Chapter 18
Lannisport, Ninth Moon, 282 A.C., Two days later…
Myrra stood across from me in a stunning red dress and gold trimmings and a beaming smile. Her house's maiden cloak wrapped around as she stood next to her father, Lord Harrold Lannister of Lannisport. Behind me was Ser Tygett Lannister of Casterly Rock across from Lady Darlessa Marbrand with her father, Ser Damon Marbrand and in between us was Septon Forley, clad in silver cloth and had a small crystal coronal atop his bald head. The Lannister men, regardless of branch, were wearing expensive red and gold tunics while Ser Damon and his daughter were wearing the Marbrand colors of smokey gray and orange. I was wearing a fine black tunic with white and blue trimmings to represent the Seastark colors, grasping the bride's cloak of my house.
"You may now cloak the brides, and bring them under your protection!" I'm brought out of my thoughts by the Septon's words. We recite the marriage vows of the Seven as her father removes the maiden cloak from her shoulders. When finished, I moved to wrapped the Seastark bride's cloak, the very same my father wrapped around my mother, around Myrra's shoulders before stepping back and clasping her hands.
"With this kiss I pledge my love." We say as one before I capture her lips in a brief kiss. "In the light of the Seven-Who-Are-One, these two couples are each one flesh, one heart, one soul, now and forever!" The Septon proclaims to cheers and applause across the Golden Sept of Lannisport. While smaller than the more well-known Starry Sept and Great Sept of Baelor, what the Golden Sept lacked in size, it made up for in opulence. True to its name, there was gold everywhere with different color gemstones dotting the pillars and walls. It had large multi-colored stained-glass windows, letting in colored light to reflect off the gold in the sept for a dazzling display that I found beautiful. I certainly had no intention of converting or anything, but I'm a sucker for great architecture since they reminded me of European cathedrals.
Crowded in the sept was what felt like all the Westerland highborn, a third of the Riverland houses, the Northern houses of the western shore, and a smattering of Crownland, Stormland and Vale houses cheered for us. Ser Tygett and his new wife began to walk down the aisle and I followed him with mine.
Myrra and I look over to what I mentally dubbed the VIP section that was made up of the houses of the married couples, the Baratheons minus Renly and Benjen Stark. Lord Stark and his wife weren't in attendance and had sent Benjen to represent House Stark.
I saw my family enthusiastically cheering with my now goodbrother, Burton Lannister and I waved back with my new lady-wife. I spot the royal couple giving polite applause with the king in a noticeably good mood. It didn't take a genius to figure out that it was because of the announcement they made the evening we arrived, that the queen was with child and was about one moon along. The queen briefly exchanged a look with her goodsister, Princess Cersei who herself sported a small baby bump of five moons, both women narrowing their eyes at one another before the princess turned her gaze back on us.
The way I found out Cersei's pregnancy was a short raven from Prince Stannis that made me laugh out loud alone in my solar. It simply read; I did my duty. I wrote back sending my congratulations asking him how things were in King's Landing and that became the start of our correspondence, short updates about our lives with no sensitive information for prying eyes. It was further confirmed by a small message smuggled out of the capital, written by Dagwell, the Northman I put as second-in-command of the King's Landing Wayfinders Guild. Not only did I leave the trustworthy servant behind so I could influence the new guilds as they slowly spread across Westeros, but to use the guild in the capital to farm talent by offering promotions to the Wolfsport guild. I also had him establish contacts with brothel owners willing to exchange information for money or favors. Dagwell's most notable contact in the capital, at least in my eyes, was a Summer Islander-run brothel run by a young Chataya.
Ser Jaime, or Ser Silence as he was mockingly called outside of earshot of any Lannisters, appeared both happy and awkward around his visibly pregnant twin. Ser Silence had replaced the Kingslayermoniker from the books and show since most lords believed that, while killing a king you swore an oath to guard was morally wrong, him doing it to prevent the Mad King from unleashing wyldfire on the city seemed to give him a pass from most of the highborn. The fact that he didn't initially report on its existence was what most lords condemned him for, giving him his new moniker.
I glance away, my smile growing larger with the knowledge that, even if the Lannister twins manage to find the time and privacy in the childhood home to indulge themselves, the child wouldn't be her brother's.
We followed Ser Tygett and the new Darlessa Lannister out of the Golden Sept as the bell tolled. "How do you feel now that you're Myrra Seastark, Lady of Sea Dragon Point?" I whisper to her and she continued to beam at me.
"Like a dream." She murmured. "I wasn't lying when I said I could do worse than you. Truth is, Lady of Sea Dragon is the best I could've hoped for." I looked at her with surprise.
"Really!? But you're a Lannister cadet branch!" I whisper in astonishment and her smile faltered. "Yes, but my father and grandfather were well-known supporters of the previous Warden of the West and the current one remembered." She said delicately. "We were kept at arm's length until we could pay off the loans to Casterly Rock, which was when I was invited to be friends with his daughter and later Burton was squired to Ser Tygett. My father was going to betrothed me to the Lantell heir, at least, until I met you…" She trailed off and her emerald eyes met mine. I'm interrupted from saying something as my family and the other VIPs come out of the sept with my mother throwing us a proud look as we all mounted horses to trot through the cleared streets of Lannisport to Casterly Rock standing imposingly less than a mile outside the city.
We rode with the other newlyweds in front with the Baratheons and families of the couples following behind. The smallfolk were kept back by the Lannisport city guard, not that they were disorderly or violent, quite the opposite, it was because there were so many of them. They were sending most of their praises and well wishes toward Ser Tygett and his new wife due to being Casterly Rock Lannisters, but some were given to Myrra and I.
"It's Lady Myrra and the Seawolf!" "Lioness of Wolfsport!" "May you be blessed with many children!" Myrra puffed up with pride hearing her new nickname from the smallfolk, at least the Westerland smallfolk, while I pondered the nickname that was apparently coined by Prince Stannis of all people. He noted the similarities of the Sunset trade fleet and company and the Corlys Velaryon's famous voyages and I almost regret drunkenly ranting about the Sea Snake to him.
"You made a good impression on my mother and siblings." I speak in a low voice to her as we smiled and waved.
"I'm glad, it was my father's idea to host your family for dinner last night in Castle Lannisport after a tour of the city." She answered back.
"My siblings enjoyed the tour, little Breyna especially, and worry not, my mother approves of you." I say and Myrra gives a brief sigh of relief since as a newly married lady, she knew having a bad relationship with my mother could make her life miserable. "Truly? She approves?" I couldn't see her face as we were both smiling and waving at the crowd but I could hear the hopeful tone in her voice.
"Aye, my mother might have to teach you a few things about running a Northern castle, but you proved to her you weren't some Southron floozy and impressed her." I say as she looked at me concerned. "Surly, she didn't think that little of me before we met?"
"Of course not, I'm exaggerating." I lied. Despite my assurances, my mother was genuinely concerned that I made my betrothal with Myrra thinking with my other head, and that I brought a "pretty-faced lackwit to Castle Warg". Thankfully, the dinner last night changed that when my mother saw how intelligent and well-read she was, later going to tell me she approved of her. My siblings and cousins grew to like her and Burton over the tour and dinner while my mother and Lord Harrold bonded over losing their spouses.
We pass through the gates of the city to the towering stone hill that is Casterly Rock. A full six miles long west to east, two miles wide north to south and over two thousand feet tall and Casterly Rock was built into the hill. Only a watchtower on top, slits for windows dotting the rock, and The Lion's Mouth, the main entrance to the Lannister's domain were the only evidence of the rock being inhabited. The entrance was an enormous natural cavern, reaching two hundred feet high, with a great stone stairway leading into its mouth, where massive gates opened for us to be let in. Myrra and I's eyes met as we entered The Lion's Mouth…
Later…
The reception dinner was the typical Lannister affair of expensive, high-quality food like roasted aurochs with my family awed by both Casterly Rock's extravagance and dinner with the royal family. They still couldn't get over the fact that I was friends with Prince Stannis, who I congratulated on his victory at Dragonstone to his begrudging thanks. To my surprise, the assault on Dragonstone almost the same as canon. My inventions were too small a change, in the grand scheme of things. It took Stannis nearly a year to build up a new royal fleet from scratch to challenge the demoralized but still numerous Targaryen loyalist fleet, only for a storm to wipe most of it out before Stannis could battle it. I assume Daenerys was stormborn and that they fled to Braavos if I remember correctly. There was, however, one notable change. A few days before the storm, Lord Lucerys Velaryon, admiral of the loyalist fleet left with at least half a dozen galleys and a single dromon to the Stepstones, where he's attempting to carve out his own little pirate kingdom. The prince told me he was declared an outlaw and the titles of Lord of the Tides and Master of Driftmark went to his young son Monford Velaryon, who came to the Red Keep and bent the knee, swearing fealty to both the king and Renly, the new Prince of Dragonstone.
After the dinner, I danced with Myrra with Ser Tygett and his wife for the first dance. After dancing with my new lady-wife among others, I see her with my goodsister Elsa and cousin Yara, determined not only to befriend them since she'll be living with us, but to introduce them to her friends. She's currently across the grand hall introducing them to her friends Lady Jeyne Clifton nee Farman and Lady Sybelle Westerling nee Spicer.
I take sip of spiced honey wine with bits of ice floating in the amber-colored liquid, finding the chilled beverage surprising refreshing in the warm days of summer.
"Are there any sea dragons at Sea Dragon Point?" I'm brought out of memories of ice-cold juices, sodas, and beer from another world by a small, nine nameday old Tyrion Lannister looking up at me innocently. He was an interesting mix of the books and show, looking like a young Peter Dinklage but with fair blonde hair that could almost be mistaken for white and heterochromia of one green eye and one dark brown, almost black eye. I look down and smile at him.
"The Warg Kings of House Greenwood were said to have encountered and even hunted sea dragons during the Dawn Age and Age of Heroes. There have been no known sightings of sea dragons since the Starks conquered them. Must've scared them away." I say with a jape at the end and Tyrion chuckles.
I glance above the young dwarf, across the largest of multiple grand halls within Casterly Rock, because of course there was more than one, spotting the table with the large block of ice I've gifted to the wedding. Five foot long, two feet wide and high block of ice that had already been halfway chiseled through by a servant. The chiseled ice is put into jewel-encrusted serving bowls where it is scooped up by lords and ladies in small gold serving spoons, being in use by multiple highborn with a small queue forming next to the table. While the ice block could have sold for a pretty penny, donating it to my own wedding provided me with both iced drinks to enjoy, and effective advertising for our ice trade. Considering I already had my goodfather, Lord Farman, and a few other Westerlords making inquiries about purchasing ice, I'd say it was a success.
"Oh! I've read about the Warg Kings! They were supposedly skinchangers that ruled from Sea Dragon Point, vying for control of the Wolfswood against the Blackwoods until the Starks united the North!" Tyrion said excitedly. I arched an eyebrow at him.
"Few Southroners have heard of the Warg Kings, and most that do only know of their skinchanging abilities and their war with the Starks, not their feud with the Blackwoods." I comment with an impressed tone that caused Tyrion to smile shyly.
"I read it in a copy of History of the Seven Kingdoms by Maester Axel." He said before his tone grew more excited. "Is it true that some of the Warg Kings could skinchange into up to six animals?"
I shrug. "While I don't know about those specific Warg Kings, I do know its possible to skinchange into six animals." I say, the image of Varamyr Sixskins comes to my mind, though he might not have the six skins yet.
"Skinchanging? Sounds like snarks and grumpkins to me." I heard a new voice and turned to see Ser Jaime Lannister walking up with his heavily pregnant wife, Lady Shiera Lannister nee Crakehall. They had married several moons ago after Ser Jaime's expulsion from the Whitecloaks, with his father pushing him to have an heir as soon as possible.
"Ser Jaime, Lady Shiera." I greet them politely. "I assure you, skinchanging may be extinct south of the Wall, but beyond it, skinchangers can be found." I remembered the strange dream I had of swimming in the ocean with a pod of orcas and while I certainly hoped it could be a sign that I was skinchanging, I couldn't be sure. I've had lucid dreams before, and I didn't want to get my hopes up just for it to be one of those.
"Really?" Tyrion looked up at me with curious eyes.
"Aye. The Night's Watch has written of them and the North encounters them in raids and invasions." I explain while seeing Lady Shiera glance at the dancefloor before getting her husband's attention. The Lannister heir turns his head to look at what his wife is looking at and his smirk gets wider.
"It seems our Lannisport cousins have acquired a taste for Northerners!" He noted with amusement and I follow their gaze to see Lady Dacey Mormont dancing with my goodbrother Burton Lannister. The two dancing didn't surprise me, what did was that they were both smiling, deep in conversation.
"I do believe they're on their fifth song together." Lady Shiera notes with amusement. As if on cue, the song finishes and for a moment, it seems like they were about to do the same thing I did with Myrra when we first met and go over the limit. But in the end, the two separate reluctantly, both finding new partners in a lady from House Paege and the Lanett heir. Or is that the Lanny heir? I don't know, they all sort of look alike.
"I heard the queen's new lady-in-waiting also dons armor as a spearwife. Is this true Lord Seastark?" The Lannister twin asks, his perpetual smirk making him hard to read. His wife makes a scandalous expression and Tyrion looks at Lady Dacey with surprise.
"Shieldmaiden. Wildlings have spearwives, Northernerns have shieldmaidens." I politely correct him. "And aye, she is a shieldmaiden, dons armor, and spars. Such practices are uncommon but not unheard of in the North. Over the centuries it has mostly fallen out of practice in the North, with the exceptions being Bear Island, the hill clans, and the Wolfswood clans." I explain. Ser Jaime and his wife seemed to find the idea of women warriors amusing while Tyrion looked fascinated.
"A shieldmaiden for a lady-in-waiting? It seems the queen has an…interesting mix of Northern, Riverland and Vale ladies-in-waiting." Ser Silence says while looking at his wife.
"Indeed. I heard she's become fast friends with Lady Arryn and yet is…distantto your sister." His wife responds, subtly alluding to rumors of the queen and princess not getting along with one another. I see the queen with the king, whose happily drunk demeanor contrasted with her more sober, regal look. I see her exchange another look with Princess Cersei, whose smug grin contrasted with her husband's stone-face.
"I heard it's not that bad." I say slowly. At least according to Stannis and Dagwell, the petty feud they were having wasn't bad per se, but it was enough for courtiers to notice and rumors to be spun. It didn't particularly surprise me that they weren't getting along, Cersei has always been petty and vindictive and the queen didn't seem the type to take bullshit from others so in my mind, they were inevitably going to butt heads.
"Well, think of it this way. You made a nice speech earlier about your marriage being the bridge between the Starks and Lannisters. If it does get bad enough, you can get called to King's Landing and be that bridge!" Ser Jaime japed and I grimace at the thought of having to go back to the capital. Partly at the memory of the foul stench of the city, and partly at the thought of having to keep the peace between the Baratheon wives if the brothers were uninterested or worse, unable, to do it themselves. I open my mouth to respond when I'm suddenly cut off by a booming voice.
"TIME FOR THE BEDDING!" I hear the king shout and suddenly, as if out of nowhere, I'm swarmed by mainly Westerland and Northern ladies. I see Myrra being picked up by lords with Wyman, my brother Edric, Ser Maynard and Prince Stannis moving to join the group and make sure no one got too handsy with her. Most of the focus during the bedding is on the bride and making sure the men stripping keep it within proprietary but there were no protections for the groom. The ladies strip me of my clothes as they took us through the winding, maze like corridors within Casterly Rock as they groped me and made bawdy expressions involving wolves and lionesses.
"THEY'VE TIED THE KNOT! SO NOW IT'S TIME TO GIVE HER THE KNOT!" I heard them sing as the last bit of clothes were ripped off me and I felt dozens of hands groping my back, chest, abdomen and especially my ass and crotch. It was somewhat awkward getting my ass pinched by my goodsister only for Lady Jeyne to immediately grab my crotch with a mischievous grin on her face.
I hear more puns about knots, pussycats and swimming but they're not as bad as the faint "-STICK IT IN THE WARM HOLE OF THE BURNING TREE!" pun I hear in the distance as Ser Tygett and Lady Darlessa are taken to a different wing of Casterly Rock. Eventually, Myrrah and I are taken to a large, luxurious bedroom where we're dumped on the silk sheets of the bed, naked as the day we were born as the drunken lords and ladies cheer and continue to provide bawdy and lewd encouragement. We scramble underneath the covers to complete the bedding ceremony as my friend the prince looks on stoically.
"Lord Seastark, I take it you remember my advice…" His voice cutting through the lords and ladies around him and drawing their attention. My eyes flicker to Myrra's golden blonde hair and then to her blushing cheeks and puzzled expression.
"Aye, my prince, I do." I respond with a wolfish grin without looking at the prince. I then surge forward to capture Myrra's lips with mine, ignoring the cheering lords begin the leave the room as we begin working on making a wolf-lion. Or is it a lion-wolf...?
Late next morning…
Myrra and I made our way through the halls of Casterly Rock with her arms wrapped around my elbow, having woken up recently tired, sore, and happy. We passed by lords and ladies giving us knowing grins to where the Seastark guest quarters were located and entered to find my family having an early lunch with my goodfather and good brother.
"There they are! How are the newlyweds this morning?" Lord Harrold says jovially as we're greeted by our families.
"We are doing well, goodfather, I certainly have no complaints about my new lady-wife…" I trail off and am rewarded by chuckles at the table and a soft smack on my arm by a blushing Myrra.
"You're one to laugh brother, don't think I didn't see you enjoying yourself with Lady Dacey! Will we eventually see a She-Bear of Lannisport?" Myrra teases her brother. He faintly blushes at the table's chuckling as we take our seats. I see my goodfather mulling over the idea of his son and heir marrying a Mormont, an unsure expression on his face as he chewed.
Two plates are placed in front of us after a moment and I'm shocked to see it's a ham and cheese toasty, like the one I made in the capital a year ago. I glance over to see a smirking Wyman take a bite from the toasty in his hands.
"So, what are you and Wyman doing at this… directors meeting of your trade company?" My mother asks me, pausing slightly at the unfamiliar term while cutting a piece of toasty with a knife and fork. I ignore the blatant sandwich-based blasphemy occurring in front of my eyes to answer her question.
"Not much for the inaugural meeting, mostly meeting to officially incorporate the company, vote in Gerion Lannister as the new Lord Director, and go over the expanded route throughout the islands. Lord Lannister is providing his brother with a large map of the Summer Islands written in Common Tongue."
"What's our share of the company?" My mother asks.
"Lord Mallister and I both hold three-and-ten percent stake in the company, with Lord Lannister having the most at five-and-twenty percent. Combined we have majority control of the company with the remaining nine-and-forty percent split between the investors." I explain as I take a bite of the toasty in my hands and suppress a sigh when I see Myrra copy my mother in committing culinary blasphemy with knife and fork.
"What are you going to do afterwards?" My brother asks me and I shrug.
"I don't know. Probably double-check everything for the expedition, I guess." I roll my eyes when I hear my family groan.
"Cousin, you don't need to worry over us like a nanny." My cousin japes before suddenly lost in thought. "Now that I think about it. Did you follow the prince's advice?" He asks and I hear an embarrassed Eep! from Myrra as the memory of yanking her golden hair while we did it doggy style flashes before both our minds.
"Why yes I did cousin." I say with a wolfish grin and a blush on my cheeks…
The next morning…
"I checked again. You should have plenty of barrels of fermented cabbage for the journey but be sure to add lemons and limes when available to fight off scurvy." I tell Wyman about the good state of the supply of sauerkraut I had made for the crews to get vitamin-C.
"Yes, cousin, you've told the crews and I about this 'sea vitamin' that keeps scurvy at bay." He cuts me off before I can correct him. "Worry not, we're as prepared as we can possibly be. We've got enough supplies for weeks at open sea if we ration, wayfinders and backstaffs to help us navigate, over a dozen war galleys as escorts including a squadron from the Sunset Fleet, and a diverse range of trade goods including a lot of metals. The rest is up to the Old Gods."
I stare at the excited, yet determined look on his face before sighing. "Aye. That's what has me worried." He clasps his hand on my shoulder.
"There some things only the gods control, cousin." I nod at his words.
"Alright, remember, you have my full authority to make trade deals in my name but not make any betrothals." I state only for my cousin to laugh. "Don't worry cousin, I won't betroth your unborn daughter to a Summer Islander prince!" I roll my eyes at his jape but got his attention.
"One more thing." I whisper and immediately he looks alert. "The Summer Islanders are said to have explored much of Sothoryos, Ulthos, and even the Sunset Sea. I know not how true this is, but look to obtain any maps of unexplored regions of the world, preferably through legal means. As for explored regions, try to get maps on Ibben and Yi-Ti." I inform him of a side-objective of the expedition is to get more maps of unexplore regions if possible and he solemnly nods.
"Good. Now go say goodbye to Elsa! She's carrying your child after all!" I smile and send him off to a tearful goodbye with his wife. She was at least three moons along and the child will be born before Wyman returns. From Lannisport it's about two moons to the Summer Islands, they'll spend about three to four moons there, sailing the islands, meeting with princes and princesses, and setting up trade posts. After that, it's another three to four moons back to Wolfsport including stops, meaning Wyman and the Northern convoy won't return for about eight to ten moons.
I see Wyman give Elsa a deep kiss before leaving her arms and making his way toward the galley he'll be commanding as Lord Captain of the convoy. He passes by me, flashing a wide smile through misty eyes and I wave at him, knowing we'll head back to Wolfsport tomorrow.
We watch the first trade expedition of the Sunset Trade Company sail off into the calm, morning sea…
Tenth moon, 282 A.C., three weeks later…
We sail into the bay with Wolfsport in the distance. I spot my lady-wife with her two handmaids, septa, Ser Maynard, his wife, three daughters and one son standing towards the bow of the ship looking at the approaching city. I walk toward them and as I get closer, I begin to hear their words.
"That's Wolfsport!?" "It's smaller and grayer than home!" "A city this large with no sept!" "I think it's somewhat nice!" "Look! There's Castle Warg!"
Ser Maynard notices my approach first and bows. "Lord Seastark!" His actions drawing the attention of the group, who bow and curtsy to their new lord.
"Myrra…" I begin to say but I'm cut off by a young voice.
"Look! Spotted whales!" I hear Ser Maynard's young son say out loud before the knight shushes him. Myrra and I look over to see a pod of spotted whales swimming in the distance, closer to the city. From the way they're swimming, they seem to be feeding on a large school of fish, possibly salmon from the river that runs north of the city. The dream of me swimming in the ocean briefly flashes across my mind. When our ships passed them, I noticed one spotted whale break off from the pod and make its way toward my ship, at least until a slightly bigger one swam up and corralled it back to the pod.
Thinking this strange, I look over toward Castle Warg. The only difference was at the entrance of the tiny castle hamlet, there were several large piles of gravel, concrete, stones and other materials ready to be used in the construction of a roman-style paved road. Or at least the closest I could make it due to lack of easy access to volcanic ash, but it should still be a strong, long-lasting road. Halfway between the castle and the city I see a walled area containing the multiple kilns needed for concrete production before turning to Myrra.
"My dear lady-wife…" I say as I stare into her emerald eyes. "…I can't wait to show you your new home! We have a much happening at the moment, and you get to be apart of it." Myrra beams at me before turning her gaze to her new home…
A/N: The marriage is sealed (mostly, they'll still do an Old Gods wedding at Castle Warg but I didn't feel like writing another wedding scene.) The trade expedition is finally off to the Summer Islands and Hugo is free to stay put in Sea Dragon Point to continue improving his lands. I'm not entirely happy with this chapter but I got it done despite my work schedule and writer's block. While I did want to write more about the wedding, I also didn't want to make it another two-parter and wanted to pick up the pace a bit.
Enjoy