Chapter 074 – To Whose Benefit

[295 AC]

"T-treachery!", the Grandmaester was the first to react to the Red Priestess' words, as he sputtered.

Forgetting his initial fear and manner of conduct, he accused harshly: "What kind of poison have you fed the honorable Lord Stannis that he would betray his duties towards the throne and his family, witch?!"

The other members of the small council didn't voice their opinions just yet, waiting for the Red Priestess' answer first.

Suddenly though the temperature in the small chamber started to drop, as the light seemed to dim.

Wide-eyed Jon looked at the red-clad woman in slight fear, as he saw the shadows around her come to life, winding and creeping around her seat until it looked as if she sat on a throne made of darkness.

Flames ignited on her form, as she became the only light in the small council chamber. The Red Priestess' gaze was piercing and dreadful as she looked at the Grandmaester.

"The Commander's honor and integrity are unquestionable for the likes of you, oathbreaker and lustful creature that you are. Don't think that your act can fool my eyes, Grandmaester.", Melisandre spat in an icy tone.

While she would normally prefer a more subtle approach, the Red Priestess had her own bottom line. She also held genuine affection for the Commander and so she wouldn't allow others to besmirch his name in front of her.

At the same time, Melisandre could use this show of power to her advantage, even though she normally preferred a softer and more devious route to reach her goal.

Her words were also true, as Pycelle broke his oath as a Maester by indulging himself in fleshly pleasures as often as he could manage.

"I advise you to tread carefully with your words from now on, as I will not show you the same patience and mercy that my Lord has.", Melisandre ended, as the world around them turned back to normal a moment later, as if all this had just been an illusion.

Jon himself wasn't sure if what he had witnessed was real, but the cold sweat running down his back and the ghostly pale faces of the Grandmaester, Renly and even Petyr were warning enough.

The only ones who seemed more composed were the Spider, who seemed relatively calm, while Barristan Selmy stared at the priestess with a sharp frown.

As the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard and one of the best warriors the Seven Kingdoms had ever seen, his mental fortitude was naturally not something that could be shaken so easily. Though thinking about the powers of the priests and priestesses of the Red Temple, he felt uncomfortable all over, knowing that his blade was probably not enough to keep his King safe from them.

Not to mention the tales he heard about the Fiery Hand and the Feathers, the group of undying elite soldiers and the invincible personal guard of the Red God. The Lord Commander couldn't even fathom what might those warriors could unleash.

As a tense silence spread around the room, Jon knew that it was his duty as the Hand of the King to take up the word and stop any further escalation between the representatives of the Citadel and the Red Temple, as their conflict would not be to the Iron Throne's benefit at all.

"The Lady Melisandre is right, Stannis' honor shouldn't be called into question as we all know him to be a dutiful and trustworthy man.", Jon voiced out with a pointed look to those around him, even though he himself was aware that the former Lord of Dragonstone's actions were in fact treasonous.

"We have all heard the tales of his efforts and success in eliminating the pirate infestation on the Stepstones and all over the Summer Sea. I am sure maintaining the safety of the waters around the Blessed Cities and Phoenix Bay is a monumental task in itself, so his resignation is understandable."

"This begs however the question of who he should be replaced with, though that is a discussion we will have another time.", Jon stated, before he turned to the Red Priestess, "You also mentioned an offer being part of the reason for your visit, High Priestess?"

While Jon Arryn's words were polite and understanding, Melisandre understood that the Hand of the King had also started to draw a clear line between the business of the Red Temple and the small council, i.e. the Iron Throne.

Smiling inwardly, as she was not going to allow the man to shut the door on the Red Temple that easily, Melisandre put on a calm and graceful smile, as she responded: "The Lord's offer pertains to the replacement of the master of ships actually, Lord Arryn."

"Since the master of ships is responsible for the royal fleet and his duties mostly revolve around maintaining the fleet and taking care of pirates and raiders on this side of the Narrow Sea, my Lord offers the Blessed Cities' help in those things."

"The Red Temple will shoulder the costs of maintaining, expanding, and updating the royal fleet and will ensure that the Narrow Sea and the rest of the waters around Westeros be free of pirates, raiders, and slavers, in exchange for a seat on the small council.", Melisandre voiced out compellingly.

A frown appeared on Jon's face, as he listened to the priestess. He knew that the costs of maintaining, updating, and expanding the royal fleet were enormous and taking into account Robert's spending habits, something the royal vaults would find trouble supporting.

But accepting the offer would be like handing over the royal fleet to the Red Temple, which wasn't something that Jon could sanction. This would inevitably tie the Iron Throne's power to the temple, which was very different than allowing the religion to build temples and receive the benefits of them healing commoners and keeping order around their holy grounds.

The Hand of the King found himself in a difficult position facing this 'offer', as he stared silently at the Red Priestess.

"Wouldn't that put the royal fleet under the temple's control, and if so, as the Commander of all the naval forces belonging to the Red Temple, wouldn't that mean that the royal fleet would once again end up under Lord Stannis Baratheon's control? If that is the case, then I wonder if he really wished to resign from his post in the first place?", unexpectedly it was Petyr, who stepped forward at this moment and questioned the priestess.

A peal of bell-like laughter left the Red Priestess' lips in response to Petyr's words. Laughter so clear and beautiful, Jon felt it nearly take hold of his heart, before he managed to shake off his daze, now fearful of the High Priestess' charm.

"You misunderstood, Lord Baelish.", Melisandre answered, "I never said that the Red Temple wishes to occupy the seat of the master of ships."

"The temple will support and finance the royal fleet no matter who controls it as the master of ships, but in exchange, the Red Temple demands a seat on the small council, it doesn't matter which seat though."

"I see. My apologies, Lady Melisandre. It seems I was too hasty in my judgement.", Petyr replied with a small smile and a light bow, respect and sincerity clear in his actions.

The Red Priestess though just smiled at his words, not replying, as she stood up from her seat and turned to the Hand of the King.

"I will leave you to your discussions now, my Lords. When you have come to your decision, just send someone to find me at the Red Hill.", Melisandre stated, as she walked out of the council chamber, her hips swaying and red hair fluttering.

Varys was the first to voice out his opinion after the High Priestess had left: "It is an offer worth considering, Lord Hand. If we chose a master of ships that is loyal to the throne and hand over a seat to the Red Temple, we would gain more than we lose."

"While members of the small council hold a certain authority, we cannot act against yours and the King's orders. Isn't this a perfect opportunity to tie the Red Temple's power to the Iron Throne under our own conditions, while benefiting on all sides.", the spymaster stated.

"I think the master of whisperers is right on this point. It would also take a significant burden off the royal coffers.", Petyr said, surprising Jon in his agreement with the Spider, though what he said made sense.

"Lord Hand, you mustn't let the deceptive words of the sorceress cloud your judgement!", Pycelle insisted, having regained some of his courage due to the priestess' departure.

And before Jon had the time to reply, Renly suddenly spoke up: "You shouldn't dismiss her proposal so hastily Grandmaester. I agree with Lord Varys and Lord Baelish that this could be a chance for the crown to gain some measure of control over the Red Temple."

And while those were his words, the young Lord of the Stormlands had realized that should the offer be accepted, he would most likely be the one to benefit the most.

The Hand would obviously not allow the Red Temple to nominate a master of ships, so someone else would have to take up the spot, preferably someone already on the small council, as this would free up another position for the Red Temple to occupy.

The position of Hand of the King, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, and Grandmaester were out of question, while Littlefinger was only a minor noble and was not suited for a military position with such power and authority that the master of ships represented.

The Spider also wouldn't be asked to vacate his position as his talents were clearly limited to the trade of secrets, which only left him as a possible candidate.

As the King's brother and Lord of the Stormlands he was suited for the position of master of ships, which would give him some more substantial power in comparison to being the master of laws, which did not.

And while the rest of the small council started their discussion, Barristan Selmy just quietly sat in his seat and pondered about the dangers the Red Temple posed, a small frown firmly settled on his face.