The dawn was gray and cold, the mist curling around Harrenhal like a living thing. Althea awoke with the clarity of purpose that had become her constant companion. The Black Stag was real in its effect, if not in form a hidden threat among her allies, moving pieces on the board that would determine her survival.
She dressed quietly, her gown muted in color but elegant, projecting authority without arrogance. Every detail mattered posture, gaze, gesture. Today, she would make her first decisive move.
Peter appeared silently, as always. His expression was calm but his eyes glimmered with approval.
"You have observed, measured, and calculated," he said softly. "Now you act. Subtlety is your friend, but precision is your weapon."
Althea nodded. "I understand. The Black Stag must be exposed without revealing that I know."
Peter's lips twitched. Good. You have learned discretion. And patience.
Her first step was to gather intelligence. Althea summoned her growing network a combination of servants, guards, and sympathetic minor lords. Each had whispered doubts, small grievances, or ambitions that could be directed toward her ends.
A maid from the kitchens, sharp-eyed and observant, reported that Lord Rodwood had been speaking with another lord from the Vale in hushed tones near the armory. A soldier confirmed that the so-called Black Stag had requested to review troop positions, ostensibly to plan defense but perhaps to gather sensitive information.
All pieces moving. Let's see who moves first.
Althea prepared a subtle trap. She sent a carefully worded letter to Lord Rodwood, ostensibly from her father, praising his loyalty but hinting at rewards for vigilance and insight. The letter contained subtle suggestions about troop deployments and minor strategies that, if leaked, would reveal the Black Stag's intentions without endangering her.
She also left a token gift for the other lords a small, decorative dagger engraved with the family crest, a reminder of her presence and influence. Observers would see her generosity,conspirators would see it as leverage.
Every move must provoke reaction. Every reaction is information.
The first council meeting of the day was a test. Althea arrived early, observing the lords as they filed into the hall. The tension was palpable. Everyone knew Harrenhal was unstable; rumors of plots, betrayals, and intrigue hung in the air like smoke.
When the meeting began, Althea spoke carefully about minor troop deployments and alliances, dropping hints to gauge loyalty. The Black Stag concealed in the guise of a cautious lord from the North took the bait.
"You suggest placing men here?" the Northern lord asked, his tone measured but sharp. "Would that not leave your own holdings vulnerable?"
Althea's gaze was calm. "It is a calculated risk," she said. "But only a fool ignores opportunity when the safety of the realm is at stake."
The lord hesitated. Small gestures betrayed his inner calculations the tightening of his jaw, the way he glanced at Rodwood. Thread pulled.
By the end of the meeting, Althea had observed reactions from multiple lords. Some sought her guidance eagerly, others hid suspicion behind polite smiles. The Black Stag was now on alert the first step of exposure achieved.
Afternoon brought more subtle maneuvers. Althea orchestrated a series of casual encounters whispered questions in the hallways, accidental meetings near the armory, and carefully placed notes. Each interaction was designed to test loyalty and provoke reaction.
Her first moral dilemma emerged unexpectedly. A young squire, loyal to one of the minor lords, approached her with nervous hesitation.
"My lady," he whispered, eyes wide, "they plan to poison the wine at tonight's feast. They do not know I spoke to you. What should I do?"
Althea's pulse quickened. Exposure would save the squire, but it might also reveal her hand and destabilize her growing influence. Silence would maintain her position but risk the squire's life.
She weighed the choices. Every move has consequence. Every action carries risk.
Finally, she decided. "Tell no one. But be careful observe and report discreetly to me."
The squire's eyes widened. "I, I will try, my lady."
Althea nodded. Small sacrifices, carefully calculated, maintain the larger game.
As dusk approached, she prepared for the evening feast. Lords and ladies gathered, the hall filled with flickering torches and the soft hum of conversation. Althea moved among them, a smile playing on her lips, her presence commanding yet subtle.
She engaged in casual conversations, planting rumors, gauging reactions, and guiding discussions without appearing to lead. Every word, glance, and gesture was deliberate, a thread in the intricate web she wove.
During the feast, the Black Stag still hidden among the lords made a misstep. Overconfident and believing himself unseen, he suggested a troop movement in a tone meant to gauge Althea's knowledge.
Althea smiled faintly, allowing a subtle signal to Rodwood. The information was quietly redirected to her loyal observers, confirming the Black Stag's duplicity.
Trap closed. Piece exposed.
Later, alone in her chambers, Althea reviewed the day's events. The Black Stag was partially exposed, her alliances strengthened, and her influence growing. Yet the moral cost weighed heavily even small choices, like sparing the squire, carried consequences that rippled outward.
Her dreams returned, darker and more vivid. She saw herself standing at the center of a battlefield, lords and soldiers arrayed like pieces on a chessboard. The Black Stag lurked in the shadows, a dagger poised to strike. And above it all, the Old Gods whispered:
Power is a web, child. Every thread matters. Every choice has its price.
Althea pressed her hand to her chest. I will pay the price. I will survive. I will rise.
The shadows of Harrenhal seemed to lean closer, watching a new strategist weave her web. The first move against the Black Stag was successful, but the game had only just begun. Allies had been tested, threats identified, and subtle power established.
Tomorrow promised further tests alliances to strengthen, betrayals to uncover, and moves that would set the stage for her rise.
And Althea, once a mere observer from another world, was ready to master the board, one calculated decision at a time.