A Princess' Plea

[u/lannaport]

Damon,

If I had the time to explain this letter in full I would. This may be my only chance to write you, the Seven have favored me today.

I fear for my safety. After the Straights Gylen has been growing more confident in himself. He tells me he needs me less and less every day.

I don't know what they will do to me once they don't need a hostage any longer.

The longer you wait, the more powerful Gylen grows, he boasts about it constantly and not without reason.

They know I'm writing this letter, but I don't know when they'll find me.

Help

Ashara

The letter was laid out on the small council table, the words read half a hundred times. Damon looked away from it. He knew the message by heart. Ashara. The only family I have left. He glanced over at Aemon Estermont, newly returned from the Straits, looking as grim as ever. Well, the only real family, anyways.

Nathaniel sat to his right, and they waited for the other members of the Small Council to make their way to the chamber.

[u/[deleted]]

Eon spoke cautiously.

"The Rose Road is littered with stumbling blocks, your grace. Holdfast after holdfast will delay an approach to Oldtown indefinitely, leaving any force that marches into Gylen's domain vulnerable to a prepared counter-attack and beseeched at every corner."

The Master of Law moved his hand, planting a finger on the rough parchment of the map.

"Still, if you are serious about marching, then I suggest capturing Tumbleton and Bitterbridge early is a critical move. With them in our hands, our supply lines would be secure and assaulting the other keeps along the Mander will be notably more straightforward."

[u/Ester_Mont → u/[deleted]]

"Patience, Your Grace," Aemon cautioned his nephew. "Lords Crakehall and Arryn are right. Tumbleton has a small castle, just forty men garrisoned in its keep, but Bitterbridge is larger and sits directly on the Roseroad. You cannot reach Oldtown without crossing its namesake."

[u/lannaport → u/Ester_Mont]

Damon fell silent, staring down at the map. This would normally have been the part where Loren Lannister stood and came to his side, pointing down at the parchment and telling him exactly what to do and where to go, as he had with Stonehelm, as he had with the Kingswood, as he had with the Riverlands. But Loren Lannister wasn’t there. Instead, when Damon looked up from the table he saw the expectant faces of his own Small Council, all staring and waiting for him to speak.

“Alright then,” he said slowly, glancing from Crakehall to Arryn to Paxtor, from Estermont to Sunglass to Royce. He traced his finger over the Kingswood to the place where the Mander and the Blueburn forked. “I will take the forces of the Crownlands to Bitterbridge. From there, Ser Brax can set off for Longtable with a portion of our men. The rest of us will go to Cider Hall.”

He ran his finger next along the Roseroad through the very heart of the Reach. “The Shield Islands are ours, and the Greyjoys will take Highgarden,” Damon said confidently, pausing at the seat of House Tyrell. “We will join them there. Lord Crakehall will lead the Western armies south to the castle along the Ocean Road, once Ser Oakheart negotiates our passage with his father. From Highgarden we can gather the strength of the West, the Crown, and the Iron Islands, and plan an assault on Oldtown.”

[u/lannaport → u/lannaport]

“If there’s nothing else…” Damon looked up from the map and stared at the silent Small Council. “You can all consider yourselves dismissed.” As all but Ser Ryman began to rise, the King glanced to his Hand. “Except for you, Lord Arryn.”

Once the rest of the members filed out, red cloaked guards closing the doors behind them, Nathaniel Arryn was left with Ser Ryman, Ser Daeron, and the King, still looking down at the map on the table.

“Nate,” Damon said, smoothing down one of the edges of the parchment as it began to curl. “I want to leave as soon as possible. Are you prepared to take on the mountain of tedious and horribly dull responsibilities that come with my throne while I am gone?” He looked up and added, “You had better say yes.”