Chapter 13: Jon VII & Stannis VII (284 AC)
Jon VII
Robert's fist hit the arm of of the throne like his hammer. On the Iron Throne he'd likely have done himself an injury. As it was the new throne, being wooden, was probably in more danger. Fortunately it was still covered by the cloak Robert had draped it with more than a year ago so no one should notice if it was replaced with another one of the set (or by a copy in ironwood, just to be on the safe side).
"I've tried being concilatory and clearly some of you have forgotten you're not dealing with a Targaryen who'll forget about a project after a month or two." The king glared down at the leaders of the Tanner's Guild. "Those of your guild who've accepted my offer of loans and land grants to relocate outside of the walls will be reaping the rewards over the rest of you, because those offers are now closed and the trade of tanning is hereby banned within the walls of King's Landing. Lord Bolton!"
"Sire?"
Jon had almost forgotten the Seneschal was present since it was the first word he'd said so far.
"The tanners have until the end of the month. After that, if their workshops haven't been removed the City Watch is to remove them, and the tanners with them." Robert stood, towering over the guildsmen. "You don't have to relocate to Tannerstown but your trade does too much to the water the city depends on for me to allow it within the walls."
"But your grace..."
Jon stepped forwards as he saw Robert's hand going to the shaft of his hammer. "Guildmaster, do you have any other protest other than those you've been making for the last three months?"
The tanners grudgingly retreated out of the throneroom and Robert glared at them until the doors closed behind them. Only then did he relax back into the throne. "My thanks, Jon. I was on the verge of losing my temper."
"I noticed, your grace."
That got a grin from the King. "I suppose breaking their skulls wouldn't be much better than the Mad King."
At least, Jon thought, he's usually easy to get out of dark moods. "The tanneries are one of the few trades in Fleabottom," he warned. "Lord Bolton, you may need to reinforce your patrols in that part of the city."
"It seems, your grace, that you have something of a goal of ruining Fleabottom, between forcing the tanners out and the removal of so many of the landlords."
"What's this?" asked Jon.
Robert gave Bolton a mildly reproving look. "Oh alright. I'm trying to get as many people to leave that district as I can so I can demolish it. Virtually all of King's Landing drains through that part of the city so sorting out decent sewers more or less hinges on tearing most of Fleabottom apart to build the main drains there."
Jon groaned. "There are going to be riots."
The king winced. "I hope not. I'm offering bounties to those who volunteer to travel north to settle on the lands of Lord Selmy, Lyanna or her brother. And I doubt most of the residents really care for their landlords."
"Yes, what exactly are you doing to them?" The Hand of the King turned his eyes to the Seneschal.
The Northerner's face didn't change at all. "There are ancient and largely disregarded laws about the maintenance of buildings in King's Landing to reduce the chances of fires spreading. I have ordered those laws enforced... rigorously."
"All through the city, or just in Fleabottom?"
"Uniformly." He looked at Robert. "However, since Fleabottom's streets are narrower and buildings made of poorer materials the hazards of fire are greater there and violations of the law more common."
Jon thought back to the days Robert had been passing sentence on crimes in the city and judgement on disputes. For the most part, the Hand had been busy enough to leave those occasions to Robert and to Lomas Estermont. "And what sentences have been passed?"
"I gave the landlords brought before me the choice between heavy fines or surrendering their property in the district. Oh, and if they take the fines they have to make good the deficiencies too. So far, all of them gave up the land. After Aery's plan to burn the city down were revealed, no one wants to be a landlord known for carelessness on that matter."
"All this for a sewer?"
"A sewer and a considerable amount of work being done to reduce the chances of a fire spreading across the city - which isn't costing us a penny."
"Which is a good thing since I gather the roadworks are costing more than expected."
"More than Lord Rogers expected. Jerrard sees to be a decent sailor but a poor coin-counter. I had him set aside a reserve of coin in expectation that he was being optimistic about the costs. We have enough of a reserve to handle to expenses for now."
"I know Jaeharys the Wise was known for codifying the laws and building the roads but don't you think that you're taking emulation of him too far?"
"Better roads don't just let us move armies more easily, Jon. It makes it easier to move goods by cart and wagon, which should mean more trade and thus more tax revenue. Compiling all the old records makes it clear that Jaeharys income was two or three times as high by the end of his reign as it was at the beginning."
"That would be a prodigous boost to the treasury."
"We're not building them from scratch, so I don't know that we'll see quite such a return but even an increase of one-tenth the revenue from the Lords along the Rosby Road and Kingsroad will repay the investment in a summer or two." He shook his head. "Anyway. Hopefully most of the tanners will go to Tannerstown. It's much closer than the alternatives."
"And you're sure about allocating all revenues there to your new Queen?"
"Just for her lifetime." Robert's lips curved in a wry smile. "If I know aught of a lady, tis that they desire more in jewels and silks than all but the most dashing young Reachman. I don't say that Lady Alysanne would wish to bankrupt me for her wardrobe but if she must bear at least part of the costs from her own revenues, perhaps pride will reduce requests that I settle the bills of her tailors."
Stannis VII
Robert locked elbows with Stannis and the two men tilted their cups back, eyes locked on each other as they drained the contents. There were loud cheers from Stormland lords as the two bridegrooms finished their cups, unentangled their arms and slammed the mugs down, up-ended, on the table.
Stannis recalled practising this when they were boys and his brother had thought it rather jolly to accidentally belt Stannis in the face while doing this. Of course then they had been but boys and drinking filched ale, not strong apple-brandy. If it had happened this time it might have been a genuine accident.
"Good stuff," the King approved, returning to his chair between Stannis and Queen Alysanne. Taking his own seat, Stannis touched the wine flagon and gave his wife a questioning look. At her nod he refilled her goblet with the watered wine.
"Were the Rose Road in better repair we could have brought a second wagonload, your grace," Aemma said quietly.
Robert threw his head back and laughed. "To the point, are you not, my dear good-sister? I promise you that when the men and the dragons are available, the Roseroad and the Gold Road will get the same treatment as the Rosby Road and the Kingsroad. Next year should be possible unless winter comes."
"According to Prince Stark's house, winter is always coming," Alysanne reminded her new husband.
"Aye, it's a randy devil, winter." Stannis suspected Robert was winking but couldn't say with the king turned away. "While the weather permits, I shall build roads, will that be well enough for you? Now enough business, is there no music? This is a wedding feast!"
The minstrels struck up another tune, one good for the guests to pound the tables too.
"Come hear the song that the hammer sings on the armour of our enemies ,
A gift from the gods to the valiant king, what a glorious song the hammer sings."
Stannis noted Robert's foot tapping to the tune, no surprise with a song so blatantly calculated to pander to the King's ego. However, a glance away from his bride showed that Robert's smile was a trifle forced.
"Aren't you enjoying the feast?"
Robert set his jaw. "I find the prospect of the bedding custom a trifle less amusing now it's my lady, my queen, who will be the one stripped and carried by the men."
Beside him, Queen Alysanne studied her goblet. "My lord, no lady I know is pleased by the custom, but it is our duty and if we do not do ours..."
"Even a king cannot change custom?"
"Only very carefully and by small degrees," she agreed in a low voice. "As the Targaryens discovered more than once."
"And what do you think of the custom, brother?"
Stannis closed his eyes for a moment. And his fingers, possessively, upon Aemma's hand. "It is not my taste."
"Hmm." Robert sighed and shook his head. "Well, what a King may not, his brother may dare. My lady, shall we do our duty and... allow discretion by my brother and our good-sister?"
Stannis felt Aemma's hand close around his grip.
Robert pushed back his chair and then moved Alysanne's back so she could stand. The royal couple walked around the high table and the hall fell silent as they came to stand in the centre of the great chamber. The king used his free hand to signal to the King's Men at the doors to open them wide.
"My lords, knights and ladies, I thank you all for joining me on this very happy day!" he called out. "But the hour draws on and I have a lovely bride with whom I am eager to share the marriage bed." The pair carefully moved apart from each other, as if rehearsed, until only by stretching out their arms could they remain hand in hand. "And so I bid you all a good night and merry feasting."
Then there was a crude whoop from one of the younger knights and the feasters surged around the royal couple, men converging on the queen and women on Robert.
Stannis quietly moved his own chair back and then Aemma's. The attention of those remaining at the high table - Jon Arryn, Lomas Estermont and Olenna Tyrell along with others of their mature years - was largely upon the display in the centre of the hall. Only Olenna glanced aside at the two of them and then she sniffed disparagingly before looking back towards the king.
There was a small door to the rear of the great hall, leading to a stair that could be used to discreetly reach Maegor's Holdfast and Stannis' chamber, conveniently in the other direction from Robert's chambers in the White Sword Tower. As Stannis opened it, Ser Brynden Tully quietly moved up along with them and stood to screen them from view.
Looking back a moment, Stannis could see Gerion Lannister, Jorah Mormont and two other members of the Royal Guard pushing through the crowd around Robert and Alysanne, keeping grim and purposeful watch over them.
There was a familiar laugh, a startled cry from Alysanne and then Stannis saw the naked queen raised up above the crowd as an equally unclad Robert threw her over his shoulder and bounded away towards the door. "Aha!" he crowed. "She's mine, all mine!"
Stannis shook his head and went through the door, leaving it to Ser Brynden to close it behind them. Aemma touched his elbow and he automatically took her arm. Somehow he thought that the night to follow, while generally in the same purpose as his brother's, would also be very different. And perhaps that was not such a bad thing?
"My lady," he said to her quietly. "Mine."
Aemma reached up and took his chin with her free hand. "My lord. Mine."
They descended the stairway away from the noise and fuss of the hall on quick, some might say eager, feet.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
TheOneThatRead
TheOneThatRead Like it ? Add to library！
Like it ? Add to library！
Like it ? Add to library！
Like it ? Add to library！
Like it ? Add to library！
Like it ? Add to library！
Like it ? Add to library！
Like it ? Add to library！
Like it ? Add to library！
Like it ? Add to library！
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone