Hugh Hammer (ASOIF/SI)

 "Do you think we are betrayed?" he asked, his cell dark, only lit by a

 single candle, the sole window barred and shuttered, as much

 against the cold as against the dark.

 "I do not believe so, Ayemma was killed by agents of House

 Lannister, most likely due to her involvement in the plot to entrap

 Prince Hugh with Lady Tyshara."

 "And how certain are you of this?" he asked, pressing his point,

 seeking to know through the nuances of speech and gesture, of the

 sometimes unconscious movements of the head and face.

 "Fairly certain, we would have seen other actions if Ayemma's true

 role had been discovered in all of this."

 "But your whore did make contact with agents of House Baratheon,

 before her demise?"

 "She did."

 "And?"

 "And what? She most likely told them of the plot, no more. Ayemma

 was making coin from several others in the Red Keep, not just from

 us."

 Before he could reply Lady Misery added, "yes I know, but had

 Ayemma not supplemented her income by supplying gossip to at

 least one or two other parties, she would have stood out, as,

 well….suspicious…."

 After moments silence he breathed out heavily and said, "very well, I

 will give you that, and I will accept that Ayemma's death was likely

 just the Lannisters 'cleaning house' after the failure of their plot. A

shame, the girl was useful, and she kept a good eye on Prince Hugh,

 something we have sore use of in these coming days."

 "I could replace the girl, there are others who could do…."

 "No, in such a short space of time? No, too suspicious by far, plus

 Prince Hugh is not the type to be desperate to wet his pillar in

 anything that looks lustily at him. If that was the case most of the

 highborn maidens who crowd the Red Keep would no longer be

 maidens, and more than a few would already be heavy with

 child….No, we will just have to plan accordingly."

 "Lady Elanda Baratheon appears to have done nothing with the

 information that she has received, for now at least."

 "Yes, I suspect she will do nothing, at least for now, she is holding a

 'watching brief' on this matter. Her priority is to secure good

 marriages for her daughters, though that is the priority of all of the

 parents who are busy showing their daughters in the greatest cattle

 mart of the century! Should word of Lady Tyshara's… exploits

 become know, that could cause an uproar…."

 "Do we want to? Cause an uproar?" Lady Misery asked, a shark like

 grin on her face.

 "No, not for now, what Prince Hugh discussed with the Lannister's is

 in line with what we had Ayemma inform him, he is reacting as

 predicted. The formerly rather passive Prince is finally deciding to

 act, though clumsily and with I fear little direction."

 "And?"

 "You very well know 'what' my dear Lady Misery, the Prince, while

 unlikely to have the means to do what is required, is certainly

 sufficient to prize open the doors so to speak. With sufficient

 guidance, a little bit of prodding and some outside support? Who

 knows what his Grace, Prince Hugh Targaryen might achieve eh?"

"And who might rise in his wake?"

 "Indeed, my dear, indeed."

 "And the… opposition?"

 "Still unaware as far as I can determine, though one will only be

 certain when the time comes. Also, we are dealing with old and

 practiced plotters Lady Misery, they will be alert to any sign of trouble

 and might not be taken quite as much by surprise as we would like.

 That is why the good Lord Stark is central to our plans."

 "He has the most men available to hand."

 "He does, though the numbers of his men decline week on week as

 more of them brave the Narrow Sea to return to the frozen

 wastelands that they call home. Although, many of them are instead

 opting for those so called 'marriage fairs' that have sprung up in the

 southern areas of the Riverlands. Anyway, it's not important how they

 leave, only that they are leaving. Lord Stark will not return until his

 wife has pupped, but the critical thing is having enough men at

 hand."

 "And Ser Addam….."

 "The lad is blithely unaware, as far as I can tell, and though the Lord

 Regent does include him on affairs of state, Ser Addam's main

 concern appears to be avoiding getting betrothed."

 "He is not a sword swallower is he?" Lady Misery asked.

 "No, just rather shy and seemingly unsure of himself with the level of

 attention he is receiving currently. The King is less shy but seems to

 be equally unaware that he is 'in play', thinking that his betrothal

 makes him immune from the plots of ambitions maidens and their

 equally ambitious parents."

"On that note I have already foiled at least one attempt to poison

 Princess Jaehaera."

 "Any idea who was behind this?"

 "No, it was arranged through intermediaries, who have either gone to

 ground or who have provided false or dead-end leads."

 "So professional work then?"

 "Looks like it."

 "Well done in thwarting it anyway, the princess is key to keeping

 things relatively stable, both now and well… Afterwards….Oh and

 Ser Addam? I think we can discount the lad, and if he looks like

 being a problem he can be dealt with."

 "That might cause problems…" Lady Misery cautioned.

 "It might, but we might only have to detain the lad sufficiently so that

 he, or more importantly his dragon, cannot intervene at an

 inopportune moment."

 "That might be the preferable option, though Ser Addam might be

 able to be brought around to, if not support, at least not oppose, the

 new arrangements…."

 "Yes, he is a personal friend of Prince Hugh, and it would be good to

 retain this friendship, if only for its likely placatory effect on Prince

 Hugh."

 "I believe that Prince Hugh might have him in mind for one of the

 Lannister chits…" added the whore turned spy mistress.

 "The poor sod, he will bankrupt House Velaryon trying to keep either

 one of those golden-haired cunts in the style they are accustomed

 to."

Which reminded him, he was the last of his line and still able to attain

 and sustain a commendable cock stand, upon returning to his former

 standing in life he would be in sore need of a wife at short notice.

 With so many noble maids in the Red Keep there was a surfeit of

 likely candidates, but he was not exactly in a position to court any of

 them now was he? So, the sooner he could bring his plans to fruition

 the better and re-emerge into the life of the Red Keep with a position

 on the Small Council of King Aegon, second of his name. And he

 needed to find one that did not mind either his age or his club foot,

 though he expected that once he regained his status and let it be

 known that he was looking for a wife, her would have at the very

 least a modicum of choice in the matter. He would prefer a girl with

 at least a decent head on her shoulders, and moderately attractive of

 possible.

 "And the Lord Regent?" he asked, wondering if this particular gambit

 would pay off.

 "Hooked," Lady Misery replied, "he has become dependent on

 certain agents of his that are in fact mine."

 "Excellent, and the tales that have been spun to him?"

 "Of your, and Lord Ormund's treachery and duplicity?" Lady Misery

 smirked cruelly.

 "Those very same ones," he chuckled, showing that he bore no ill

 will to her use of such names to describe what he was letting be

 whispered into the ears of the Lord Regent.

 "I am sure he will act upon them, there is some evidence that he

 plans to act within the next moon or so."

 "It seems as if things are aligning nicely, don't you think my dear

 Lady Misery?"

 "Don't be too cocky now, things can still go wrong…."

"Mayhaps, but if we are careful, no matter what happens we should

 at the very least survive to try again another day."

 "You ascribe far too high an assumption on your own survival Lord

 Strong," the whore replied coldly.

 "My survival, such as it is, is in your capable hands my Lady Misery,"

 he replied, letting only sufficient irony creep into his voice.

 "And never forget it Lord Strong!"

 Such a shame that the Lady Misery would have to be disposed of

 once all this was over, her network was genuinely useful. But alas,

 such was the way of things, for the games they played were played

 for this highest of stakes, their very lives.