until Mace Tyrell shot to his feet and said, "Paxter!"

After glancing at his liege Lord, Lord Redwyne +gave his son a stern look. "I—I apllogize."

Dark Sister returned to its sheath and all the other blades followed it. "Wise choice," he said, then turned to the King. "I do apologize for my behavior, Your Grace. I understand it was inexcusable. If you will forgive me, I will retire for the night and allow you all to – what was it? – ah, yes, get back to dancing and being merry." He gave a quick, short bow and walked out of the Throne Room.

He slowed his pace the moment he stepped out of the Throne Room and ran a hand through his hair. He fucked up. Everyone else is allowed to do it, why shouldn't I be? he wondered, feeling the alcohol.

Aegon had proved to be a mercurial son of a bitch even with Jae trying his best to keep him appeased. He could only wonder what Aegon would do now that he had been challenged. Jae buried his head in his hands. Why the fuck did I have to say that? He did not regret standing up for his cousin. Someone had to do it or risk further alienating the northerners, but...

He couldn't think of anything better he could have done. Nothing. Aegon was the one to blame and he was the only one they couldn't blame. This whole 'serving an incompetent King' notion is getting old quickly. I wonder how Tywin did it for twenty years. The man must've had nerves of steel.

He turned a corner, Ser Jaime right behind him, when they came upon a curious sight – Lord Varys and Lord Arryn standing in the middle of the hall, whispering.

"Good evening, my Lords," he said. They both turned to him without flinching. Either they weren't up to anything sinister or they had too much experience to show it.

"Your Grace," they said in unison and bowed.

"I hope I did not interrupt anything important," he said with a strained smile, watching Arryn closely. It would be naive to expect Varys would give anything away.

But Arryn did not look even remotely perturbed to be found talking with the Master of Whisperers. "Not at all," he said.

"Lord Arryn and I were only discussing some issues regarding the Vale," Varys added in, this perfumed egg prancing around pretending to be a human.

"Far be it for me to get in the way of the Vale's governance, my Lords." He meant to move on, but Arryn chuckled.

"It is quite finished. If you don't mind, Your Grace, I will return to the feast." With a bow, Arryn left.

Jae watched him go, then nodded to the Spider and said, "Lord Varys," but apparently the man wanted a word.

He fell into step with Jae and said, "Your Grace wouldn't mind sharing a word with me, would you?"

"Not at all, Lord Varys. Indeed, I believe we do not speak often enough," Jae said, trying very hard not to show that the Spider's presence made his skin crawl. If ever there was a man I feared.

"You hardly ever need my assistance, Your Grace, and no one pays poor spiders social visits," he tittered.

"My heart bleeds for you," Jae replied, then stopped and turned to the man. "Though I wonder if this conversation implies I am in need of your assistance now." He raised an eyebrow, daring Varys to lie to him. If Jae had a blind spot, Varys would know.

"Oh, not at all, Your Grace, not what I meant to imply. I merely wanted to express my admiration for how you've handled the King's coronation," he said and bowed.

Jae snorted at that. "Your praise might be premature."

"How so?"

Even the Spider needed some time before his birds began singing in his ear. Something to remember. "Does not matter. Is there anything else?"

"Yes, Your Grace." They resumed their walk. "I hoped to point out that Lord Darry might give you some trouble tomorrow during the Council. He has designs on being named the Lord Paramount of the Riverlands."

"I expect he does," Jae said. "But I doubt His Grace the King wishes to begin his reign by igniting a war in the Riverlands."

"Even if Lord Darry should be in possession of information that might paint Lord Tully in a rather treasonous light, Your Grace?" he asked.

Jae stopped in his tracks. "What exactly would that be?"

"Your Grace remembers those bandits in the Riverlands who'd been attacking the Crown's taxmen, correct?"

Jae nodded, a knot twisting in his gut.

"It would appear Lord Tully took an unprecedented approach to dealing with Connington's exorbitant taxes."

"And you've learned this..."

"Only this morning, Your Grace. One of my little birds overheard Darry has ten of Tully's men and means to have them testify before the Council."

Jae did not believe him for one second but what could he do about it?

"Of course, it's in Lord Darry's own dirty laundry that one might find a solution to our little conundrum."

Jae felt like a fish with bait dangling before his nose. He did not deign to ask out loud, only gave Varys an impatient look.

"Some of Conington's edicts harmed Lord Darry as well and he had no qualms about avoiding them by any means necessary." Varys giggled as though he found it terribly amusing. "I trust if I were to provide you with this information, Your Grace could persuade Lord Darry that it would be in his best interest to keep silent?"