[day 12] Pieces and Players (Roland, Alliser)

Alliser smiles, "beautiful maids are not want to share their secrets with all men, but only the one they deem most worthy. The same could be said if Lord's." He looks up towards the handsome Knight, his own plain features a sharp contrast to the young knights own rugged handsome features.

He offers a hand to Roland, "but in friendship a Lord may let his confidences be known." He looks levelly at the young Knight, "take my hand in friendship and I will impart such secrets to you. For I have indeed been true, even fought beside you in arms, I fear I have made an enemy of Otho this tournament, I hope that the gods see to it that you may be my friend."

A simple request, but what trust could a Knight have in such a despised Lord.

"Very well, I will tell you what I know." Alliser cleared his throat before continuing, "Your bride to be has had a history with Lord Eldon. She seemed an immovable stone, and Lord Eldon did not seem inclined to force the issue. There were rumors of his depravity even before he attacked the young women from house Starling, Lady Lysettes Lady in waiting if I recall?" He waved her away, "But let us not get ahead of ourselves,"

He looked towards a dornish and gestured, "Reachmen are naturally distrustful of the Dornish, and even if she was born on the 'right side' of the red mountians, I also inferred that she would be happier outside of the marriage. So I had my brother spread a rumor about her potential dalliance, for that would give Lord Eldon the Pretext to dissolve the marriage as she was not longer pure."

"As you may have guessed, the rumor is not true, but with her rumored promiscuity already common knowledge and often rumors have a basis in the truth. My goal was to provide Lord Eldon a graceful exit from this marriage that neither wanted."

"Then you saved her from those murders, by yourself, with little more then a sword." Alliser shakes his head, "You saved this maid from the depredations of vile men, how romantic it should be for you to end up with her hand." He gives him a little smile, "even I can entertain such fantasies."


"Then the attack happened to Megelle, and I realized I was not the only one who saw an opportunity. Someone else was out there seeking to break up the marriage arrangement as well." He looks at Roland, "I am not the one who set the poor girl to be raped by Lord Eldon, but when I heard about the attack, and the subsequent response, I knew that someone better at the behind the scenes movements then myself had taken an interest." He looks pointedly towards Roland, "Wether the hooded man delayed Megelle, or someone else sent her path to interecet with Ser Bryce, I don't know. But I do know that there has been far to many coincidences revolving around Lord Eldon and Lady Alicent for someone not to be pulling the strings. I am sure that House Starling investigated the incident, and unfortunately my lord had me spreading my resources thin in searching who the falcon may have been. But I would imagine that if you could find who delayed Lady Megelle you could find out who might have been responsible for her attack," Alliser shrugs, "But Lord Starling would have little interest in speaking with me, and would likely dismiss me outright if I offered to help. So I focused on what I could and interests that were of a higher concern to house Florent and House Levalle," He offers apologetically.


"Then I had a meeting with Lady Alicent after some rumors spread about how any Lord would be understanding of Lady Alicent removing herself from the contract given the new information about Lord Eldon's Character. She asked me to look into some things regarding your birth house, which I did. She then broke off the engagement." Alliser gives the young knight a warm smile, "Which you honorably defended her against Ser Rennifer and then have all but earned her hand in marriage."


He opens his hands honestly, "And that is what I know, Ser Roland. I am sure that should you confer with your soon to be bride she will be happy to verify any part that I had in her plan. It has frankly worked out better then I had hoped, as I mentioned earlier that it seemed something out of a tale from the age of legends, you and her ending up together, but I am glad for my little part I could play in ensuring you two find happiness."

Alliser looks towards the Knight, then glances around to ensure they have as much privacy as they can in such a crowded place, then turns back towards ser Roland. "I promised to tell you true, but when working with such historical events what is true and what is fabrication can be mixed, but I will tell you that, from all our digging and my recollection the rumors of your nieces and nephews birth are grounded in fact rather then fiction."

He gestures towards the cordwayner boot, "it does appear that your in line to inherit, and your half bothers guilt weighed heavily on his conscience so he chose not to lie in front of the gods and continue the trial by combat..." He gives the young Knight a fatherly Pat on the shoulder, "I apologize for having to give you this information, but you asked for honesty and we gave our oath with a shake."

He paused, "but don't be angry at your niece and nephew, for although they were born in sin out was not their commission of sin that lead to their birth, rather your sister by marriage and your bastard bother who sillies your houses name with a cuckold."

Alliser points to Ser Roland's own dark stubble, "your bother shares your hair no? And your father before him? As your grand sire?" He opens his hands, "I am no Maester, See Roland, but they have just testified about Lady Meadows and the curious case of her own child's lack of the distinctive Meadows look. And I have already given testimony about Lady Meadows infidelity. Is it but reasonable to assume the same hold's true for your house?"

A sympathetic shrug,

"There is already a rumor about Lady Cordwayner causing your time at home to be unbearable. Perhaps it was guilt that caused her to shun you. For your very likeness to your brother would show her false to your Lord brothers oath of marriage."

Alliser nods, "A young house such as mine does not have such a long history," He points to his own graying hair," but even in my youth my brother and I were of similar look, same as you and yours. It would be a sorrowful thing, for your brother to be betrayed so." He brings a cup of wine to his lips, drinking lightly from it before bringing it back down to his waist, "Perhaps it would be good for you to speak to the man himself. There have been no number of deaths in this cursed tournament, it would be a pity to have one of the only possible witnesses disappear before you could learn the truth of the matter."

Alliser snaps his fingers, "Of course, and you should bring Lady Alicent along with you. I am sure she would be of great help to you, good Ser." He gestures in her general direction, "Women have a way of," Alliser searches for the word, "knowing," He settles on, "When men are lying." He offers Roland a smile, "Let that be my first bit of advice to you, Ser. Never tell your wife a lie. She will know you are lying, and find out soon enough. As a long married man," He chuckles slightly, "just don't do it. My wife, she has the Florent ears, was always a source of embarrassment for her. I find them endearing, but I made the mistake of jesting about her ears when I was out hunting with my brother, and I'll be damned if I wasn't eating cold soup for a week afterword" Alliser smiles at the memory, his eyes twinkling with humor as he recounts the tale.

"Anyways Ser, I am sure that you have many people who wish to meet with you, and I have taken enough of your time already." He offers his and again, "good luck in your endeavors Ser, if you are ever traveling know that my hall is open to you and yours."