章節 102: Told you so
After the meeting in the Great Hall only the King, four Wardens, Lord Hand - Jon Arryn, Master-of-Ships Stannis Baratheon, Lord Tully and young Renly Baratheon went inside the side chamber to continue the talks.
Brendan almost laughed aloud when poor Mace Tyrell was stopped at the door by Lady Olenna Tyrell with words that the grown ups will talk now.
Poor man looked at the young Renly before looking back at her only to finally be pushed outside by his own mother.
'Truly the Queen of Thorns' Lord Dustin thought smiling.
He was just about to go out back to his tent to rest and recuperate, and spend some time with his friends when he was stopped at the exit.
Seeing one of their own stopped, the heads of the houses looked at the white cloaked man cautiously.
"Lord Dustin" the man was polite and didn't display any of the usual King's Guards superiority. "Lord Umber, Lord Karstark, Lady Maege, Lord Mormont." he welcomed the older Lords that showed some protective instincts for the boy that stood at their back.
They all felt this child, and truthfully any other in the alliance was like one of their own.
It wasn't even surprising anymore when the second generation referred to them as "uncle" or "aunt" when in trusted company.
Unbeknown to everyone, they came to such a tight relationship that they subconsciously disregarded the rewards as a member of the tight knitted group and enjoyed the side benefits it brought.
"Ser Barristan." they nodded at the man but still stayed on guard.
"Lord Hand asked for Lord Dustin to wait."
Brendan wasn't really surprised, after all he was the richest Lord in Westeros.
"Then we will all wait." Brendan's uncle that was with him at the lead groups back crosses his arms on his chest and watched.
"It's unnecessary uncle, my Lords." Brendan decisively looked at the guard. "I'm sure Ser Barristan will be more than enough to protect me here, besides, I still have them." he pointed at his wolves that just looked at the side.
After exchanging some words the rest of the group left leaving him with Barristan the Bold.
"Uncle Mors... you too..." Brendan looked at one of his favorite Umber one eyed man while whispering, and smiled at the grumpy man's antics as he walked away.
Since he lost his daughter the man was overprotective to each one of the children in the alliance every time they met.
Since it was already the evening, there were servants walking around the Great Hall lighting up the candles around them.
"Ser Barristan you know that you can sit with me right?" Brendan stretched his legs to take off some pressure from his hurting back, the shooting pain visible on his face.
"I'm sorry, I'm still on duty Lord Dustin, but thank you for the kind proposition." the knight smiled, secretly happy at the boy's caring thought.
"Ser Barristan you're a good man, but that stiff rule-following attitude will bring you to your doom sooner or later." Brendan furrowed his brows and said.
Not knowing how to reply, and hesitating if his first impression of the boy was correct Barristan wanted to refute, unfortunately before he formulated his thoughts Brendan continued.
"I mean no disrespect Ser Barristan, you're the second best knight in the kingdom after all."
"Second best?" The older knight had to admit his pride was hurt a bit "Only Ser Dayne was my rival before, finding a new one is tough" the man sighed reminiscing the old days.
"Haha don't look at me like that. One day you will know what I mean, for now, it's for me to know and for you to think about!" Brendan laughed innocently "But truthfully, why do you still stay as a White cloak even now this I can not understand? You surely must know the order lost it's meaning when you kept a kingslayer in your ranks. Now you have a coward and an idiot, thief, money grabbing sellout, child rapist and murderer and all that. They should take the Black and not stand at King's side." Brendan offhandedly said and again stretched his body.
Barristan wanted to refute the boy, but being the Lord Commander of the order he knew his men better than anyone else, surprisingly he wasn't even angry at the child's words.
"I don't have anything else left..." the sad and self blaming look annoyed Brendan.
"Like hell you don't. You still have your honor and pride... for now at least, and you will always have a place at my table if you wish to end this farce. Who knows, maybe you will even find a reason to live again." Brendan mysteriously said thinking about one purple eyes beauty.
Barristan didn't take the boy's words to heart. He lived by the sword and would die by it as well. Loving only one woman in your life can do that to a man.
When the knight was still reflecting about his life and remembering Ashara, the side chamber doors opened and the two King Guards at the doors moved to the side.
Renly came out with Jon Arryn.
As the boy walked away to his men waiting at the other side of the Hall, Jon looked at Ser Barristan and Brendan at the opposite end.
Smiling he nodded at the old knight signaling that the time has come.
Brendan could easily figure out what was going on, so he stood and walked up slowly to the opened door.
The two White cloaks got nervous just like Ser Barristan did at the beginning when Brendan and the wolves got closer.
"Lord Dustin, please join us." Jon pleasantly invited the boy inside with a slight stiffness in his voice, trying to keep his cool when the last wolf went pass him.
Inside Brendan saw a table full of maps and the Wardens and the rest, with the King next to it.
Robert stood with a wine cup in one hand and watched the mysterious boy with his keen sight, judging his every move.
Even the King had to admit that the child was more experienced than his age normally allowed one to be.
Confident step, no unnecessary movement, one hand always close to the sword, and what a sword it was!
Total opposite of his oldest, spoiler brat Joffrey.
Robert was never one for swords, he preferred hammers, but he still could recognize Valyrian steel without a problem, and the boy had two weapons that he could see from the rare metal on each of his sides.
He wasn't too interested in them, but the dragon shaped handle somehow made him annoyed.
"Your Grace." he was brought out from his thoughts by the newcomer.
"Do you always take the beasts anywhere you go?" Robert's annoyance seeped into his words unwillingly.
"They are more loyal than humans will ever be your Grace." Brendan was thinking if he should stick a dagger in the fat man's eye for a second, but his face just had a calm smile.
"That they are." the King just scoffed and looked back at the map.
Brendan gazed at the gathered men, some, like Ned, Tully and Lady Olenna smiled at him.
Well, in case of the last it was more like a smirk.
Some, like Stannis, Tywin and Jon looked at the boy seriously, hiding their thoughts.
The problem was, Brendan didn't give a fuck.
He moved to the table and supported his body weight trying to find a good position to mitigate the back pain and waited for the King to speak while showing as much respect as was possible in his situation.
"Sit down for the Seven sake, how low did the kingdom fall for a boy to fight our wars!" Seeing an indication of humanity from King Robert, even Brendan was surprised.
"What can I do for you your Grace?" He didn't like to beat around the bushes so asking directly was the best he could do at this instant.
Robert meet Jon's gaze and nodded making the man bring a parchment to the Dustin House head.
Curiously Brendan slowly unfolded the document and read everything taking his sweet time while doing so without interruption from anyone.
The gathered people observed the boy, only to be disappointed when his face didn't show any reaction.
"So let me confirm with your Grace and all the Lords here..." he glanced at Olenna while his cold voice was barely heard "and Lady." and shifting his eyes at the now sitting in front of him people. "House Dustin is to provide the supplies for the whole army and the rest of the kingdom rebuild effort, include it's navy forces in the Master-of-Ships command, and use our spy networks and gold to support the war effort?" saying the last part he wanted to burst out laughing at the demands.
"That's what expected of you Lord Dustin." Jon Arryn knew the demands were overbearing, but from the looks of it, the boy would cave it.
"Haha, yeah... No." Brendan's momentary laugh showed everyone his intake at the subject.
"Boy... that's the King's order." Robert said gritting his teeth. Who heard about King asking!? The King would take what he wanted to take.l as was his right.
"Your Grace, I do understand the need for it, but I expect adequate pay. Yet what you're asking me to do is simply donate our grain and every other food and armour among long list of other things. That I will simply not do." Brendan shook his head and threw the parchment at the table.
Seeing his friend Robert almost fuming at the blunt rejection Ned opened his mouth.
"The Kingdom needs your effort Lord Dustin, it will not be forgotten." Lord Stark tried to push his nephew in the direction they needed him to go.
"I understand my Lord, but the state of the Kingdom is not for me to manage or think about, but for the King." The boy respectfully bowed his head to Robert.
As no one payed any attention, the little smirk on Lady Olenna face came and went unnoticed.
"You will reject your King when he asked you to do your part?" Lord Tully wasn't happy as the longer they talked, the more of his lands were ravaged, which proportionally impacted his own coffers.
"Our part Lord Tully? Did you not see the price the North already payed for protecting your land in his Grace's name? Didn't you hear our wounded men and women creaming from their wounds while you strolled inside Seagard after the battle was already done and over with? How is it that sons and daughters of the North made war with Ironborn before Riverlands, that are closest to the enemy did... We payed a lot Lord Tully, we payed enough." the temperature dropped instantly.
Seeing two men glare at each other, and hearing the boy talk should make most of them embarrassed and maybe it did, but no one showed it.
In the corner of the room Barristan again looked at the boy, the change in the child demeanor was a pleasant surprise for the knight. 'Not bad... not bad at all...' he thought and enjoyed the show.
"Your Grace, House Dustin doesn't mind helping, we just expect our efforts to be compensated. If not, then I assume that Lord Lannister will use his gold, weapons and armour to pay and supply for the army and Kingdom expenses right? Or Lady Olenna from House Tyrell to empty the Reach granaries, cattle as well right?" Brendan turned his head to Lord Arryn. "The Vale can do the same and even more with its products, same for the Riverlands, they still have their grain and the medical herbs, the same for your House's Stormlands your Grace. Not mentioning that my people would be responsible for healing the wounded using our own supplies..."
Brendan wouldn't compromise even a bit in the subject.
"Told you so..." the triumphant voice of Lady Olenna reached everyone's ears and when they looked at her, somehow that smug smile pissed them off even more.
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