[Phase 2] The bearer of bad news [Roland]

Roland held tight to his betrothed, oblivious to what had transpired at Hammerhal.

"After Highgarden, we can face any sorrow together."

He raised his left hand to her head in a protective gesture, as yet ignorant of the fact that those in need of protection needed it far away and long ago.

Never the sharpest blade in the armoury, Roland began to catch on. His left hand still cradled Alicent's head, but now he looked in to her eyes imploringly.

"News travels slowly to Kingsbridge my lady, I beg you to tell me what sorrow see fit to ride with my betrothed instead of on a raven's back."

"Is my niece safe? Is all well with my family?"

Trepidation seemed to have rapidly built an unexpected lump in his throat.

Briefly he tore his gaze from Alicent's.

Pointlessly, uselessly he looked off in the direction of Hammerhal, countless leagues beyond sight.

Roland drew Alicent's much smaller hands to his heart for comfort.

"Seven be kind, he was not yet old and in good health last I saw him."

"How did he pass?"

Highgarden's harrowing experiences may have brought him his betrothal to Alicent, but they had also burned away Roland's naivety. In particular, they had taught him to distrust his sister by marriage and his bastard brother.

Doubtless that conniving pair have robbed me of my brother, just as we were growing close once more.

Roland removed his right hand from Alicent's, but kept his left over his heart alongside hers.

He shook his head.

"Ilyn always preferred chicken breast," there was almost a child-like, petulant tone to his words. While still but a page, Roland remembered a squire jesting that Ilyn liked his meat as bland as he was. He also remembered giving the older lad a black eye, even if the squire and his friends had chased him all over Hammeral for it. Gone, along with my brother.

Truth be told, even if Ilyn's palette had changed with age it mattered little. Roland was suspicious of his sister by marriage and bastard brother and assumed the worst.

"I cannot, will not believe I lost my brother in such a fashion. I suspect my sister by marriage had some part in this, or my bastard brother. He effectively named my brother a cuckold and my nephew a bastard with his cowardice when dueling Lord Levalle's man at Highgarden."

Briefly remembering his courtesies, he attempted to quell any concerns Alicent had.

"This is sorrowful news indeed and I curse that you are the one to bear it, but I no more blame you for carrying it than I would a raven."

Why had no raven been sent to Kingsbridge? Doubtless Maegelle means to consolidate Normyn's bastard son at my family's seat before I heard the news. A bastard born of a bastard must not lead our house. Precedent and tradition were reinforced at Highgarden.

As ever, Alicent's presence helps his mood a little, despite the grim circumstances. He touches her hair lightly with his right hand.

"I prefer this messenger's plumage, at the very least."

Roland shook his head once more.

"Such words are an encouragement and a commendation to meeker sorts that are still bold enough to make the effort. But a true man, a knight, should defend his words with his body. My bastard brother surrendered with barely a scrape or wound during a duel he himself had instigated. He knew his cause was false."

"Both the manner of a duel and its outcome speak to the truth of the matter. Elsewise the mere act of an knight volunteering for a trial by combat would be enough to vouch for his side, rendering the combat and a key Andal tradition pointless."

He paused.

"Together we have only just delivered you from strife, so it is with a heavy heart that I set myself on the inquisitor's path. Duty demands I investigate my brother's death."

"Even the very fact that your greeting to me came as news rather than condolence speaks volumes. There was no bird from Hammerhal and for good reason. My sister by marriage and bastard brother mean to consolidate their hold on my family seat."

"He should not have issued a challenge he would not stand behind. It was not simply a matter of his honour - he put House Cordwayner's history, its reputation, its very bloodline at stake and then cast it aside without taking an injury or wound worth the name."

"I care not how unfairly the odds were stacked against me - men have seen that I will allow the Seven's will to prevail whether it is on your behalf against Ser Rennifer or against Ser Sandor Daverhyl on behalf of my friend Ser Titus and Septon Abelar. With my lineage's history and future at stake they would have had to carry me from the field."

"However, I believe we make the same point here my love - how a man conducts himself tells us something of his deeds and worth, not just his victory. In this both Ser Rennifer and Ser Normyn proved themselves wanting, even though one carried the field and the other quit it too soon."

"I am no stranger to service, to being a 'spare' and if need be I shall return to being such until my nephew is wedded and produces an heir. But I will not see House Cordwayner shamed and a bastard's bastard rule my family's hall. I shall investigate my brother's death, and if foul play has taken place then I shall drive off those who have wronged my family."

"I was naive and trusting before Highgarden, but the horrors there have burned away much of my trust. For now I trust my sword, my armour and my love."

"My bastard's brother's rapid acknowledgement of his sins in his duel. My sister by marriage sabotaging my correspondence with my niece. No raven flying to Kingsbridge. In these things and countless others have my false family made there intentions clear. Mayhaps I am too quick too suspicion now having been too fast to trust in the past, but for the moment I must investigate my brother's passing. I must do this for Ilyn."

And for myself?

A man had to sometimes give way in a skirmish to seize better ground elsewhere, so Roland nodded at Alicent's admonishment without giving voice to outright agreement or swearing as to his future behaviour.

Keenly but ineptly might have been the honest answer to her question before the Black Tourney, but Roland had enjoyed unexpected success in unpicking mysteries at Highgarden and beyond. He flattered himself that the answer might even be "keenly and moderately competently", even if no one was likely to confuse him for Bloodraven when it came to playing spymaster. But mere competence might not prove enough in the face of years of Maegelle's machinations.

"Witnesses and testimony from men of character. There are two issues at stake here - the parentage of Ser Quentin and Denyse and my brothers passing. There may be some who know of both matters or merely one. This may be a war for House Cordwayner's past, present and future, and in military matters it is best to have multiple routes to success rather than staking your fortunes on a single stroke."

"Firstly, I have already investigated the character and reputation of Ser Orton Ambrose, who men say names my niece and nephew bastards. All concur that he is a solid and respectable sort. Lady Maegelle drove too many of his kind from Hammerhal. Septon Abelar has offered to intercede with him and to verify whether or not he speaks the truth. I trust him in this matter, but if he is indisposed perhaps it is a matter we could rectify? I had preferred to avoid muddying the waters here, for my own passions may influence me on the subject, and even were I pure other men may misjudge and believe me guided by ambition rather than honour."

"Secondly, I am no scholar, but House Cordwayner is much storied and well recorded. The house favours my colouring and my late brother's. I had oft thought fondly of my niece and nephew's hair, recalling as it did my mother's. Now it prompts doubts from me and many others. Such is not enough alone, but if a maester of learning and good reputation offered his voice doubtless this would add to the evidence of Ser Orton's testimony and Ser Normyn's defeat."

"Thirdly, if dark deeds have been done men and women of character will not be able to bear such for long. I speak here of my brother's passing, rather than my family's inheritance. I doubt I am welcome at Hammerhal, but with the right probing at the margins some men and women from my family's keep may come forth to offer up the truth. If there were sounds of a struggle, if the body was covered or rushed then someone, will know, must know. My sister my marriage has been denounced by the faith, and the righteous fires of the Seven may drive some to speak up. I shall think on this element, but confess I have more the broad strategy of this element in mind so far rather than the tactical specifics."

Servants were ideal sources of such knowledge, but a man of Roland's breeding and temperament risked overlooking them and focusing on pages, squires and ladies in waiting instead.

Roland dropped his free hand from Alicent's head to instead worry at his Seven pointed star necklace.