The Dragon Queen

The Future - Part II

The Red Keep - 282 AC

"Your Majesty," Olenna Tyrell bowed as she entered the Small Council chamber.

"Take a seat, my lady," Rhaegar waved at the chair opposite to his. She bowed once more, before taking the seat he had gestured at. "I must say, meeting the infamous Queen of Thornes is quite the honor."

"You honor me with your words," Olenna replied, her mask carefully in place.

It did not give away anything, neither did her words. She never specified how it honored her, or if she was honored by Rhaegar's presence. A true diplomat. Rhaegar smirked to himself, choosing her was truly a great idea.

"Tell me, do you know the situation of our kingdom?" Rhaegar inquired and added after a second thought. "I want your complete honesty."

Olenna stared at Rhaegar for a minute, the silence stretching, before a sly smirk spread through her lips. "We are in the most unstable climate we've been since the reign of King Viserys Targaryen. Not only have we lost our dear King Aemon Targaryen, but with his death by Grey Scale we have lost the main Targaryen line. For which we all should eternally be grateful to Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen for her forethought to stablish a branch line of House Targaryen at the Stepstones."

Olenna paused, not in indecision, but because she was calculating Rhaegar's response to her honesty. "Prince Aerys, Prince of the Narrow Seas, and Lord of the Stepstones, and Princess Elia had also succumbed to the same sickness as King Aemon. What makes this situation worse is that at the moment there are only four Targaryens alive, with only two dragonriders. If you can consider Prince Viserys a full dragonrider, as he is still a child and cannot mount Tyraxes to war. A number that in a few moons could become five, remain four, or descend to three depending on the Gods."

Rhaegar raised an eyebrow, impressed by her bluntness, not believing the audacity of the lady before him to go there of all places. Yet, she spoke the truth and only the truth. Olenna continued, oblivious of his thoughts or simply not minding them. "And that is only House Targaryen. I do not envy your job, Your Majesty, not with how the rest of the realm seems at the edge of chaos. House Lannister and House Reyne are at odds, pushing the Westerlands to the brink of war. Tytos Lannister was a fool, a weak ruler easily taken advantage of, but his son Tywin is a proud and sly lion. He is not to be underestimated and will bring down House Reyne brick by brick if necessary."

Rhaegar tried not to wince at her words, the mess that is the Westerlands is not something he was excited to clean. However, before Rhaegar can even think of moving to fix the Westerlands he will need to maintain House Targaryen strong. What caught his attention was the tint of respect Lady Tyrell's tone took when speaking about Lord Tywin Lannister.

"The Iron Islands and the Stepstones, as the rest of the Crownlands are stable. As they will always remain as long as a Targaryen sits on the Iron Throne, so you have nothing to worry in that area." Olenna continued. "However, up north trouble is brewing. We all heard the scandal of the youngest daughter of the Lord Paramount of the Riverlands running away to elope with Petyr Baelish of all people!" Olenna's smirk was vicious and bloodthirsty, Rhaegar could tell she was enjoying House Tully's shame... or rather, Hoster Tully's shame. "It left the Vale and Riverlands on opposite sides. Serves that greedy trout right!"

House Baelish history was, well, to say it was not noteworthy would be an understatement. Until recently the fingers ancestral home did not even have a name. They were a small house sworn to House Royce, of First Men origine and are followers of the Old Gods. Everything changed when Petyr Baelish was born, and he was fostered at Riverrun under Hoster Tully. The bards singing about his epic romance are varied in their tales, but most of them stick to the line that Petyr used to have a crush on the older Tully daughter as a boy. However, the frigid trout, and yes that is how Catelyn Tully is being called all over the realm, never paid him any attention.