Chapter Thirty-Four

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Lord Lyonel briefed the council on the conflict brewing in the riverlands, though Elowen paid him little mind as she watched Rhaenyra from across the table

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Lord Lyonel briefed the council on the conflict brewing in the riverlands, though Elowen paid him little mind as she watched Rhaenyra from across the table. The Princess also seemed quite distracted, and Elowen wished to know what ran through her mind. She wanted to know of Rhaenyra's thoughts, to hear her worries and soothe her concerns. Elowen wanted nothing more than to have the young girl she had watched grow up back.

"It is Lord Blackwood's contention, therefore, that the Brackens moved the boundary stones in the dead of the night and put their horses to graze in his field." Lord Lyonel finished telling the Small Council of the tension between House Blackwood and House Bracken.

"Why was this issue not brought before Lord Grover?" Elowen asked. "It is a quarrel between two of his sworn houses, is it not within Lord Grover's power to settle."

"I've heard tale that Lord Grover's son now rules Riverrun in all but name." Lord Jasper Wylde answered from the other end of the table. The Master of Law's beady black eyes unsettled Elowen as he stared at her.

"Well he is also a Tully, so this remains a Tully problem." Elowen spoke, her voice carrying a note of finality.

"I would agree." Viserys spoke, siding with his wife. Elowen smiled to her husband in thanks, leaning over the table to lay her hand over his. Viserys grinned, turning his hand over to catch Elowen's.

"If we may move on, my lords-" Ser Tyland began.

"And yet," Rhaenyra interrupted, her sharp gaze meeting Elowen's. "The Brackens and the Blackwoods will use any excuse to spill each other's blood. So this dispute bears looking into." She tore her gaze from Elowen, turning to address Lyonel where he sat beside her. "There will be countryfolk who know where the lines have been drawn for generations."

"That is easy enough." Lyonel said, appeasing the heir to the throne as he looked to the foot of the table. "Ser Tyland?"

"Oh, uh," The blonde man stuttered as he sat up in his seat, glancing around the table. "We should address the latest developments in the stepstones, my lords."

"Will we ever be shut of that blasted place?" Viserys groaned.

"If you ask me, I think the Blackwoods have the upper hand." Lord Beesbury spoke, adding to the former conversation.

"We've moved onto the stepstones, Lord Beesbury." Orwyle whispered to the old Lord.

"And the Triarchy's new alliance with Dorne." Ser Tyland added loudly.

"I was hoping our negotiations with Sunspear might persuade them to see reason." Viserys coughed. "To trust a Martell is to be disappointed."

"And where I wonder is our Prince Daemon?" Lord Jasper snidely questioned. "Or I suppose I should call him King, as he styled himself when he won a battle there once."

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