Kai
§
I was laid up in bed for a week with my leg injury. Florie and Ravenka doted on me the entire time, so it wasn't as unpleasant as it could have been, but it still irked me that what had seemed such a small task had gone so horribly wrong. At least we had the damnable mushrooms, although now, with our targets returned to their home, we would have to travel to use them.
The week was full of preparations too, that I heard of in bits and pieces as I rested. The announcement that winter was soon to come meant a great deal of preparation. It also meant that readying ourselves for war would be a much thornier project, as we would simultaneously be needing to build up our stores and get the harvest in in the hopes that we would have time for a second one before winter settled into the south. As I began to recover and started limping around Highgarden, I could see that with my father busy preparing for the seasonal change and my brother busy... doing whatever undoubtedly important task he had been given, it would be left to some of the rest of us to go around the countryside consolidating our power and favor with our bannermen. That would also give us a chance to visit Longtable and complete our darker work there.
We prepared a party with twenty-five guardsmen, myself and my cousins, Odette as chaperone and organizer (I had hoped my father would find himself unable to spare her, but she has a way of getting what she wants), as well as Slaange, his sister, and Quaynlis. After watching them all work in the caves, I was plenty glad to have them along and working for us, even setting aside Slaange's more specialized mission on this trip. We would be traveling to Cider Hall, , and Ashford before Longtable, then on to Bitter Bridge and to some of the minor houses north of the Rose Road before making our way back to Highgarden.
We traveled for a week to Cider Hall, and I blame my convalescence for the discomfort I felt on the horse. I do need to take more riding lessons as well, I suppose. Odette briefed us all on the situation with the Red Apple Fossaways at Cider Hall as we went. Their feud with the Green Apple Fossaways, of course, was as always in progress, but allowing them something at the expense of our other bannermen was something we could not risk. So while we knew what they wanted was to have a dam torn down, currently benefiting the Graves and the Manders, it was not a move we could make. Someone would have to offer them something they would understand as valuable without doing harm to our cause. We had brought gifts, of course, for all the houses we visited, and did our best to make sure it felt like an honor to host us. Florie ended up deep in conversation with Lord Ambrose Fossaway, while he tried to bargain his importance over the other families with her. She smiled prettily and didn't give an inch on our position while still maintaining that they are our closest bannermen, and not just in distance. He was clearly charmed by her – who wouldn't be? – and Florie ended her talk with him confident of their loyalty.
We traveled next to Ashford, where we knew that flooding last harvest had done serious damage to the lands. Odette informed us that they would probably desire tax leniency, especially with winter arriving soon, but again, that would not be an easy thing to grant. With the possibility of war on the horizon, we needed every bit of taxes we would normally collect. Odette, though, as the keenest mind amongst us on matters of money, took point here. She talked to Lord Gymber Ashford, saying that if we were to grant him leniency on taxes, we would need something in return. She asked him to send the able-bodied sons in Ashford to Silver Hill, where we would now be training men so that we could have an army at a moment's notice. Ashford balked at first, accusing her of making sure that they would lose this harvest as well by taking away the sons that should be laboring for them. Odette assured him, though, that we would never forget Ashford come harvest time and that we would only make the house stronger by making the sons of Ashford into soldiers as well. Gymber backed down readily, apologizing for any perceived threat, and agreed to Odette's conditions.
Our next stop was Honeyholt castle at Beesbury. Lord Danton Beesbury had ruled this house, but now his widow Lady Danlee was in charge. I knew from Odette that she was a woman used to getting what she wanted and making it so people would owe her favors. It became readily apparent during our reception there that what she had been looking for was a replacement for her husband who would not be a threat to her power and authority. While I couldn't be a husband to her, I imagined that the lady was rather lonely after her husband's passing, and so I made sure we had time to talk alone. She was distant at first, evidently concerned that our progress was here to wrest some of her control away. I assured her we were very pleased with what she had done with Beesbury, and also that she looked very lovely for a woman who worked so hard. I saw a flush start in her cheeks, and knew that my compliments were working. She lamented about being all alone with her dear husband gone, and although the best I could offer at a moment was one night, I thought it was just the kind of diplomacy I'm skilled at. In the morning, I left the Lady Beesbury content as a purring kitten, and though I knew it wouldn't last, I thought that perhaps she would think fondly on us in terms of picking a new husband for her. I puzzled it over with Odette, and we decided that someone young and pliable but still of sufficient social status would make the most suitable match. Azeline's younger brother Faryk Ivy, a promising young knight, might be just the right companion for the Widow Beesbury, and Odette agreed to send word for him as soon as Azeline confirmed he was not yet betrothed.
Our last stop before our true destination was at House Hunt of Horn Hill, where word had spread that they hoped to have a big tourney there before the arrival of winter, with the money of course coming from Gardener pockets. In other times, it would be nothing much, but with winter coming and our thoughts turning towards war, extra events held at banner houses are not in our priorities. At our feast that night, though, I heard Rivenka talking excitedly with Lord Malyn Hunt about the prospect of holding a tournament there. Although I groaned inwardly, I saw that it was actually beginning to work to our advantage, as Rivenka's enthusiasm over all of the things that would need to happen in Horn Hill to accommodate everyone began to seem cumbersome to Malyn. The conversation shifted rather abruptly to our request for archers to train new conscripts in Silver Hill, an idea that Malyn seemed to take to better now that he realized how much work a tourney would really prove.
At last, then, we were on our way to Longtable, or so I thought, when we had to stop short of our goal due to Slaange. We needed him at his best, but the riding had apparently been too much for him, and he needed to rest. While I was sitting outside that afternoon, Azeline came up to me with worry in her eyes.
After some hesitation and a few false starts, Azeline said she was worried about the mushrooms that I'd had Slaange get. “It's just that I'm not sure you know how bad those mushrooms are,” she said, batting those big eyes at me. “They're really bad, and I wouldn't want something to happen to you if... if what happens to horses when they eat those mushrooms happens to someone at Longtable while we're under their hospitality.”
Now there was certainly an important thought. If it was obvious that we were breaking hospitality, it would be as bad as if we had just gone in and slaughtered them. I thanked her for her concern, and said the mushrooms were Slaange's, and I was sure he would take the utmost care with them. Then I kissed her on the top of the head, and when I was certain her mind was off of it – I imagine she was thinking of the possibilities I might someday kiss more than her hair – I went to see Odette and the others.
Hospitality is a tricky thing. I know it's important, and I wouldn't break it without thinking very hard on the matter first, but I know enough about what my grandmother Florie said about making your own miracles and burdening yourself with your own curses to think that perhaps it's... well, a little dramatic to say that anyone breaking hospitality is going to be cursed. But the fact remained that if we came and the Baratheon lordling and his new wife fell ill immediately, even the best-hidden poisons would point directly to us. We wondered if there was something else that we could to – to feign an illness that would seem to strike without prejudice. We decided it might be best to talk to our poisoner once more.
I visited Slaange, taking him a bowl of soup and helping him upright to eat it as I explained our dilemma. He pondered, and at last said, “The best way to fake an illness is with an illness.” He told me that another mushroom would cause stomach upset, like the poison we were using, but would not do any lasting damage. It would have to be widespread, so that some of us and some of their people were sick too, which meant poisoning the feast. It wasn't the most pleasant of thoughts, but I spoke to the others and we readily agreed that it was our best course of action.
Rula
§
I heard Slaange telling Azeline that he needed a different and less harmful mushroom, to help make Long Table seem cursed, since someone seemed to be spreading those rumors about. Azeline blinked, then nodded and something cloudy lifted from her features as she agreed to help him find it. She brought back a whole bagful of deceptively-named Butterdrops, and he began his work. I saw what he was doing though. You poison everyone a little so that it's not obvious when you've poisoned one or two folk a lot. Azeline, I gathered, weren't supposed to know that there was still a plan to geld the Baratheon man and twine the child from his wife. Girl like that is like to be fragile in a few ways, and I gather this was one of 'em. Grim work is nothing new to me or to my twin, and and so I just kept her talking and away from Slaange's work whenever she strayed close.
By the time we got to Longtable, I could see why the Gardeners wanted so badly to keep the place. It was gorgeous, all rolling hills and pretty forests and fields of growing things. The Merriweathers were clearly still celebrating, the buildings still decorated with banners and ribbons. Shame we were going to destroy that happiness, but that's the price for playing games of power, I suppose. We were greeted with music, and these colorful drinks made of fruit and spirits, and Lilyas Baratheon was lovely and just glowing, and kept putting a hand to her belly. So she was indeed with child, it seemed. A Baratheon child. Despite all of this, I could see Kai looking at her like he thought he might try his charms on her, child and poisons and all. That man. At least he seems to generally keep control of himself.
cocktail. Methias Baratheon is not nearly as good-looking as his
wife. Lilyas is quite the golden beauty. Kai totally wants to tap
that. We get hospitality like crazy. That night there is a big feast
in Gardener's honor. Slaange's job is to poison the food and has to
handle the red caps with particular care. He sneaks the Butterdrops
into the food in the kitchen. Quaynlis performs to distract everyone
from the food they're being served. Rule takes out the plates and
serves the right food to the right people. Florie serves moon tea to
Lilyas after she has some spicy appetizer. Odette coordinates the
whole thing.
- We have caused a miscarriage and an impotence. Most everyone at the
party gets sickened, including us. Since EVERYONE is sick the warm
castle is hell. Half the people there are sick for a week and all of
Long Table laments Lilyas's soon miscarriage.
- We move on from Long Table to Bitterbridge. One day out of Long
Table we are riding through a narrow tract. Azeline sees a falcon
returning to a nest to feed its chicks and then it knocks one out as
it flies away. Azeline takes the chick and is gonna raise herself one
awesome falcon!
MRAR!
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