10th Moon, 8023

The Eyrie

The high hall of the Eyrie was as crowded as Ronnel Arryn had ever seen it. Lords great and small from all over the Vale had made the pilgrimage to the castle, not all of them had been necessarily invited, but when word of Loren Lannisters rebellion had reached the Eyrie, rumors of a certain raven reaching the Eyrie had also circulated throughout the realm, and the Lords of the Vale were eager to give their input, desired or not.

Ronnel removed one of his hands from the sides of his carved weirwood throne and ran it through his golden hair as he surveyed the high hall, which was packed with several small groups of lords conversing amongst themselves, though Lord Robin Redfort and fat Lord Eon Hunter of Longbow Hall seemed to be more interested in the company of their wine cups than any of their compatriots.

The carved wooden doors opened and a tall man with orange hair tied in a bun and piercing green eyes walked in, leaning on a cane as his wooden leg and cane clacked upon the marble floor.

How did he manage to get up here Ronnel thought, not entirely pleased to see that Qarl Corbray had made his way to the council, Lord Corbray was a warmonger and a ruthless one at that, Ronnel had a feeling he knew where the lord of Hearts Home stood on the current situation.

I should have started yesterday Ronnel thought ruefully, if he had begun the proceedings the previous day he would not have had to deal with Qarl Corbray….the Lord of the Vale had no intention of making the same mistake twice.

‘’My lords……it is past time we began.’’ Ronnel Arryn said, rising from his throne of white carved Weirwood. His voice did not carry over the commotion of a dozen separate conversations however and he was ignored.

‘’My lords.’’ He began again but to the same effect.

Suddenly his wife Kalianne rose from her smaller throne and clapped her hands together, loudly, which got their attention.

‘’My Lords….My Ladies….we welcome you to the Eyrie…and thank you all for making the journey in such a tenuous time….we offer you bread and salt and extend our hospitality to you all.’’ His wife said, waving for servants who had been waiting in the back to finish offering the ancient rite of hospitality.

Kalianne looked to Ronnel with a small smile as the nobility received bread and salt, Ronnel gave a nod of thanks and made his way to the dais to address his vassals.

He waited until the hall was completely silent before speaking.

‘’As your liege Lord it is my duty to inform you, my vassals of pertinent developments in the realm and events which could affect our circumstances…..my lords….Loren Lannister and the Westerlands are in open revolt against the crown….the Darklyns of Duskendale have joined with them’’ Ronnel said, though he was not met with quite the reception he had been hoping for.

‘’Everyone knows that.’’ replied Demerei Wydman, the lady of Wycliffe, overlord of the Fingers, and owner of one of the largest demenses and levies in the Vale.

‘’Aye…..tell us about the raven.’’ Eon Hunter said, his fleshly face as red as the wine he loved so much.

Ronnel bristled at that ‘’I'm not in the habit of sharing personal correspondence.’’

‘’My Lord Arryn, perhaps if we knew the contents of this letter we would be able to better counsel you.’’ Lord Wallace Waynwood said courteously, running a hand through his long unkempt gray beard that made him look like one of the wizards from the childrens stories.

‘’Why invite us here if you had no intention of sharing the news with us ’’ Eon Hunter said.

You weren't invited, you drunken fool Ronnel thought to himself, in truth his vassals had simply begun showing up once word of the troubles to the west spread throughout the Vale.

‘’You need not say it in words….there is only one reason Lord Loren would send you a raven…he wants the Knights of the Vale.’’ A quiet, harsh voice from the back of the hall replied, the voice of Qarl Corbray.

Ronnel was speechless at that before his wife nodded and stepped in front of him.

Dont he thought, but the words would not come to his mouth, once his wife had her mind set on something there was no stopping her.

‘’You speak the truth Lord Corbray…Loren Lannister has sent terms to my Lord Husband, in exchange for the Knights of the Vale he will recognize my husband as King of Mountain and Vale as well as the Vales independence, he proposes an alliance, which following victory, will be sealed by marriages…Lannister claims the Vale and the Westerlands are natural allies in this struggle.’’ His wife said, causing a loud murmur to erupt throughout the hall.

‘’The Vale should be free once more…the time is right.’’ A voice in the crowd said.

‘’Thousands of Valemen will die if we join with the Lannisters….is a crown worth their blood my Lord.’’ Robin Redfort said, sounding surprisingly coherent for the amount of wine he had been drinking.

‘’The Sistermen are aligned with the Targaryens….my island and keep is just over a days travel by ship from the damnable pirates.’’ Peter Pryor, lord of the tiny island of Pebble declared nervously.

‘’Are you both so cowardly that you would afear Sistermen and foreign invaders….when the sagas and songs are written of this day you will not be well represented.’’ old Alaric Belmore declared, running a hand over his small gray mustache.

‘’Im no coward….I just know the costs of war…do your precious songs and sagas tell of the murder of farmers and rape of women and children Lord Belmore?’’ Redfort replied.

Ronnel decided that this bickering had gone on long enough and cleared his throat ‘’All of these points notwithstanding, I swore a vow to the Targaryens, both to Aegon when I was a child and again to his son in Oldtown.’’

‘’Oaths are not meant to be broken…..if you break your oath Lord Arryn then it will be a stain not only on your honor but those of your children.’’ Old Lord Waynwood replied.

‘’Oaths are made in the sight of the seven, and an oath made to an abomination of incest has no merit…you speak of honor and duty Lord Waynwood, honor compels that we remove the stain on our honor as Valemen attained from serving such accursed Kings….we should have never sworn loyalty to them in the first place.’’ Lady Demerei Wydman said, voice shrill with the righteous fury of a zealot.

Qarl Corbray gave a nod of approval at that ‘’The Targaryens are ill-made and ill-birthed foreigners from across the sea, our people have lived here for centuries, our period of subjugation will end…but only if we do what needs to be done…we will burn away their sin with steel and fire.’’

A roar of approval rang out through the hall.

‘’Your own uncle Gawen is apart of King Vaemonds Kingsguard.’’ Wallace Waynwood said with shock.

Qarl shrugged indifferently ‘’It's about time Lady Forlorn returned to Hearts Home.’’

‘’I say we join with the Lannisters, we pay taxes both to Lord Arryn and to the Crown ever since the conquest….i've had enough of it.’’ Lord Hunter said.

Ronnel had had enough of this bickering, which he presumed would go on for hours more. Without a word he rose from his throne and slipped out of the High Hall, his absence barely noticed by his lords. His wife followed close behind.

‘’Ronnel.’’ She said from behind him but he did not answer her, he would not do the dishonor of rebuking her in public.

When they were at last behind the closed doors of their chambers he finally spoke.

‘’My lady…..you should not have told them of Loren Lannisters terms…..you had no right…I could have quietly refused him, but now my vassals are all calling for war.’’ Ronnel said gently.

‘’And why would you have refused him?’’ She asked, seemingly unaffected by his chastisement.

‘’I don't seek to increase my own power…especially not at the price of thousands of lives….I rule the Vale now….it is enough.’’ He replied.

‘’Winning this war isn't about gaining power….its about taking back what you once had….you were a King Ronnel…and the Targaryens stole that from you.’’ She said.

‘’I was a child.’’ He said hesitantly.

‘’A King…..you were Ronnel Arryn, King of the Mountains and Vale…and they took it from you.’’ She said, placing a hand on his chest.

‘’I…I swore an oath to the King….The Targaryens have done me no wrong….they see the value of my service….his father sent his son, Prince Matarys to be fostered here in the Eyrie.’’ Ronnel continued.

His wife scoffed ‘’If they had wished to honor you they would have given the boy to you as a ward…not Nestor Royce….they sent a child to live in your own halls but didnt think you capable enough to raise him.’’

Ronnel was silent at that, he had never thought about it like that, he had grown quite close to the younger Prince Matarys during his time in the Eyrie, but he suddenly realized how insulting it was that he was not made the princes guardian despite the boy residing in his own keep.

‘’I should have been given guardianship of the boy.’’ Ronnel grumbled, suddenly annoyed and embarrassed at the slight.

Kalianne ran a hand through his hair slowly ‘’Our sons could be Kings and Princes Ronnel, I would be a Queen…..and you…you would be King Ronnel Arryn again, Lord of Mountains and Vale, overlord of the Mountains of the Moon….it is your destiny…you must take back what is yours.’’

She leaned in close, whispering in his ear ‘’You just have to be bold enough to reach out and take it.’’

The hair on the back of Ronnels head rose.

King Ronnel Arryn He thought to himself, suddenly aware that had been his name once.

He took her hand and nodded slowly.