บท 16: New position I
(Jon Arryn POV)
I am sitting at my desk in the Red Keep, the room which belongs to the Hand of the King, in front of the letter sent by one of my spies. I am already prepared for the feast tonight, the wedding of Robert and Cersei Lannister. The war against the Targaryens was won. It took over a year to get to this point. From the moment I held the letter of Aerys in my hand, to this one, I never imagined that it would go this easy. The war was by no means a simple affair, but it was rather easy thinking back to it. There were so many things that could have gone wrong and yet they didn't. Many factors are responsible for this, but one stands out amongst the rest.
Petyr Baelish
The young Lord of House Baelish, barely 17 name days old and has already accomplished what many old knights and Lords couldn't hope to say. Born into the smallest of houses in the Vale, on the smallest of the Fingers. Sent to Riverrun to be fostered under Hoster Tully. Bullied by Edmure Tully for his short stature and weakness, spent all his time with the Tully sisters. He behaved like a fool during his time there and challenged the tall and strong Brandon Stark, an heir to a most ancient and noble House of the North. He refused to give up and was punished for it. And then, as if it couldn't get any worse, he was kicked out of Riverrun by Lord Hoster and had to go home on his own.
And then everything changed. He was lucky and managed to acquire a ship. He was smart enough to realise his talent in trading and being a merchant. Found new contacts in Braavos and managed to improve his own ship to fend off Pirates and protect his cargo. He gained more and more money and instead of enjoying his life, he started to improve Baelish Keep with it. Through clever investments, Petyr was never truly rich with many coins, but he had a lot of things to show for his wealth.
And now ... now he has one of the most impressive castles in Westeros, despite it not being the largest. It is nearly perfectly defended and the materials used are expensive. No one knows how the boy managed to do it. But the biggest accomplishment is the Harbour that spawned out of seemingly nowhere and is now without a doubt the largest one, holding the largest ships. His navy, while not the biggest with the most numerous ships, definitely holds the biggest and most powerful vessels. That strange new weapon he uses to attack other ships, that strange harpoon ...
*Sigh*
Something has to be done.
After we had secured King's Landing, I had written a letter to Petyr, expressing my and everyone's gratitude. I told him that we needed more people like him, who were willing to do the right thing when times were as hard as they were. I added more flattery and then asked him to create some ships for House Arryn so that we could use his port and have a separate place at his Harbour designated to House Arryn.
... his response was quite sharp.
___
Dear Lord Arryn
I am deeply honoured that you would write me such a nice letter and flatter me to this extent. Please know that my ego was caressed, thank you.
Your request for ships and a chunk of my harbour was noted. I would like to ask you whether you question my prowess of deduction? Do you think that my rise to success was a mere fluke? That my age is something to take into account when writing to me?
My harbour is my own and will stay that way. Should you require a harbour for House Arryn, you may ask another House for land at the sea. Your attempts to acquire my weaponry and ships are amusing and honour me, but I simply must refuse. They are a trade secret of House Baelish, I'm afraid.
We are happy to sail you wherever you wish though. Just check about our prices for transport with my workers.
With love
Lord Petyr Baelish, Lord of House Baelish, etc
____
It was a blow, a hard one. Not only did he realise my true intentions, but he also made me look like a fool. He holds no respect for me or House Arryn and my position as Warden of the Vale. Despite his words being respectful, I know that he is making fun of me and laughing behind my back. I think that he will be a bigger problem than I realised.
He has been a tremendous help during the war and I can't forget that. I am honour-bound to reward him as such, but I am also honour-bound to serve as Hand of the King. And the King is now Robert Baratheon. I can tell that nothing I will offer or even threaten will impress Petyr. I will need something more. A King perhaps.
Yes, that might work. I could ask Robert after the wedding and the time for celebration has passed. I do hope that he will set down the wine glass and take up his duty as King of the 7 Kingdoms. But of that, I do not worry. I fostered both him and Ned. And while Ned was more docile, I know that Robert is a good man and will do well with my help at his side.
.
.
(Tywin Lannister POV)
Thinking back on the war that will be known as Robert's Rebellion, gives me mixed feelings. On one hand, there is nothing more satisfying when you turn out as one of the winners, without doing much of anything. House Lannister didn't waste tons of resources or men to help bring victory. Instead, I used my head and with only that, managed to secure the final victory for Robert Baratheon. It was me, Tywin Lannister who handed the city of King's Landing to Robert and his entourage. With one clever move, I made sure to be counted as one of them, dodging repercussions and penalties that would surely come to the other loyalists and also creating a debt for Robert and Jon Arryn to pay. This debt is about to be paid.
The wedding of Cersei, my daughter to Robert the future king of the 7 Kingdoms. This had always been my plan, to marry Cersei to the King or Crown Prince. Now, Aerys' slights turned into weakness on his part and it allows me to marry Cersei to the King. Looking back on it now, this is a definite win for House Lannister.
Aerys grew fearful that I would finally 'punish' him for all his humiliations, join Robert Baratheon's forces and rise against him. He thought himself clever and kept Jaime very close as if warning me. He sunk deeper and deeper into delusion, paranoia and violence. Convinced that he had enemies all around him, he wouldn't allow blades to come close to him, save for those of his Kingsguard. Alas, that proved to be his undoing.
The raven arrived with the news. The Battle of the Trident happened. Rhaegar Targaryen lay dead on the banks of the Trident. His royal army shattered and in retreat. The days of the Dragon Kings were clearly numbered. Until that moment it would have been foolish to commit Casterly Rock to either the crown or the rebellion. What would our family have to gain in supporting a raving madman or in entering a crusade to put Robert Baratheon on the Iron Throne?
But chaos benefits no one.
It was time for House Lannister to do what it could to ensure a return of peace and prosperity to the land. I brought 10'000 Lannister troops to the gates of King's Landing. In order to bring the bloodshed to a quick and decisive conclusion. King Aerys had been sending ravens for moons, begging for my support to end the uprising. In a way, his pleas had been answered. As I had suspected and thanks to the smart words of a loyal man, Aerys opened the city gates and welcomed my men. Our plan was clear. Crush Aerys' remaining bannermen and remove the remnants of the royal family as quickly and efficiently as possible. Any alternative meant years of further war and a fragmented 7 Kingdoms.
Our means were bloody, but the results speak for themselves.
As for Aerys, it is true he met his fate at the hands of Jaime. Keeping him close during the rebellion was his own undoing. He thought himself clever in keeping him hostage and had to pay the price. For when the time came, Jaime did his duty as a Lannister and drove his sword into the Mad King's back. With that, Robert Baratheon's crown was secured.
.
All of this leads us to this moment right here. I watch as the procession takes place and both Robert and Cersei pledge themselves to one another. With this, the future of House Lannister as Kings and rulers of the 7 Kingdoms, while also controlling the Westerlands and Casterly Rock, is secured. Despite the nature of this world, where anything could happen, one will always think twice before betraying a Lannister.
After the vows, comes the customary feast. The one thing that everyone has been waiting for. I observe our new King, Robert Baratheon. He is a strong man. Tall and full of spirit. But right now, he also looks lost and defeated for some reason. I don't like that look at his wedding feast. He seems to drink wine like it is a cure for a disease instead of a delicacy. Drowning it like he wishes to get drunk as fast as possible. His little puppy, the girl Stark apparently died at the Tower of Joy, no less. The irony is not lost on me. Fool, thinking about a girl, when he has the most beautiful woman as a bride. He will forget all about her after the night, I'm sure.
My gaze travels across the tables and through the hall. There are many faces I know and who are well known. The Tyrells managed to get into the King's or more like Jon Arryn's good graces. Their 'punishment' was light all things considered. They nearly starved the entirety of Storm's End after all and Stannis Baratheon, the King's brother was there. This decision to allow the Tyrells to attend the wedding is definitely coming from Jon Arryn and not the king. I may be wrong on this account though. Looking at Stannis Baratheon, who has put on a bit of weight again, I see no love between him and his elder brother. Stannis Baratheon held his castle formidably. He would have died, starved had it not been for the young sensation that has all of the 7 Kingdoms wondering.
I move on from Stannis to the boy in question. Lord Petyr Baelish. Born in the Vale on the smallest of the Fingers on what is called, Baelish Keep. The House was so small, that I didn't even know it existed until a year ago.
I watch as the boy in question eats his food slowly. He also looks around the room quietly and undisturbed by teh shouting and laughter going on around him. I see his calculative gaze, that travels over each person with ease. His clothes, while formal and on the expensive side, are not overly flashy. He doesn't showcase his newly acquired wealth and power. He takes note of everyone and occasionally says one or two words to the man and woman sitting next to him.
Interesting. A boy at his age, with his wealth would flaunt his money for all to see. Those are the stupid ones and are usually those who lose their money rather quickly. They are irrelevant in the grand scheme of things and only colour the tapestry for a short while. But he is different. I can see his boredom and the annoyance he feels while talking to his neighbour. I don't really see it, he is in full control of himself, but I know it to be true.
The reason for that is because I wear the same face most of the time. The collected, select look speaks of confidence and knowledge of superiority. He knows that he is one of the smartest men in the room, but doesn't feel the need to show it or boast about it. His achievements allow bragging. And yet he seems to keep talks with all Lords and Ladies very short.
This man is a player it would seem. And yet, he doesn't act like one. His wealth and his fleet would put him in the perfect position to marry a high-born girl and yet ... he is not interested at all. This is a waste of time for him.
Fascinating indeed. I will keep watch on him for sure. This will take an interesting turn no doubt. Maybe, House Baelish would be interested in doing business with House Lannister.
_____________________
I know there are those among you who can't appreciate an MC who doesn't need to be in the limelight, bashing in heads and cursing everyone. But this MC knows how to play the long game. He likes to control like a puppeteer and not like a brutish King.
He is like an AI computer playing chess against a human. He could crush his opponents with force, but it is more fun to manipulate the game in the direction he wants and then win either way.
If you dont' like that, then that is your right to feel that way. Just as it is my right to write an MC like this.
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