Swiftwaters Visits Once More

[Horas]

Upon travelling to Dragonstone, Marei Swiftwaters presents herself for an audience with the Prince once more.

[Aerys]

Prince Avery welcomes Marei to the Painted Table Chamber once again and invites her to be seated.

"I hope the journey to Dragonstone was not too wild Mistress Swiftwaters. This continuing cold weather is most unusual."

[Horas]

"The journey was not overly difficult, considering the weather," Marei says as she takes the offered seat. "I have returned from the Sea Lord's court in Braavos. Have you heard of the recent debacle that occurred there?"

[Aerys]

Avery shook his head.

"Travel between Dragonstone and Braavos has been severely curtailed due to the weather. Only the odd ship has reached Dragonstone and they have brought no news that is particularly startling."

Avery's eyes twinkled.

"However Mistress Marei. If there has been a 'debacle' in Braavos I would be most interested in hearing about it and your Lord's thoughts on the matter."

[Horas]

Marei nods. "It seems the Lord Regent sent an ambassador to speak with the Sea Lord. The Mistress of Laws, Lady Aranya Royce. Their negotiations did not go according to plan, and perhaps the Lady Aranya was frustrated... but in any case, she led an assualt on one of the inns in the city with the intent of killing the Targaryen who resided there. She slew several Braavosi guardsmen in the process, and she and her paramour, Lord Harlaw, were taken prisoner by the Sea Lord."

Marei smiles. "Such unbecoming behavior from an official ambassador from the Iron Throne, wouldn't you agree?"

[Aerys]

Avery gave a wry grin.

"Indeed Mistress Marei. Very unbecoming. How ironic is it that the Mistress of Laws for Westeros so disrespects the laws of another realm. I hope Lord Horas is spreading the news and making that point.

'I will certainly making that point to both the Regent and the Hand, if this farce of a trial goes ahead."

He thought for a moment.

"This may work to our advantage, wouldn't you agree?"

[Horas]

"Quite," Marei smiles again. "The Sea Lord is legendary for his prickliness. After the last ambassador, it seems reasonable that he would insist the next to be of higher calibur. Indeed, I have conversed with him, and have convinced the Sea Lord to only treat with a royal Baratheon."

Marei smiles. "The king and his brother are too young, and Andry is unsuitable for obvious reasons. I would suggest you make sure that you are the one Lord Smith chooses to send."

[Aerys]

"That should be achievable as long as the Sealord holds Aranya Royce and whoever else aided and abetted her and as long as no other royal Baratheon candidate suddenly appears. The Regent could, if he thinks of it, make use of my brothers Andry or Steffon. Andry still lies in prison as far as I know. And Steffon I believe is still located in King's Landing. Breck Dondarrion may put himself forward as a de-facto royal Baratheon, if negotiations with the Sealord are urgently required. The Sealord needs to stand firm on insisting that no less than a Baratheon prince will be needed in any negotiations between Westeros and Braavos.

"Perhaps we need to secure at least the person of my brother Steffon. He's sunk into indolence, but he could still be used, or prevented from being used."

[Horas]

"Your brother Steffon is... missing. And has been for several years," Marei says. "He seems to have little interest in being a Prince or a Lord. He is certainly not in King's Landing, and I do not believe Lord Smith has any idea where he is more than I do."

[Aerys]

Avery nodded in acknowledgement of Marei's comments on Steffon.

"Then we shall not take Steffon into account."

"I would like to remove Andry from his prison though for several reasons. He is my brother and it is an ill-thing for a Baratheon to be caged in that way. Secondly it takes him away from the clutches of the Regent and while he does not figure in their calculations at the moment, I would like to remove all possibility of that happening in the future. As the only adult royal Baratheon available, that gives us more leverage in the matter of the Sealord. I'd imagine over two years in prison may have broken Andry's spirit. He's not likely to give us any trouble.

"Thirdly it allows us to have a card up our sleeve, if anything untoward were to happen to me. Andry is effectively my heir. I would prefer to have him in a safe place."

[Horas]

Marei considers. "Prince Andry stands accused of treason. Even if free, he would have to remain hidden. Had the realm been quieter, I have no doubt he would have been executed long ago. You wish to break him out of the Black Cells?"

[Aerys]

"i would prefer that he be out of the clutches of Benfry Smith and his cronies and out from under their possible use of him in the future. However Andry's freeing, if it were to occur, cannot be connected to me and naturally he would have to remain hidden.

"Andry's removal and hiding also effectively makes me the only heir to Rickon and Rodrick."

[Horas]

Marei phrases her words carefully. "On the contrary, my Prince. Freeing Prince Andry would make him competition as the King's heir. Lord Smith will not make use of Prince Andry; I can assure you of that. They are enemies, if you do not recall, and Lord Smith is too rigid in his justice to ever consider an alliance with a man he has named a traitor. And years of prison or no, I do not think Prince Andry will be content to be your pawn." She pauses, "But if you still believe it is worthwhile to free him, it shall be done."

[Aerys]

Avery paused, once again in deep thought.

"Yes, Andry is not likely to want to be dictated to by his younger brother and at this stage it may not be politically wise to effect his release. Still it grieves me to think of my brother languishing in the Black Cells.

"However if it becomes necessary or desirable, you can effect Andry's removal from the Black Cells?"

[Horas]

She nods slowly. "Lord Horas has done as much before. And I cannot imagine that the security around Prince Andry is especially tight; much of the world seems to have forgotten he exists."