The Accounting Office

[Deleted]

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Saenarys entered the room, ordering his men to remain outside.

[Marie]

Rhaneys turned to her brother.

"What is it?"

[Deleted]

"I wanted to talk to you about your haphazard information spreading." He shook his head. "You thought it necessary to tell some little lordling that I would use my 'abilities' to help him find his missing father? I have more important things to be worrying about."

[Marie]

Her eyes blazed fury at him.

"You have more important things to be worrying about than the noble families who follow my banner? That's rich! Brother, listen, Owen Lannister is not some minor lordling. He is the heir to Casterly Rock. I need to know if Lord Lannister yet lives so tht I know Ser Owen's true rank. I asked you to assist because there is bad blood between House Lannister and House Marbrand."

[Deleted]

"His family does not follow your banner, he does. There is bad blood there I'm sure, but if you haven't already discovered it, there's bad blood everywhere. You have bigger fish to fry than Lannister. I can hear the sounds of fighting right now. Maybe you should solve those problems first, instead of our sister's probable husband."

[Marie]

"There wasn't supposed to be any fighting," Rhaenys sighed. "Lord Tarly has blundered. I will of course deal with the situation as we find it, but I will return to the Lannister matter afterwards, you can be sure of that. I cannot afford to have the Lannisters against me and Ser Owen is not best pleased that I made Marbrand my Master of Whispers."

[Deleted]

"Why did you make him your Master of Whispers, sister?" Saenarys asked, not jealously, but worriedly.

"He is hardly trustworthy, yet you gave him a very powerful position. I wonder as to why."

[Marie]

"I had to give it to someone and he has the necessary credentials. Truth be told, if I didn't put my faith in some of the lords, I'd have to make up a Small Council of our kin and that wouldn't look good at all. As it is most of them are linked to us in some way. I need some outsiders You must see that, brother."

[Deleted]

"There are many better condidates. You could have chosen anyone from Selwyn's quarter, though they are all noticeably absent. Instead you chose someone who is a known liability. Wonderful."

[Marie]

"I did not know of the...difficulties until after I appointed him. It's hardly my fault I did not grow up in Westeros," Rhaenys sighed. "Be thankful you don't have to try ruling, Saenarys. It's bloody hard work and no-one thanks you for it either. Look, will you assist Lannister or not?"

[Deleted]

"Ruling is easy when you refuse to make exceptions." Saenarys stated. "I have been a leader of men for five years, and in training for a long time before that. I learned from the best. Our Lord Father." He crossed his fingers into a web pattern.

"I will help him, but ask me first next time before you send someone my way, it puts me in an awkward situation otherwise. Remember, I am not just a subject, I am your brother as well, and I appreciate some semblance of respect if you desire my abilities."

[Marie]

"I might say the same of you," she said quietly. "Saenarys, I love you dearly but sometimes I think you forget that I'm not your little playmate any more. I will listen to your opinion but I must listen to others now too. I must soothe bruised egos and consider which lords hate one another even while I'm still learning that information for myself. Some days I just want to bang all their heads together and command them to get along."

[Deleted]

"I respect you sister, I surely do, though I disagree with many of your appointments, and some of your marriage choices for our sisters are down right silly. You could do with rewarding some more of Selwyn's men. Save our sisters for the big alliances. Lannister would probably be happy with a middling noble girl, fresh and demure, no need to waste one of our assets." He laughed. "And marrying Alysanne to that landless Dornish knight?" He paused.

"It makes no sense since you have already planned Liliyanna to the Paramount of Dorne. I understand love, or lust, in this case, but honestly, you were the one spouting epitaphs of honor and duty over pleasure."

[Marie]

She glared at him.

"If you are going to speak to me in that tone, you may as well speak to the wall! I don't mind honest opinions, brother, but I do mind your tone. Alysanne has always been fond of Ser Euric, to whom I have promised his ancestral seat of Starfall. It was my opinion there are secret feelings between that pair. Alysanne is a gentle soul and I cannot abide the thought of her marrying a stranger. As to Kyma...well, who would you marry her to?"

[Deleted]

"No one right now, to be sure. She is much too willful. Though in time she may mellow. I would save her, you never want to cash in all of your chips all at once. I love our sisters as much as you, but even I can see the benefit of holding off on those marriages. We don't even know the situation in the South yet. For all we know, the House fucking Keath could be in charge!"

He brought his hand up, and nibbled his knuckle in thought.

"Our two youngest sisters should be saved. I apologise for my tone, Rhaenys, but do not be so rash and foolish as to throw away valuable future alliances. We grew up together Rhaenys, do not think to pin hole me as just a subject. Regardless of your station, I am your elder brother, if only by half, and I should be able to speak my mind to you without you thinking it traitorous."