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Post by Maester Rhaegor on Jun 20, 2020 18:56:47 GMT 1
Laena breathes a little sigh of relief when her brother smiles at her. While he could be playing her, she deemed the risks minimal, and the gain potentially quite significant. "The who is simple: Lord Lothor Mullendore. A lord with extensive experience of that court, a generally good reputation, and the good judgement to turn down a position in the Tower of the Hand because it was our father who offered it. Meaning a man who actually has some principles, beyond the naked pursuit of power." She quirks a smile. "So, he has some novelty value there. "This means that there is an argument to be made that one could push for him 'for the good of the realm', so while the other 4 candidates will not be best pleased at our opposition to them, we are unlikely to be seen negatively by the general populace, even should we fail. Rhaegor gave a nod, his face riddled with calculation, "Lord Mullendore is an excellent choice. His reputation and close workings with Jon Hightower makes him an easy pill to swallow, and while he isn't a Hightower by name, he advised the previous lord admirably. No one could argue that he wouldn't run the House with only the best interests in mind, and it is unlikely that the populace would see anything but an honorable Lord stepping up to fill the shoes of a man he helped keep in them," He let out a soft huff, smiling, "I can only imagine that the other four will be forced to prove their worth, show how they are the 'best choice' because of their relations to Lord Jon; but, with Lord Mullendore's honest and dutiful reputation, it wont be easy to top," He smiled more, "And even harder to slander." Rhaegor raised his cup once more to Laena, "If only I came up with it myself, sweet sister. It isn't fair that you got *all* the brains and beauty out of our siblings," "That is not to say there are no risks. Indeed, to stand a chance, signficant risks will likely need to be taken. Which is where I would like to return to our prior subject." She lowers her voice. "Hightower vassals would get a say in the matter of the regency, including House Blackbar's regent. Lady Falyse is not a fool, and is likely as aware of the threat of Ser Rennifer as we are. So, if someone," she raises a querying eyebrow, "had the skills to cripple or worse the blackguard for his duel, someone else could approach the good Lady, to 'sell' that service, in exchange for her publicly supporting our choice of Hightower regent once we succeed, getting the man recognised as a challenger." She shrugs. "It may not work. She may decide the price is not worth the reward. But if so, we've lost nothing save the opportunity, and can retreat and re-plan." He paused, clicking his tongue softly, "Ser Rennifer is a beast of a man, and would certainly take a skilled swordsman to cripple him..." He whispered, "Though, I don't know of a man who could take him on in a fair fight. But if you are suggesting something more subtle," he matched her eyebrow raise, "I might know of a few fellows who could handle such a thing. But that means favors must be owed to others on our end, unless you can think of someone who would willingly stand up against the blaggard on the field," He shrugged, "Either way, approaching the young Lady is not a bad choice, and I certainly don't mind attending that meeting as a pair; two dragons are better than one," He smiled, "Did you have someone in mind who would face him, or are you suggesting the... less honorable route?"
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Post by Laena Pyre on Jun 20, 2020 20:12:33 GMT 1
Rhaegor raised his cup once more to Laena, "If only I came up with it myself, sweet sister. It isn't fair that you got *all* the brains and beauty out of our siblings," Laena smiles. "You flatter me. There are a few others I look up to on those grounds, such as the Seastar, who lives up to her reputation in person. But by all means, continue." She gives a half-smile, clearly amused. He paused, clicking his tongue softly, "Ser Rennifer is a beast of a man, and would certainly take a skilled swordsman to cripple him..." He whispered, "Though, I don't know of a man who could take him on in a fair fight. But if you are suggesting something more subtle," he matched her eyebrow raise, "I might know of a few fellows who could handle such a thing. But that means favors must be owed to others on our end, unless you can think of someone who would willingly stand up against the blaggard on the field," He shrugged, "Either way, approaching the young Lady is not a bad choice, and I certainly don't mind attending that meeting as a pair; two dragons are better than one," He smiled, "Did you have someone in mind who would face him, or are you suggesting the... less honorable route?" "I have no intention of betting on Ser Rennifer losing a fair fight, if I have a choice, since he's even beaten Blackfyre under such conditions. The ideal circumstance would be having something added to his drink one eve, and him not waking up the following morning. However, if it were that easy, I'm sure someone would have done it long before now. More realistic is some kind of sabotage of his equipment - though even that would be far from easy. "Regarding who to face him ... I don't know anyone who would *willingly* face that monster. Especially not anyone who hasn't travelled to the Riverlands. However ... I am friends with Lord Marq Durwell, who has his own beast of a champion. Who knows how that man leans in this matter, and even if he prefers Lady Falyse, it's highly unlikely he'd be willing to risk his champion's life over it. However, there is a *slim* possibility he'd be willing to do it to get me completely under his thumb, depending on how much he values my abilities. The annoying thing is that he'd probably be supportive of our goal - I believe he and Lord Mullendore are friends - but not only is there an old saying about three people and secrets, but also, should we succeed, and Lord Mullendore looks to be giving out rewards, who will he naturally see as most deserving, between a Lord he is friends with, a maester of a disliked house, and a ..." she struggles for a term for herself for a moment. "A lady errant? Regardless of how much work we actually did, we will be seen as having mere supporting roles. "Should he refuse - as he may well - I do have a backup plan, however that comes with great risks and complications, so I'd rather avoid that if possible. "All that is moot, however, if you have a better candidate?"
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Post by Maester Rhaegor on Jun 21, 2020 15:50:23 GMT 1
"I have no intention of betting on Ser Rennifer losing a fair fight, if I have a choice, since he's even beaten Blackfyre under such conditions. The ideal circumstance would be having something added to his drink one eve, and him not waking up the following morning. However, if it were that easy, I'm sure someone would have done it long before now. More realistic is some kind of sabotage of his equipment - though even that would be far from easy. Rhaegor nods, "I can handle the specifics of such things, dear sister. It will not be an easy task, true, but that does not mean that it will be impossible to do, surely." He tapped his lips for a moment, "In fact, I imagine that a maester checking the gear of the combatants, or perhaps offering refreshment to the participants, is hardly unheard of. I imagine that I could slip in and out without anyone batting their eye. And besides," He paused, smiling, "Its been a long while since I have had a chance to use my skills when my life is clearly on the line. I wouldn't go as myself, no, but there are plenty of Maesters in Oldtown, they can get lost in the background," "If you think we shouldn't risk it, of course, I have channels to people who could do it as good as I could... most likely," He gave a wider smile, sipping more from his drink. "Regarding who to face him ... I don't know anyone who would *willingly* face that monster. Especially not anyone who hasn't travelled to the Riverlands. However ... I am friends with Lord Marq Durwell, who has his own beast of a champion. Who knows how that man leans in this matter, and even if he prefers Lady Falyse, it's highly unlikely he'd be willing to risk his champion's life over it. However, there is a *slim* possibility he'd be willing to do it to get me completely under his thumb, depending on how much he values my abilities. The annoying thing is that he'd probably be supportive of our goal - I believe he and Lord Mullendore are friends - but not only is there an old saying about three people and secrets, but also, should we succeed, and Lord Mullendore looks to be giving out rewards, who will he naturally see as most deserving, between a Lord he is friends with, a maester of a disliked house, and a ..." she struggles for a term for herself for a moment. "A lady errant? Regardless of how much work we actually did, we will be seen as having mere supporting roles. "Should he refuse - as he may well - I do have a backup plan, however that comes with great risks and complications, so I'd rather avoid that if possible. "All that is moot, however, if you have a better candidate?" "Are you referring to Manfryd Grimm?" He raised an eyebrow before blowing out a long breath, "He, other than Owen Roxton, is the only fellow I believe could take Ser Rennifer in a fair fight. I thought about throwing the challenge at Ser Imry, for a bit of fun; that arrogant glory hound is as ambitious as he is foolish, and since I have yet to complete a job for him, the potential benefits of him losing is also tempting," he chuckled, "But there isn't a chance that he would win in a fair fight, not like Manfryd. "Not to mention, should he win, I imagine if the sabotage was be discovered, the Levalle's would be the first to receive the blame; and I would like to keep my House's name as far away from that danger as possible. Even if the reputation of 'disliked' is well earned, there is no reason to be that bold about it," Rhaegor frowned, "But the rest of your thought process is... troubling, to say the least. From your extrapolation, using Manfryd would leave you at the beck and call of Durwell, and potentially strip us of our power that we sought out in the first place, simply because Lord Durnwell's previous relation to our candidate? That is a major risk that I do not enjoy giving the time of day, especially if I am going to be risking my own livelihood," He shook his head, deep in thought, "I do support Manfryd as the strongest champion, but if his Lord begins to encroach on us and our goal because of it, then I-," he paused, turning to look at his sister for a good moment, analyzing. "When you say, 'completely under his thumb', that implies that you are already under it, in some way," Rhaegor tilted his head slightly, "Do you owe him something already? And if so, will you being under his thumb pose a problem?"
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Post by Laena Pyre on Jun 21, 2020 17:34:13 GMT 1
Rhaegor nods, "I can handle the specifics of such things, dear sister. It will not be an easy task, true, but that does not mean that it will be impossible to do, surely." He tapped his lips for a moment, "In fact, I imagine that a maester checking the gear of the combatants, or perhaps offering refreshment to the participants, is hardly unheard of. I imagine that I could slip in and out without anyone batting their eye. And besides," He paused, smiling, "Its been a long while since I have had a chance to use my skills when my life is clearly on the line. I wouldn't go as myself, no, but there are plenty of Maesters in Oldtown, they can get lost in the background," "If you think we shouldn't risk it, of course, I have channels to people who could do it as good as I could... most likely," He gave a wider smile, sipping more from his drink. "I do not presume to know your abilities better than you do, brother dear. If you believe you can accomplish it yourself, I see no reason to deny you the thrill, and the confidence that the job is done properly." "Are you referring to Manfryd Grimm?" "Indeed." She nods. Rhaegor frowned, "But the rest of your thought process is... troubling, to say the least. From your extrapolation, using Manfryd would leave you at the beck and call of Durwell, and potentially strip us of our power that we sought out in the first place, simply because Lord Durnwell's previous relation to our candidate? That is a major risk that I do not enjoy giving the time of day, especially if I am going to be risking my own livelihood," He shook his head, deep in thought, "I do support Manfryd as the strongest champion, but if his Lord begins to encroach on us and our goal because of it, then I-," he paused, turning to look at his sister for a good moment, analyzing. "When you say, 'completely under his thumb', that implies that you are already under it, in some way," Rhaegor tilted his head slightly, "Do you owe him something already? And if so, will you being under his thumb pose a problem?" She nods. "He helped me out with a nice little scheme for the Fossoways' ball, which, if successful, would have devastated Lady Maegelle Cordwayner's reputation - which, given that her son's lordship depends on her reputation, would have been a fairly devastating blow." She grinds her teeth. "Unfortunately, some lack-brained, knuckle-dragging brute decided to simply stab her, mildly inconveniencing her for a few weeks, and giving her a perfect alibi." She shakes her head. "Sorry, still aggravated over that whole affair." She puffs out a breath to calm down. "To answer your question, I dislike being that under anyone's thumb, but it is something I'll just have to suck up and deal with if we want to succeed. "As for encroachment, I think it's a risk we'll have to take. We will be the ones speaking with Lady Falyse, and she is who Lord Lothor will approach regarding her endorsement, so it is our names that will pass her lips." She taps her fingers in the air in thought. "I think we can manage this by playing on his puppet-master urges - he's not one for working visibly. If I play up the dangers - hardly insignificant in truth - and present myself as a buffer between him and any significant blow-back should things go badly, I think he'll be content to keep a 'safe distance'. "Though that does make me think: if you're going to be doing .. questionable activities yourself, perhaps it is best if you don't join with me to meet with Lady Falyse. Getting her name mixed up in things should they not go to plan - and when do things ever go completely to plan? - could likely undo all our hard work. Better to not risk it. Besides, we dragon's attract attention exponentially. The more of us there are in one place, the more notice is paid to it. Better to keep our play quiet for now. Once people become aware of our plot, they may well instigate counter-plots in response. The longer it takes before that happens, the better for us."
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Post by Maester Rhaegor on Jun 21, 2020 18:26:40 GMT 1
"I do not presume to know your abilities better than you do, brother dear. If you believe you can accomplish it yourself, I see no reason to deny you the thrill, and the confidence that the job is done properly." He gave a slight bow, "You are as generous as you are beautiful, sister. Ive been craving a thrill for quite some time," She nods. "He helped me out with a nice little scheme for the Fossoways' ball, which, if successful, would have devastated Lady Maegelle Cordwayner's reputation - which, given that her son's lordship depends on her reputation, would have been a fairly devastating blow." She grinds her teeth. "Unfortunately, some lack-brained, knuckle-dragging brute decided to simply stab her, mildly inconveniencing her for a few weeks, and giving her a perfect alibi." She shakes her head. "Sorry, still aggravated over that whole affair." ALWHI: Deception (Bluff) For Rp: 6d6k4+4 21Rhaegor barely batted an eye at her statement, and chose not to draw attention to it further. Suspicion was not something he wanted to instill in his sister, especially since he was the 'lack-brained, knuckle-dragging brute' she described. If he was aware of her plans, maybe he wouldn't have done what he did. But the coin was paid, and the consequences of that were larger than he considered. Best to just let her get her anger out in sympathetic silence. She puffs out a breath to calm down. "To answer your question, I dislike being that under anyone's thumb, but it is something I'll just have to suck up and deal with if we want to succeed. "As for encroachment, I think it's a risk we'll have to take. We will be the ones speaking with Lady Falyse, and she is who Lord Lothor will approach regarding her endorsement, so it is our names that will pass her lips." She taps her fingers in the air in thought. "I think we can manage this by playing on his puppet-master urges - he's not one for working visibly. If I play up the dangers - hardly insignificant in truth - and present myself as a buffer between him and any significant blow-back should things go badly, I think he'll be content to keep a 'safe distance'. "Though that does make me think: if you're going to be doing .. questionable activities yourself, perhaps it is best if you don't join with me to meet with Lady Falyse. Getting her name mixed up in things should they not go to plan - and when do things ever go completely to plan? - could likely undo all our hard work. Better to not risk it. Besides, we dragon's attract attention exponentially. The more of us there are in one place, the more notice is paid to it. Better to keep our play quiet for now. Once people become aware of our plot, they may well instigate counter-plots in response. The longer it takes before that happens, the better for us." His eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at his sister. At one moment, it appeared that he was going to be gaining an asset should everything go as planned. Political influence from two separate houses was not something to be taken lightly, especially since one of those happened to be the Hightowers. But at the mention of him *not* meeting with Lady Falyse, he felt that power slowly slip through his fingers. If he didn't meet with her, it meant that everything would rely on his sister's ability to mediate the plot, and he would take a backseat to that power should they succeed. But she was right. Suspicion and the chance of failure on his part could undo all what they are planning for. His nails dug into his palm on his left hand as his nostrils flared ever so slightly. "If you can handle Durnwell, and get him to stake his man, then the risk is certainly worth the reward. However," he paused, "The idea that I will not also be meeting with the her, while certainly safer, sounds like you can take all the credit for yourself. Now, I don't think you would do that to me, sister," He raised a finger, "But how do you propose we both will reap what we'll sow if your face is the only one she sees? Your voice is the only one she hears? It is very difficult to know someone is your friend without meeting them first, is it not?" He took a deep breath, "I understand the concern, but from my perspective, the risk doesn't outweigh the reward." He sighed the rest of his air out, "Though, I suppose since I trust in you, dear sister," Rhaegor stared into his sisters eyes, the purple hue of his iris prominent, "If we meet with her together, *after* your meeting with her where you get her to agree to our term, and after she wins the regency, then everything will fall into place where it should," It wasn't his favorite solution, not by any stretch of the word, but it was the most sensible, and would provide more time for their plot to come to fruition.
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Post by Laena Pyre on Jun 21, 2020 19:15:37 GMT 1
It takes just a moment for Laena to nod agreement. "I see no issue with that proposal. Once she's regent, it'll be too late for others to interfere, even if they do figure out what's going on.
"So, to summarise the plan, so we both know what we're doing: Firstly, I meet with Lady Falyse, and try to 'sell' her a solution to the Lord Eldon problem. If she sees the price as too high for the gain, then we meet back up, and come up with a new plan, no worse off than we were before.
"If she says 'yes', then you start scouting out Ser Rennifer, and aquire whatever you need for your part. Meanwhile, I speak with Lord Marq, and try and convince him to put forward his champion. If I fail there, we can discuss my backup plan.
"Come just before the duel, you will discreetly tilt the odds as best you can manage and escape safely.
"If all that works as planned, hopefully Ser Rennifer loses, Lady Falyse becomes regent, and I introduce the two of you, so she knows who her friends are.
"Then she puts Lord Lothor on the board, and our game begins in earnest."
Her eyes move about as she mentally looks over the plan. "I think that's the main points. Thoughts, suggestions, corrections?"
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Post by Maester Rhaegor on Jun 23, 2020 17:04:08 GMT 1
"No corrections on my end," Rhaegor finished the last bit of wine in his glass, placing it down, "You have a lot of people to meet and discuss with, sister. Do try to keep me in the loop as best you can; I will do the same,"
"In the meantime, I will do what I can to sway things more into Lady Falyse's favor. She needs as many votes as she can get, and I will do what I can to get them for her." He smiled, and gave a small bow, "Unless you have anything more to discuss, I better let you go. You have fate to outwit here, and I would hate to stop a dragon from more gold,"
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Post by Laena Pyre on Jun 23, 2020 17:52:23 GMT 1
Laena holds up a hand. "Ah, wait, brother. Wait for a bit on supporting Lady Falyse. Strange as it sounds on the surface, given our goal, doing it before I meet with her could harm our interests. After all, if she feels she can win even if Lord Eldon's champion wins, our leverage diminishes to nothing. By my ear, things are relatively even so far, which is ideal for our purposes. I would not underestimate your competence, and risk having you convince her she's gaining the momentum.
"By all means, lay the groundwork, ready to act once I have her agreement. But give me time to meet with her first. I'll message you with the outcome when I'm ready."
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Post by Maester Rhaegor on Jun 30, 2020 16:58:07 GMT 1
Rhaegor opened his mouth to say something, before closing it and giving a nod, "Understood. I will wait for your confirmation before she sees any more votes cast in her favor."
"I suppose I will just work on my own goals then, and see about crafting that knife that we once discussed while I wait. But don't keep me waiting too long; the sooner I can start, the more I can do," He started to walk away, but paused to look over his shoulder at his sister, "Until I see you again, stay safe, sweet sister. I would hate to conquer the Reach without you."
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Post by Laena Pyre on Jul 1, 2020 23:49:25 GMT 1
"You too, brother. It is nice having someone competent alongside me. I would hate to lose that."
[/scene]
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