1.12 - Aelyx

Aelyx - 11​

I sat perched atop a boulder on the beach watching the waves crash against the shore. To my right, Corlys and Rhaenys rested on their own rock. None of us said anything. Aside from the greeting they had given me when I'd arrived yesterday afternoon the last time we'd spoken had been when I offered them my condolences at Laenor's funeral. I realized uncomfortably that between my claiming of Vhagar and my presence on the docks that fateful day, they most likely associated me with the deaths of both their children. However, they were political veterans, and so long as they did not hold me responsible for the deaths, they would put aside their unease to cultivate a valuable resource.

There were few better locations than this for a clandestine meeting. The space was open enough that we could easily see anyone approaching, while the sound of the surf would prevent our voices from carrying. Furthermore, convening here removed the tinge of 'secret meeting' that our conversation might otherwise have had. Three people meeting behind closed doors aroused curiosity, those same three people meeting on a beach did not engender much suspicion.

"Your note said you wished to speak with us." Corlys began our discussion.

"Aye," I respond. "I thought perhaps you would like to hear my thought on the moods of the nobility of Westeros."

"I might not have set foot in on the mainland in years, but Driftmark is hardly isolated." Came the riposte. The master of Hightide was evidently annoyed by the insinuation that I could tell him anything that his information network couldn't.

"Then I suppose you know how little Borros Baratheon thinks of Princess Rhaenyra," I asked, affecting a casual tone.

"Borros is my cousin." The Queen Who Never Was cut in, her eyes glinting dangerously. "His father was my greatest supporter at the Great Council."

"And when was the last time you spoke with him." I counter. "Do you think he has so little pride that he will answer the call of long-neglected familiar ties?"

"Blood is blood." Came the sharp reply.

"Let's be serious your grace. Lord Baratheon cares naught for Rhaenyra's claim to the throne. Should she need his aid, she will be forced to offer him concessions. I spent a week in his company and I can assure you that his kinship to you does not weigh heavily upon his mind."

An uncertain expression flitted across Rhaenys face, while her husband glanced from me to his wife, his lips pursed. I took the opportunity to press my advantage.

"Yes, your grace is the daughter of Lady Jocelyn Baratheon, but you cannot deny that the connection has been allowed to atrophy since the death of Boremund."

Now the uncertainty was replaced by a flickering of shame.

"Borros is a very proud man." I empathized again. "He has not failed to note how nothing has been done to maintain the old alliance. He would not take it well if the Blacks were to simply presume his favor."

"He's right" Corlys cut in. "We need allies, reliable ones. We can't assume the support of anyone who is not loudly professing their commitment to ensuring Rhaenyra's succession. The good news is, King Viserys is hale and healthy. It will likely be years before we need support against the Greens. There is plenty of time to rebuild our connection with the Stags and draw others into our camp."

I relaxed slightly I had been worried that the two would brush off my concerns. That they would refuse to acknowledge the inevitability of resistance to Rhaenyra's ascension or the necessity of cultivating alliances. There was a good reason I had chosen to address the Borros first. I had no idea if overtures from the Blacks would gain any traction with the Storm Lord or what kind of demands he would make, but the fact remained that maintaining ties forged by marriage pacts was an essential part of Westrosi politics and something that Rhaenys and Corlys should already have been doing. The Velaryon couple knew this, and as such, could not really argue with my observations. I hoped that having accepted my advice on this matter they would be willing to hear me out as a discussed the rest of Westeros.

"You went to the Reach after the Stormlands, correct?" Came the prompt from Corlys, clearly eager to move the conversation away from the failings of him and his wife. "How did you find it."

"A bubbling cauldron about to spill over" I replied instantly.

"Oh," murmured Corlys, his interest clearly peaked.

"You know as well as I do, that since the moment The Conqueror elevated them, the Tyrells have struggled to maintain their hold on the Reach. Oldtown especially has long been a law on to itself. It appears as though a royal marriage has only increased to the arrogance of the Hightowers."

"Did you spend much time in Oldtown?" Rhaenys asked.

"Only a single day. Skipping it entirely would have been too deliberate a snub, given that I visited Houses far less prestigious." Which was a shame, the risk of a knife in my back or poison in my cider would have almost been worth it, in exchange for a few days in the Citadel.

"Lord Hightower has tied his House closely to Redwynes and together they dominated trade in the southern Reach."

"That's hardly a secret," Corlys remarked.

"But, did you know that they have been trying to assert their influences on the Reacher Houses south of the Mander?"

"Well, that would certainly engender some resentment." Murmured Corlys, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Perhaps we could extend a hand to the Houses in the region. Create some sort of network to contain the Hightower influence."

"We would have to be subtle of course. Viserys would hardly tolerate us moving openly against his wife's family." Rhaenys put it.

"We would have to be pretty blatantly targeting the Hightower to stir him. So long as we maintain the fiction that Princess Rhaenyra is simply making connections in preparation for her reign, I doubt the king will interfere." I gave my opinion, drawing thoughtful nods.

"Now, as for the Westerlands, I am afraid I cannot offer much that you don't already know. Lord Lannister was fairly cagey for all that he publicly professes obedience to the King's will. As for the rest of that realm, the Lannisters have a firm grip. As it stands now whichever way the Lords of the Rock sway the rest of their kingdom will follow. My visit was just too brief to glean anything that wasn't readily apparent."

Corlys hummed thoughtfully before turning to his wife. I sat patiently while the two carried out a rapid and silent conversation utilizing only their facial expressions. After a few seconds, the Sea Snake turned back to me.

"I can certainly send men there to see which way the wind is blowing, but unless we can find some sort of lever, I am not sure how much progress we will make in the region." He trailed pf drumming his fingers on the rock.

"You traveled to the Riverlands next?" Princess asked.

"The Riverlands are unsurprisingly the exact opposite of the Westerlands." I began. "In the Reach, the Tyrells can at least claim an edge in power over those who seek to usurp them. The Tullys lack even that luxury. All of their authority flows from King's Landing and their vassals know it."

"Is it really that bad?" Rhaenys questioned, leaning forward, eyes slightly widened.

I nodded grimly. The chaos in the Riverlands was old news in Westeros, but I'd had no idea how bad it had gotten. It gave me new respect for Hoster Tully. The fact that he had gotten the majority of the Riverlands to follow him in rising against the Mad King spoke of immense political skill.

"I had five different lords approach me about interceding on their behalf at the Royal Court. Don't misunderstand, I had plenty of people in the other kingdoms attempt to circumvent their liege, but they at least attempted subtlety. In the Riverlands, it is as though the Tully's overlordship is a polite fiction as best."

Corlys let out a low whistle. "The River Lords have always been unruly, but what you are describing is beyond the pale. I find it hard to believe that the situation could have disintegrated into such a state without it becoming common knowledge."

"I think it is because the River Lords are so quarrelsome that the signs have been missed. When you hear rumors about a cattle raid or honor duel coming out of the area you just shrug it off as typical Riverlander behavior."

"It doesn't help that we have not exactly been focused on news from the Riverlands these past few years. All of our attention has been turned to either King's Landing or the Narrow Sea." Rhaenys added.

"This will take some serious thought." Corlys opinioned. "There are several different routes we could take in order to make inroads into the Riverlands. "We could bypass the Tullys altogether and deal with the individual Houses directly. Or we could do the opposite and intervene on behalf of the Tullys and help them tighten their grip on the region, ensuring that their stable rule was tied to our prosperity."

"Speaking of prosperity," I cut in. "Lord Rickard expressed serious interest in tying the North more closely with the Velaryon trading network."

"Oh." That caught his interest.

I quickly relayed the contents of my meeting with the Lord of the North to the Valarian couple. Corlys was very intrigued by the idea of tapping into the North's resources. And declared that he would immediately send more formal negotiators. The subject of whaling, however, had him rubbing his chin in contemplation.

"I must confess, that I know little of the trade. My vessels have certainly carried their share of whalebone and whale oil, but the sailors of Driftmark have never actually hunted them. I suppose it would not be difficult to send men to Bravos and see if they can scrounge up some designs that the Bravosi have copied from the Ibenese. No, better just to send them straight to Ibben if we do end up building these ships, I want to have a least a few men on hand who have actually seen them."

"And what of the Vale, Lady Aryen is the Princesses' cousin, surely, we can rely on her support. Or does she feel slighted by the lack of communication as well?"

I grimaced slightly as Princess Rhaenys raised the question of the Vale.

"The Vale was almost as uncomfortable as Oldtown." That was a slight exaggeration, as I had not worried about murder attempts in the Vale, but I had certainly not felt welcome. "The Maid is a supporter of Rhaenyra albeit a somewhat lukewarm one. The problem was me. The Vale very clearly remembers the insults my father paid to Lady Royce and the kingdom as a whole. The lords were not exactly throwing open their doors for the son of a man who made very public insinuations about their fondness for sheep."

"Yes. That would certainly make things awkward." Corlys muttered. "But, so long as she is loyal, I do care what her opinion of Daemon is." He paused, marshaling his thought. "You have given me a lot to think about. Do you plan to stay on Driftmark long? I would like to quiz you further on the attitudes of individual lords."

"I was going to leave tomorrow, but I can certainly extend my stay. I lived here for half a decade after all, no one would think my presence strang