Show off
Brendan exited the Great Hall after a whole night of planning with the rest of the council the King previously gathered.
He still couldn't believe how the man did things.
Each of the King ideas was worst then the other, but when confronted by Tywin, Olenna, Jon, Ned or any other person smarter than him, he simply got angry and brushed the refute off.
Now it was clear for the young Lord how the Kingdom reached it's the level of low he remembered from the show.
As the boy walked away he saw Noya leaning on the castle gate wall and Missandei with two praetorian guards standing close to her.
"It's over?" she asked with bored expression while playing with one of her hidden blades.
"Don't get me started! The man is an idiot!" Brendan was still angry.
"Well, this should cheer you up." Noya threw a parchment which Brendan swiftly caught.
After reading the document the boy's body relaxed as if the tension of the last few weeks deflated.
"Send a falcon to Dale congratulating him on his victory and to pick up Ser Gerold and Brianne. The forces we have on Old Wyk will be needed on Harlaw Island." Brendan ordered to his beautiful aid while folding the document.
"They should land on the west part of the island as planned my Lord?" Missandei was still a new addition to the military planning meetings, so every order she received, she wanted to confirm before executing it.
"Yeah, our forces are responsible for Harlaw Island since Old Wyk is already done for. Ned and the King will take Pyke, Lannister and their men with part of the Stormland Lords take Great Wyk, Vale takes Orkmont, Riverlands SaltCliffe and Reach takes Blacktyde." the group walked with steady pace in the direction of the town and not the camp.
"Stark really splits the Northmen? Willingly?" Noya was taken aback. The man always wanted to have the North together.
"Not like he has a choice, our houses would never go anywhere else until one of us is in danger, in this case, my mother." Brendan felt calmer knowing the last member of his closest family was rescued and safe. At least for now.
The group walked until they reached one of Dustin Pleasure houses.
Entering the establishment the two guards and the wolves waited at the door of the best room that the place had to offer.
For every spy that followed them, it looked like a young, spoiled Lord was already deep in the clutches of debauchery, and the beasts that always followed the boy at the door confirmed the speculations.
Unsurprising, knowing that the family was the owner of every big pleasures house and innumerable smaller ones in Westeros and Essos strengthened the belief.
When Brendan entered the room with Noya and Missandei none of them payed attention to the two girls that were originally on the bed with less then a handkerchief size of clothing on them.
Well... almost none, as Brendan tried secretly to catch a glimpse of the beautiful bodies.
"You do know they are Whisperers trained assassins only on this mission right?" Noya with clearly amused and it could be easily felt in her voice as she informed the boy.
Seeing as he already got exposed, Brendan hastily grabbed the plain clothes that were prepared for him on the table and run behind the curtain to change.
When he was at it, the women from the bed got up and opened a secret passage.
Brendan briskly moved inside, the red shade on his face showed his embarrassment even if his face was as stoic as ever.
The three people exited the hidden passage in a house two streets away only to see two more praetorians in peasants clothing and a family of four, two adults and two children in the house.
When they spotted their Lord, the group bowed and the two legionnaires led the boy to their destination.
When they arrived at a lively market, where a multitude of colorful stands with people bartering for items welcomes them, they slowed down.
Women shouted from the widows to their family members or just gossiped between themselves.
Merchants smiled and offered their products to people like they always did, and the scene looked normal and peaceful.
Lowering their heads, covered by the simple cloaks, Brendan and his men moved until they reached one of the stands and entered the simple space behind it's cover.
In a small space was a simple, small wooden table, with two cups of warm honey mead placed on in, and two chairs with one already occupied were an older Lady sat.
"Only four guards? You really need to work on your safety child." Queen of Thorns said while looking at the boy.
"Not like the few of yours could harm me." Brendan replied lightly while taking off the cloak, sitting down and looking to the outside through the thin curtains that blocked them away from the market.
Like a spell after hearing him Lady Olenna waived her hand and one of her guards exited and stood in front of the curtain as the two powerful people at the table just watched.
The young one with interest, and the other with a mischievous smile that logically speaking shouldn't be seen on an old and dignified face like hers.
Just as Brendan wanted to ask for explanation, about ten men from the crowd of people came closer to the curtain and only after hearing "Go back" from the guard that went out they returned like nothing happened back to the market.
"Impressive." Brendan words were in contrast to his expressionless face and calm bearing that didn't betray even and ounce of surprise.
"When you'll get older you will understand child." she said like a good grandmother would to a grandchild.
"Maybe... but that's not why we are here right?" Lord Dustin looked at her "tell me Lady Olenna. Tywin, you, Arryn, Stark. All of you together and I still get such a idiotic request which basically says "Give me everything you've got because I'm the King?" what in the Old Gods name was that?"
"Hahaha I knew you would ask about this. Why do you think we didn't object?" She asked making Brendan only more annoyed.
It was already evident the relationship between them improved.
She would never admit it openly, but she liked the boy as well and had fun talking o him and occasionally teasing the boy.
"I have my thoughts. You don't care, you're not strong enough to change his mind or something like that."
"Some of all of the reasons you mentioned, but mostly like you said. We don't care as long as he doesn't push us to much into a corner, and we have our own lands to think about. The man is still the King after all, some level of pretense should be kept." she sipped the drink feeling it spreading the warmth inside her old body.
"So now you will make your move right?" Brendan asked.
"Oh for the Seven sake don't pretend you don't know I already did." Olenna was grumpy hearing the child playing with her at her own game.
"In that case I already want to congratulate your Redwyne fleet for winning the battle of Old Town." Brendan mockingly bowed his head in respect.
"Ha! Battle! Like that flock of rapists and murderers can do anything about it. Still, explaining to that block head King why we only gave half of our fleet to that looking for approval and acceptance boy was a hustle!" remembering the conversation with the Hand and the King was making her head hurt.
"Hmph, that's still better than losing most of it like you would under Stannis command. He wanted my ships as well. Besides, now the Lords that plotted against your House in the Reach need to look for your help with rebuilding what the "bandits" destroyed. Tell me that the loans and favors they will have to repay weren't worth it. Your family can rule the Reach for the next ten years without worry, even if you leave your son to do his thing without supervision." Brendan laughed after the high level of hostility in his voice when he spoke about Stannis dissipated.
"Oh? You say it like you didn't do the same up North, Vale and in Riverlands. Attacking Lannisport again? You're really ruthless. Well not you exactly... To think I would be working with the Dornishmen... Lyonel Tyrell would turn in his grave."
"What's done is done. For now just take care of the pirates, it took us a lot to convince them to attack Old Town." the boy stretched his back.
"We will. And the Dornishmen? I understand that you want to use the pirates as scapegoats, but what route will they take?" Queen of Thorns looked curiously into Brendan's eyes.
"Different one." he smiled like a naughty child.
"Which is?" Olenna asked again.
"Different one." his smile grew more.
"I hate that smile of yours. Makes me uneasy." She said finishing her drink.
Talking for another thirty minutes, they dressed their cloaks and exited the stall.
Just as they were about to go each of their ways Olenna heard the boy.
"Oh, and Lady Olenna..." he got her attention.
Seeing her looking at him he just clapped his hands once and like someone hitting the pause button the whole market froze.
Not even the slightest sound could be heard.
The immediate change spooked the Tyrell men, the ones guarding the Lady, and the ones hidden in the crowd.
When Lady Olenna turned to look at the crowd she walked through before, she now could only see her men with daggers on their throats or back, the same women that were gossiping in the windows previously now held crossbows aiming at them. All of them.
Every man, woman or child she saw in her view were now bowing to Lord Dustin.
"I take my security seriously Lady Olenna." Lord Dustin said as he started walking away.
As soon as his figure disappeared from sight, everything went back to normal and the crowd from the market vanished like a breeze of wind leaving her unharmed men.
"Show off." Lady Tyrell smiled "What are you waiting for!? To let them play you like that! And you call yourself experts?!" she was scolding her men and walked back to her camp.