"Accepted."
Willas and Alerie looked at Olenna in surprise.
"Grandmother..."
The old lady raised her hand and quietened her grandson.
"On the condition that there will be a marriage pact."
Azaerys raised his brow at the old lady.
"Your brother, Prince Aelyx, promised my granddaughter, Desmera, that he would love to keep her by his side for the rest of his life. He should honour his words and take her as his wife."
Rhaenys looked at her brother in surprise, and even Boros and Red Hand curiously looked at the prince.
"My nephew, Paxter, has agreed to the match, and he will give Vinetown as dowry, including the charge of its port. No taxes. He is also ready to finance the construction of a castle for his daughter, should she and her husband ever desire to spend some time on the Arbor."
Azaerys listened, smiled, and then chuckled.
"She won't be his only wife. You know that, right?"
"We know. As long as he marries her, your ways or our ways, it's fine."
"So he wants our hippogriffs and griffins to provide more security to the Arbor. Wants to establish a trade relationship after we are bound by marriage, and he is also interested in the wood we are using to build our ships and ship designs themselves. Clever man. Looks like Garlan Tyrell and your daughter, Mina, had a really good talk with you and your nephew," he laid bare Paxter Redwyne and Olenna's intentions, and the old woman felt chills run up her spine, a cold prickle tracing her skin like icy fingers in the warm chamber.
"What about the Faith of the Seven? I thought you were very concerned about them not being accepting of our incestuous marriage traditions."
"Wouldn't matter when my granddaughter does not have a permanent residence in Westeros. The Faith of the Seven has little to no influence in Essos and they have no place in your Summer Kingdom."
"I suppose you are right." Azaerys glanced at his brother, who was frowning. "The decision is Aelyx's alone."
Aegon felt a little guilty when he glanced into his brother's eyes, and though he knew his answer was going to upset Rhaenys a lot, he nodded his head.
"I agree."
The Summer King audibly sighed at his words, and his sigh weighed heavily on everyone's heart. There was a hint of disappointment, which suffocated the prince, the sound lingering in the air like a heavy mist.
Azaerys stayed silent as he leaned back in his chair.
"I hope you realise what you are doing, my blood."
"I understand, Your Grace. It is what I want."
The king looked at his brother with a scrutinising gaze, which eventually softened.
"Fine. You will get married to Desmera Redwyne on her fifteenth nameday in the Valyrian tradition. And she will stay by your side for the next three years at Dragonport." He decided and then looked at Olenna and meaningfully said his next words. "You will be leaving Elinor and Alla Tyrell at Dragonport to serve as Desmera's handmaidens."
"That suits us just fine, Your Grace. There will be no blame on us if your brother later seduces them and takes them as his paramours or concubines." She mischievously said and itched for some wine, but none was available, her throat dry with the tension of the negotiation.
At least, she had fulfilled the request of her daughter, Mina. It was a great success.
"We don't drink wine in the council chamber, Lady Olenna," Azaerys informed the old woman, who froze at his words.
It was almost like he could see right through her.
She watched him whisper something, and soon two maids carried cups and jugs into the council chamber.
They poured the drinks for everyone, and the mere aroma of the cool liquid cleared up the fog in their minds, a refreshing herbal scent wafting through the room like a gentle breeze.
Willas was surprised when he tasted the drink. It was delicious and refreshing, but he could not quite guess exactly what was used to make it, the crisp tang lingering on his tongue with a subtle sweetness.
"It's called the Spring Tea. Some precious herbs are used to make it. Other than them, honey, lemon, and some fruit juices are mixed. Comes in a variety of flavours, all depending on which fruits you use," Rhaenys informed their guests, who appreciated the drink.
"Shall we discuss some details now?" Azaerys asked, and Olenna nodded her head.
"House Tyrell will help us clear the Sunset Hills, and since it is your territory that borders these hills, your forces will prevent people from going there for the next five years. Only those whom Ser Boros would allow will enter the hills and take part in the construction of the castle."
"Why such secrecy?" Willas was genuinely curious, and it was Rhaenys who answered his curiosity.
"There will be magic involved in its construction. How else are we going to finish building a castle in under five years?" She smiled.
"The Citadel will raise questions." He frowned.
"Let them," Azaerys dismissed his worries. "They will never find the answers to the secrets of its construction. No maester will ever serve in that castle."
His words raised a lot of questions in the minds of Willas and Olenna, but they remained quiet.
"How big is it going to be?" Alerie furrowed her brows.
"Bigger than Highgarden."
Her eyes widened in shock, and the princess smiled at her.
"What kind of magic can create such a big castle in four years?"
"Valyrian sorcery. Fire and earth manipulation."
It was an answer without details, which left both the mother and son itching for more knowledge, but Olenna cut in and changed the subject.
"May I ask why you took the Dornish princess as your wife, Your Grace?"
"She's beautiful." He gave a very simple answer, and the old woman smiled.
"Even the best of men are not immune to the charms of a woman."
"Of course. Men who are immune to the charms of women are either abominations who are attracted to other men or people who have lost their mind."
Her smile widened at his words, and her thoughts subconsciously drifted to her youth and a handsome face.
"Do you know that the prince you were once betrothed to sired a bastard girl?" He asked, and Olenna froze at his words. "It was, of course, before you proposed your plan to him and he refused you. By that time, he had become an abomination."
The woman, who was called the Queen of Thorns by many, failed to find words.
She had never found a man as dangerous as she found the smiling Summer King.
Eventually, despite herself, she raised a question.
"Who?"
"The woman he sired the daughter on?"
"Yes."
"I am sure you can figure it out if you recall the people he used to be really close to."
"Are you from his daughter's line?"
"No," Azaerys shook his head and answered the question she was about to ask next. "We are not Blackfyres either."
"Do you descend from the lines of the dragonlords or their vassal houses?"
"I am a dragonlord."
"A dragonlord who has no dragons, Your Grace?" She wanted to see if her words would sting as his words had stung her, but Azaerys just chuckled.
"Unfortunate, isn't it? Things would have been so much easier and simpler with them around." He playfully waved his hand and created a large dragon out of fire, which breathed flames in the air, the heat flickering briefly before fading with a soft crackle.
"Then again, I am a dragonblood, and so it wouldn't be wrong of me to consider myself a dragon."
Azaerys waved his hand again and the dragon burst into a beautiful show of sparks.
"Sadly, I don't have wings."
"Is that why you haven't made any moves against Yunkai or Meereen, Your Grace?" She held her nerves and asked, seemingly unfazed by the enchanting display of fire magic that had left Willas and Alerie stunned in their seats.
Ser Boros, Red Hand, Rhaenys, and Aegon chuckled at her question, and Olenna curiously looked at them.
"Who says I haven't?" Azaerys playfully asked. "Using force isn't the only way to make people submit. Ideas are cruel weapons, Lady Olenna."
"You want the slaves to turn up against their masters." She guessed his plan, her mind running wildly now to read the Summer King.
"Maybe, maybe not." He smiled. "There's a reason why Slaver's Bay is called Slaver's Bay. If the slaves turn up against their masters, and there are no slaves left, the cities would turn into ruins. Barely one or two would survive after their economic crash. Not to mention, if the slaves do turn up against their masters, it will be a bloody affair. Hundreds of thousands will perish in that revolution, and millions in the aftermath across Essos."
His words caused them all to think, but he did not let them dwell on their thoughts for long.
"When do you wish to submit yourself in Master Red Hand's care, Lord Willas?"
"As soon as possible," answered the heir to Highgarden.
"We can leave for the Pyramid of Life right now. Just know that for the next moon, no one will be allowed to see you. Only after you wake up from your deep sleep will your family be allowed to visit you in the pyramid. Are you ready to stay put in the bed for four moons?" The Red Hand smiled.
"I would even stay put in bed for a year if it means I will be able to walk without a cane when I finally get up."
The Red Healer nodded in understanding.
"Go," Olenna suddenly said, helping her grandson make a decision, and even though Alerie felt very complicated, she did not stop her child when he hugged her and left with the man in red robes.
She really hoped that it was the last time she would see him walking with a cane.
"Why the Sunset Hills, Your Grace? Why not a castle next to the Mander?"
"You will know once the castle has been built. You will have your answer the moment you lay your eyes on it," Azaerys told her and then raised a question of his own. "Do you really believe that Rhaegar Targaryen kidnapped Lyanna Stark?"
"Did he not?" Olenna surprisedly looked at him.
"No. She eloped with him because she loved him and hated Robert. The prince was busy forming plans to usurp his father and fulfil a prophecy that had been whispered into his ears. He had not anticipated what happened at the court with Brandon Stark and Rickard Stark. The Rebellion was not in his calculations."
"What prophecy?" Alerie frowned.
"It was something about a Prince that was Promised who would help them during the next Long Night." He said and smiled at the old woman. "Have you never considered the possibility that the Rebellion was already in plans, and Lyanna Stark's elopement, coupled with the deaths of Brandon and Rickard Stark, served as an excuse those people needed to rally the smallfolk and nobles behind them?"
"And who played this game?" She asked, but already certain names were coming to her mind.
"Who benefited the most from the Rebellion?" Azaerys asked with a smile.
"Robert..."
"Jon Arryn and the old man of the Rock."
Alerie's eyes widened when she heard Olenna's answer.
"Yes. It was Jon who whispered the words of Rebellion in Robert's head." He smiled. "Want to know a secret?"
Both the ladies looked at him, and the old one smiled.
"Is there a price, Your Grace?"
"No. It's a gift."
"Then I wish to hear what Your Grace has to tell."
"There's another one. A person far more dangerous than both Jon and Tywin. It's the one who you know that there is something wrong with him, and yet you never truly consider him a threat. You would never think of him as the mastermind behind the Rebellion, yet he played more part in it than anyone else."
"Who?" She raised her brow.
"He stays in the Red Keep. That's all I shall tell you or it would ruin the fun. He's playing another big game now, and there's someone else there as well, who has his own ambitions and would gladly see the realm burn to achieve those goals."
"I am quite curious about your information network, Your Grace. Is it all your magic or do you have someone close to everyone?"
"Maybe it's both of them." He stood up. "Come, I will show you two interesting girls who have been waiting for me for the last six moons."
Hearing his words, even Rhaenys and Aegon were surprised.
The group, including Ser Boros, left the Pyramid of Pride, and on their way back to the guest house where the Tyrells and the Redwynes were staying, they took a detour and entered a street where there were not many people.
Strangely enough, no one looked their way or paid attention to them. Only a few fleeting glances even as they stopped outside a small guest house.
The door was open, and Olenna and Alerie got out of the carriage and followed the Summer King inside the house.
As soon as they arrived inside the parlour, an old man in a black robe came rushing down the stairs and immediately knelt on both his knees.
"You did well."
"Thank you, Your Grace." The man prostrated to him.
Soon, an old lady, and two men in black robes, arrived in the room and knelt to Azaerys.
"The girls?"
The woman immediately went deeper inside the house and soon dragged two lovely young girls with her into the parlour.
Olenna, Alerie, Rhaenys, and Aegon curiously looked at the two of them and tried to find out what was special about them.
One was around twelve years old, and the other was more developed, likely around fourteen to fifteen years old.
The young girl had curly hair, black as coal, and she had beautiful blue eyes. Despite being younger than the other girl, she had a lot more charm.
As for the older girl, she had white-blonde hair, and green eyes, which made her appear both lovely and solemn. There was no "wildness" about her, but there was solemnity, grace, and an air of nobility.
Both the girls seemed restless, and when they watched the tall and handsome young man take out four large gold coins and hand them to the old man who had brought them from Westeros, they knew that they had been sold into slavery.
Then again, their fate was always to become whores. Did it matter if they were going to serve in Westeros or Essos?
Olenna curiously stepped forward and pulled the younger girl's chin up.
She closely inspected her features with her wizened eyes, and a smile formed on her lips.
"Baseborn. You are Robert Baratheon's bastard. It's unmistakable."
The girls tensed up at her words.
Yes, she had heard rumours that her ma was the king's favourite whore in the Peach. Whilst he had fucked all other prostitutes once, he had taken her mother almost every night. Leslyn had even teased her at times by calling her the future princess of the brothel...
"Bella. Born in the Stoney Sept and named after the Battle of Bells. Her mother was Robert's favourite prostitute during his stay in the town," Azaerys smiled. "Can you guess who is the noble parent of the other girl?"
The old lady curiously looked at the older girl, frowned, and then just looked into those green eyes.
"Bastard of some Lannister," she immediately said.
"Indeed. She's the bastard of Tywin Lannister and a prostitute in Chataya's brothel. Her name is Marei, born in the year 280 after the Conquest in King's Landing when Tywin was still serving as the Hand of the King."
Alerie was stunned at his words, and even Olenna was surprised and gave Marei another look.
"No wonder she looks so solemn. She has her father's demeanour." She could now see Tywin in the girl. "The bastard sister of the queen."
The blonde girl was still in shock after learning who her father was, and her body lightly trembled before she lowered her eyes in sadness.
Both the girls were put inside the carriage that was waiting for them, and whilst Olenna and Alerie returned to their guest house, the Summer King and his siblings returned to the Pyramid of Pride.
Azaerys sent Aegon to his room, and the two slaves, whom he had bought, followed him with their heads lowered.
"Why do we have them here?" Rhaenys coldly asked.
"They will serve you as your handmaidens from this day onwards, my sweet sister. You will make sure that they grow up into proper ladies. After all, Marei here is going to be the future lady of House Lannister."
The girls behind them stopped in their tracks and looked at his back in shock.
Rhaenys' eyes softened after she heard his words, and she quickly understood whom Marei was meant for.
"Cut her head off if she loses her maidenhead before her marriage or betrays your secrets." The Summer King lightly said, but the girls heard him clearly, and his sister brightly grinned at him.
"Gladly. What about the other one?"
"She's pretty, isn't she?" He smiled. "The prettiest of their blood. She looks a lot like Argella Durrandon when she was her age."
Rhaenys meaningfully looked at him and then smiled.
"Really, Brother? Is she a maiden?"
"Would I give you a handmaiden who isn't a maiden?" He playfully said, and Rhaenys painfully pinched his arm as she pretended to hug him.
"Of course, you wouldn't."
Hearing their conversation, Bella and Marei felt more and more restless, and they quickly caught up with them fearing some punishment if they failed.
In the coming days, they would truly come to fear Rhaenys to the core of their being, and whilst Marei was forced into studies, the Targaryen princess decided to train Bella into the second coming of Princess Argella Durrandon. She decided to train the girl into a knight, her protector.
The two girls were also given new names by her.
Marei became Marella of Dragonport, and Bella became Arbella Durrandon, which amused the Summer King a lot when his sister informed him about it.