You are the head of a House in the Reach

[OmnomnomPomelo]

User James Steller started this kind of game, I really like it and just got an idea. Maybe it's good, maybe it's bad.

So you are the head of a House in the Reach. You are sworn to House Caswell, and a few lesser Houses are sworn to you, so you are not a noname Lordling. In your 40s, and have twins plus 2 daughters. In the past you married for duty, not for love. During the years of your marriage you were not able to fell in love with your wife, so you made sure you will have children, and then spent more time far away from your home, for example there was some outlaws and you helped to defeat them instead of staying home etc. You stopped to go away from home when your wife died during childbirth, thus you have a good relationship only with your youngest daughter.

Your oldest daughter is 20 years old and married the only son and heir of Lord Ashford. About 9 months ago her husband died during a knights' tournament in Highgarden, but now your daughter gave birth to a healthy boy who should be the heir of Lord Ashford. And now comes the problem.

Deep wounds heal slowly (or never). The beloved daughter of Lord Ashford married the heir of Lord Peake, the Peakes who once held 3 castles but currently owns only 1. Since your House is sworn to the Caswells, your ancestors were fighting in the Blackfyre Rebellion on the side of the red dragon, while the Peakes on the side of the black one. It is widely known that your twins (this daughter and your son) spent a lot of time together always. So the daughter of Lord Ashford and the Peakes started to spread a rumor that there's more than "brotherly love" between your twins, and the newborn boy is a product of incest.

Lord Ashford loves this daughter of his, who started to spread the rumor, the most and never liked to tell her no, but he's not stupid. So he tells you in private that he can see 2 choices:

1) Let your daughter in his house and he will protect them and later name the boy his heir. However if the boy won't be any similar in appearance to his kin, then he will make your daughter and her son to disappear forever and ruin your House with the Peakes and with Tyrell help ( the sister of Lord Ashford is married to a Tyrell).

2) Bring them home. You can lie that he is the son of some household knight or someone, and his daughter's future son will be his heir. But with this move you show him you don't trust your children, and later even if the boy will look like Ashford, he will have no any right to claim Lordship.

Your only son and heir, twin brother of your mentioned daughter. His first wife was an Oakheart girl who died during pregnancy and you didn't become good friends with the Oakhearts due to the short relationship. His current wife is from House Webber, which was on the red dragon's side too, but they got no any child yet. You tell about the problems to your son. He swears it's bullshit, but you 2 always kept a distance so you can't be sure he tells the truth or not, also he visited his sister a lot of times and even before her husband died.

He is a really skilled warrior and earned himself a name. He tells you that he demands a trial by combat to stop the rumors and is ready to challenge any man of the Peakes. But it means if he dies you should agree to the rumor and you will have only daughters and a few years old bastard born grandson.

Middle daughter is 17. She is hard to controll. Is not a virgin, had some affairs already, but luckily you could held them in secret...save for one.

A few years ago you took the son of a friend as your ward. Their House is a little one and your friend is not even the Lord and has no chance to be it. However the boy made your daughter pregnant. Son of a friend or not, didn't matter, you sent the boy away in your anger and your daughter gave birth to a boy, coz you couldn't force her to drink moon tea.

She is really beautiful and in spite of having a bastard born son, she got marriage proposals, from what the 2 most importants are:

-the second son of Lord Oakheart, who knows your daughter due to the previous marriage of your son. He is about 30, and will be never Lord Oakheart, coz his older brother has more sons already.

-Lord Rowan who is older than you and he even has grandchildren, so he probably wants your daughter for passion.

Also your ex-ward returned as a hedge knight, wants to meet his son and marry your daughter. He is the closest in age to her and she wants him, but you hated him for what he did.

Youngest daughter is 13. She always was and is a pretty and clever girl. 2 years ago you visited Oldtown for some reason and she insisted to bring her with yourself, so you did. You accidentally met Lord Hightower who really liked your daughter and offered you to marry her to his son and heir when the time comes. Now rumors reached him and sent you a message: if it will be sure that your oldest daughter's newborn is really born of incest, he will break the marriage.

The rumor spreads faster than you thought and to your surprise Lord Blackmont from Dorne offers you his help against the Peakes, and to make you believe him he offers marriage between your youngest daughter and one of his sons. Also the Blackmonts are allies to the Daynes (of High Hermitage) and the Qorgyles through marriages.

Your daughter spent some time with the Hightowers, likes his husband-to-be and Oldtown very much, but she knows your House is in a really bad situation now so she agrees to marry the Blackmont if you want.

What do you do?

[Sparklehorse]

Oh man what a hard question. I guess I'd go with the first one, it was hard yet for long term strategy and thinking, it could bring stability to the house. Only if there is agreement with my children, I know I don't live in Westeros and am modern, yet I couldn't depict a situation where I'd just sent off a daughter without second thought.

Marry into the Hightowers. That's an oppurtunity that can't be missed, they are freaking rich and powerful.

Middle daughter Lord Oakheart. You've already got the youngest with the Hightowers, that's a bit over reaching.

My son, myself and my family would have to endure with the rumours. There's no way I'm losing an heir, even if the chances of winning are high.

interesting question.

[The Dames do Moan]

I think the biggest thing here is making sure you are able to get your youngest daughter wed to the heir of the Hightowers in Oldtown. If we are vassals of the Caswell I'm assuming I live by Bitterbridge. Hightowers are not exactly close then, but the threat of their involvement would really probably cause the Peakes to think twice.

First thing I do is invite the HK to marry my 2nd daughter. When he gets there I kill him in private, can't have him causing problems. I then speak with Lord Ashford and go with option 1, have him proclaim my grandson the true heir and let him know that if he turns out not to look right he has my blessing to make them dissapear. It should be a few years until he would be able to tell anyway.

Once he is proclaimed as heir that should put too bed the rumors for the time being and I have my youngest daughter betrothed to Hightower. The threat of Hightower involvement should hold off the Peakes, atleast until the boy ages. I then marry my second daughter to Lord Rowan but keep the bastard close. This should also hold off the Peakes, we need allies close to Bitterbridgee Incase anything were to pop off. I'm assuming Starpike is somewhere around the tower of Joy, it's never stated exactly where it is in the Dornish Marches but that seems the closest bet.

I need to make another marriage alliance for myself as well. One to get another friend around the marches and another to start popping out more heirs Incase anything happens to my son (who is absolutely not fighting). I will host a supper for all my children and while they are there his 2nd wife Lady Webber will have an "accident" and die, I'll even spread rumors there was Peake involvement. This will keep the HIghtowers and Ashford slightly weary, but when I saw I will not retaliate it should buy me some good graces but also keep them alerts against the Peakes.

My son is married to a daughter of House Caron of NightSong to gain there alliance. They get to wed my heir and we get friendship. They are directly between us and Starpike and it has a good location. I marry either a Blackmont or a Fowler of Skyreach whoever has a daughter. One of the families directly behind Starpike in Dorne, so if it came to war, we could marshAlll an attack from behind as well.

After a year or so, there will be another "accident" and The Lord of Ashford will die, poison or something of the like as to not raise to many questions. At this point I keep my grandson there if he looks somewhat like the previous Lord, if not I place my daughters bastard there in secret if he looks more so like him. Whichever kid looks more "ashfordy".

At this point if the Peakes want to go to war, they will have to contend with the threat of Higtower, but also Bitterbridge, Ashford and NightSong to their North, if they do foolishly attack we can take the reserves placed in Skyreach and attack Starpike from the rear and GoldenGrove can swing southeast and attack from the west.

They wouldn't stand a chance with my 1st daughter as regent in Ashford, my son and heir we'd to a Caron of NightSong, 2nd daughter married to lord if GoldenGrove, friends in Skyreach from my wife. Though I think the threat of Hightower would stop them anyway.