Chapter 18.2- The Seadragon's Roar

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“You called this meeting, Otto?” The king asked. He was the last to enter a swap his prerogative as monarch. Runciter did not make any special note of it. What he did note though was that both Lords Beesbury and Strong had come in together. Considering how their quarters were stationed, then the most probable cause was that they had been together when the meeting was called and notice was given. He considered looking for one of the runners to ask more directly, but he did not particularly care. He would do Otto’s bidding and he had been bod to take note of strange comings and goings within the Red Keep.

Did that ambit stretch to verifying the information and making sure he knew the why behind each action? He counted that as none of his business, but still took note of the fact that apart from the King and the Hand, Lord Darklyn had been the last to enter the room. His clothes half askew as though he had dressed in a hurry. The fact that his rooms were not far from here, and that he had still been the last to come in indicated he had been otherwise preoccupied when the call had come in. Interesting, considering his wife was back at the Dun Fort ruling in his name.

“Yes, your grace. One of my spies reported to me recently an interesting piece of news” Runciter had learned to keep a placid expression on his face very early on in his time here so he did not give any reaction that would have divulged his involvement.

“Corlys Velaryon was wounded during a Velaryon assault on Grey Gallows.” He said, and Runciter was sure to adopt as shocked an expression as the others.

“Is it serious?” The King asked, and Runciter would have almost even believed that he as concerned. If he did not know any of the context that existed between their houses, he might even assume the King saddened as Otto delivered the news that the Lord of the Tides was unlikely to survive his wounds from the description given to him.

“So that leaves us with a vacancy on this very Council” Oh so that was going to be his ploy. How interesting. Now the question was who would he recommend? Hightower or Redwyne? Hightower was his own house, had a massive fleet of their own and he knew that they had many cousins involved in naval affairs. However, Otto’s dealings with House Redwyne were well known to him. He exchanged more messages with Lord Redwyne than he did with his own brother, the Lord Hightower. So would he pick his family loyalties or personal ones? This was going to be another data point in Runciter’s analysis of Otto Hightower.

“It’s not like Corlys Velaryon was very attentive as a Master of Ships. I am sure we can hold off until his son can return and take the post” Lord Beesbury spoke. Runciter almost laughed. As if either the King or the Hand would stomach another Velaryon on this council to cause them trouble.