|
Post by Father on Aug 24, 2021 19:00:28 GMT 1
"If one's desire is to erode and destroy Longtable's political reach, preventing that marriage would be where I would start." Lord Reynald muses, thinking it over, as if he has no plan at all. "One might imagine that Lady Tanda would be quite cooperative, maybe she requires assistance to seek sanctuary with The Seven and take holy vows? Mayhaps she might grant her favor to a Knight of Kingsbridge who proceeds to challenge and defeat the Knights of Longtable?"
"That last part may be amusing, but perhaps not effective beyond angering him."
|
|
|
Post by Daeron Wildfyre on Aug 29, 2021 0:37:02 GMT 1
Daeron gives a half-frown. He was all for diminishing Lord Eldon’s power, but he had no desire to make an enemy with Lord Gormon whose reach and wrath were equally deadly.
“Lord Peake and I are on good terms, but he hardly lets me near his niece, I doubt that I’d have easy access to his daughter. Removing Lady Tanda from Starpike would be about as easy as rescuing Lady Mya from Longtable.
Perhaps our answer involves convincing Lord Gormon himself to break off the marriage. I have no doubt in my mind that he would happily turn on Lord Eldon if given a workable escape from the situation. As you said, deflecting Longtable’s wrath towards another party might be our solution here. House Rowan, for example, is strong enough to resist the efforts of Lord Merryweather, but not so mighty that he wouldn’t dare to target them.”
|
|
|
Post by Father on Sept 5, 2021 15:12:26 GMT 1
"Simple conversation and wooing are not exactly the same thing" Lord Florent notes as to speaking to Tanda. "And Lord Gormon breaking off the marriage would piss of Lord Eldon for a certainty, if Starpike believed it would be easy to kill him and their involvement would be safely hidden, I can imagine that he would have done it to escape the marriage, unless he wants to have Lord Eldon's heir planted in her belly first, but Lady Kyra may well continue her brother's policy of neutrality"
"Deflecting his rage on Goldengrove would require him to be angry at a man few people can find themselves to dislike, other than for engineering the agreement with Dorne that a great many abhors, but Lord Eldon cares not, I think"
|
|
|
Post by Daeron Wildfyre on Sept 8, 2021 2:36:16 GMT 1
Daeron files away the idea that the union between Starpike and Longtable might be a slow coup. Lord Peake was clever and pragmatic enough to turn an unfortunate mess into a profitable opportunity, no matter what his daughter might feel about it.
"If our cause is to restore chivalry and the preeminence of knights in the Seven Kingdoms, then the addition of Lord Eldon and his blackguards serves only to poison us. I would prefer Lady Kyra keeping the levies of House Merryweather out of whatever war might come than to fight alongside the scum that degrade the very title of 'Ser'. Besides, she might be an icy bitch, but she's not half the monster that her brother is and I doubt that she has plans to continue the feud against House Starling.
As for who Longtable's anger is deflected towards, House Rowan is not the only option, just one that is strong enough to resist Lord Eldon's depredations without materially harming our political aspirations. Houses Tarly or Crane are also strong enough to occupy his attention without being destroyed themselves, though I personally would rather see them recruited to the Blackfyre cause than injured by a petty, but powerful, man."
|
|
|
Post by Father on Sept 11, 2021 19:02:04 GMT 1
"Both of these houses have members that are rather fond of strongwine" Lord Florent muses. "I myself fancy moderation, a young man can cause all sorts of trouble once his mind is clouded by the fog of drink" Lord Florent muses.
"But if you seek to eliminate the threat posed by Lord Eldon, merely deflecting his wroth in the direction of others will not suffice. And if killing him is not in your plans, a marriage to Starpike will shield him from Lord Tyrell, perhaps even the king. Certainly the king you so desire to crown, for Lord Peake will surely have a seat on the small council, perhaps even leading it's meetings."
"Not everything can be accomplished without bringing disadvantage to other causes you also value, when you get as old as me, ser, you will know that life is about the difficult choices where taking one thing means giving up something else."
|
|
|
Post by Daeron Wildfyre on Sept 15, 2021 2:51:16 GMT 1
Lord Florent's wisdom impressed Daeron and convinced him that he had chosen the correct man in which to confide.
"I would greatly wish to see the Pig dead and forgotten, but you've convinced me that such a course of action is unlikely to work, at least at the moment. If I must settle for a lesser prize then I would prefer to see him abandon the feud with House Starling as it is one that we cannot win right now, but that will only buy us time before he returns his focus on destroying Kingsbridge. A long-term plan must be made and I agree with you that a central focus of it must be to prevent his upcoming nuptials with the Peakes, lest he leverage them against us as well.
So I suppose that begs the questions, what will it take to stop the wedding and how do we make him forget about House Starling for now?"
|
|
|
Post by Father on Sept 22, 2021 14:34:58 GMT 1
"Lord Eldon will not forget House Starling, but other concerns may lay claim to his attentions" Lord Florent remarks. "But surely, there are followers of The Red Dragon that might be inclined to help cause trouble for Starpike? I am not tolerating the leanings and machinations of a certain bannerman of mine for the sake of my amusement, but because it serves me well to have connections to the other camp, and if The Black Dragon were to fall, I simply bend the knee and will be forgiven while my vassal are granted boons, boons which means more tithes."
"You would need to find the less savory types, your friend Ser Roland is ill equipped for such schemes, but perhaps his betrothed? I suspect she would never agree to that union without the prospect of becoming Lady Cordwayner, meaning that the Black Dragon must fall, and Lady Maegelle and her bastards are torn down in the process."
|
|
|
Post by Daeron Wildfyre on Sept 24, 2021 20:18:23 GMT 1
Daeron was simultaneously impressed and horrified with Lord Florent's cleverness and cynical ruthlessness. Either he would see Ser Daemon prevail and gain great boons for his loyalty, Hand of the King perhaps – the man was well suited for it – or King Daeron would preserve his throne and House Florent would enjoy greater incomes. Of course war was full of risks and unexpected reversals, but buffers against misfortune from every side was a prudent course. He made a mental note that the Florents would not be the stoutest defenders of the Blackfyre cause should the revolution encounter bumps in the road, hardly a revelation.
"So it's a matter of whom to put myself into debt with? Lady Alicent who would likely direct me to destroy the Cordwayners, leal servants of the Black Dragon, but lacking friends, or Lord Alliser who would wring every brass penny from my hide before selling what's left to Bloodraven."
The Cordwayners or the Starlings? It wasn't a difficult choice for Ser Daeron, he owed nothing to Lord Quentin and everything to Lord Starling, he also trusted Lady Alicent to act in good faith far more than anyone who carried the name "Levalle". Besides, if there was anybody who hated and feared Lord Eldon more than the Starlings it would have to be Lady Alicent, there was no way that Lord Piggy had forgotten about her.
"My lord you are as wise as you are powerful and you have given me much to think about concerning the safety and protection of Lord Starling. I thank you for your counsel." He gives a respectful bow, but does not depart.
Now comes the time where he tells me the price of his friendship...
|
|
|
Post by Father on Sept 25, 2021 15:45:24 GMT 1
It would seem that this time, Lord Florent's counsel is freely given, it may well be possible that he desires Lord Eldon brought low as much as the rest of The Reach, and having words with Daeron on the matter costs him nothing much, so why demand payment?
If there is a deeper motive behind his suggestions, a keener wit for intrigue than Daeron's would be needed to sense it's presence.
|
|
|
Post by Daeron Wildfyre on Oct 2, 2021 20:27:50 GMT 1
/scene?
|
|
|
Post by Father on Oct 2, 2021 20:40:47 GMT 1
/scene
|
|