Arthur XIX

293AC

The greeting at the docks was about what I would expect, a couple of knights sworn to Lord Paxter offering to escort me to the castle. I had Jaerys come with me as my sworn sword in this case, as to be honest I was still quite shaken from the attempt on my life in Sunspear. I had even taken to carrying a larger pistol in my holster, a two-barreled break-open action thing, it was clunky but it would serve until we finally cracked how to make revolver mechanisms.

I accepted their guidance and followed them through the city, as much a procession as an actual trip based on how many people seemed to have turned out to see me go by. I was quite glad that my collar would obscure the view of my scarring from the folks on the ground, but I was under no illusion that it would continue doing so once I got off of the horses, which I soon found myself doing as we arrived in the courtyard of the Redwynes.

"Ah, Prince Arthur, it is good to finally meet you."

A middle-aged blond man who was beginning to show the first signs of balding greeted me cheerfully as I dismounted, moving up to where I stood.

"Lord Paxter I presume?"

"Indeed, indeed, come inside please, the feasting for this evening has already begun, and I simply must introduce you to everyone. We're celebrating the birth of my youngest son Mace right now, but I'm sure that everyone will be quite interested to meet you as well."

I smiled at that, I was sure they did, and I would rather be introduced by a guide than meet each one individually. I followed the Lord as he led me into the keep, my Velaryon bodyguard on my heels as we entered into the party, which seemed to be more of a ball format than the one at kings landing. Several musicians strummed Lutes softly on the stage as the nobility of the reach and Westerlands hobnobbed about politely in quiet conversations.

They all saw me when Lord Paxter led me in of course, but they had the decency to not all turn and face me at once like I was some sort of alien, which I supposed they must have trained to avoid doing. Instead, they waited for their turns.

First were, of course, the Tyrells, Margaery, and Olenna were present, neither of whom I had met before, and I gave my best effort to smile despite the warning bells the small old woman was setting off in my head by her presence alone.

"May I introduce you to my aunt and lovely niece Olena and Margaery?"

"My Ladies Tyrell," I said, slightly inclining my head. "How are you on this fair evening?"

"Dreadful I should think, Paxter this cheese is terrible. Did you leave it out to spoil overnight?"

I kept a straight face even as the Lord of the Arbor's eyes narrowed ever so lightly. Fortunately, Margaery cut in quickly. "I am doing quite well my prince, and how are you? I should hope your trip was not overly stressful."

I let out a mental sigh of relief as I turned to face the vastly more tolerable Tyrell. "Oh me, my no, why I was practically born on the water."

"You certainly smell like it."

I pointedly ignored Olenna's barbed tongue instead, opting to speak more to her granddaughter. "Was your own trip here pleasant? I have heard that the Reach is quite beautiful in summer."

"Oh yes, we passed by Old town and got to see Hightower and the citadel, it was all very pleasant," I noted the way the girl's eyes lingered on my greyscale as she finished her sentence, though I could not read her face otherwise.

"Well, I'm sure you'll have more time to talk to young Arthur later, everyone is quite eager to meet him." It seemed that Lord Paxter, who had been speaking quietly to Olenna, had had enough of her sass, and opted to drag me away instead.

What followed was a blur of introductions to all sorts of reach nobility, mostly from the southern part of the Kingdom, but also from up the coast. I even introduced myself to my Granduncle, Lord Alester Florent, who seemed quite taken with me due to my mother's correspondence with him. He asked me a great deal about my company and what plans I had with it in the future, though I mostly answered them with the continued expansion of trading operations and not much else. I had no intention of letting Reacher lords know of my plans for the Stepstones and beyond.

Still, it was nice enough meeting him, and out of everyone there he seemed to be the only one considering my own goals and future at all beyond what I could do for him, though that was of course still present.

Anyhow, after a good hour or so of being introduced to people from a dozen minor houses, I could barely remember, Lord Paxter finally took me to meet Desmera, my potential betrothed in one of the side towers. We had to climb a stairway to reach the balcony, and he smiled as we reached the top. "I'm sure you'll like Desmera," he said plainly. "My little girl is bright and beautiful as a flower."

With that said, he finally opened the door leading out onto the balcony, and I got my first look at my potential betrothed.