An Embassy Is Prepared

[Westeros]

Word has been spreading through the halls of the Red Keep, from the small council down: over the last weeks—months, even—the king has secretly been preparing something that some might find curious, even objectionable. And now, it seems, he is prepared to reveal it; not in some grand public edict, but merely by circulating through the court commands to see ships outfitted, supplies readied, and gifts to be gathered.The project that he has kept so quiet, even as he has distracted the realm with the locking up of his sisters in the keep which the court has taken to calling the Maidenvault? An embassy to Dorne, to further the continued peace between the Seven Kingdoms and Dorne. And this he has done with the full agreement of Prince Marence Nymeros Martell, who has until late been dealing with rebellious bannermen but now seems to be secure enough in Sunspear to send his own emissaries.Some might wonder if the quiet revelation of this was not timed, to some degree, with the other distraction of the marriage of scions of two great houses… with one, especially, known for its long enmity with the Dornish. Regardless of the truth, it has already slipped out that Baelor has settled on the head of the delegation. Some great lord, some might have thought, or perhaps someone from among his kin, such as they are… But though it’s a great lord, it’s one of the Faith: the Most Devout Geryn, once a member of House Tyrell, a man who has been at court the last months working closely with the High Septon… and, apparently, making an impression on the young, pious king.Some wonder if he’s mad, given what happened to his nephew Lord Garvys and his brother Mad Meros Tyrell in Dorne. Others wonder if it’s the king who’s mad, for the same reason—sending a Tyrell to head such an embassy, given the long enmity. Whoever’s madness it is, it seems that the decision has been made. Other lords and men of note have been quietly contacted, it seems, and there are rumors that there are great lords and knights from various regions have agreed to be part of it. They say that Joscelyn the Just, the Lord of Seagard, and his new bride will go, and others suspect that the Most Devout’s strong right hand will be the stormlord Lord Connington, who once had his famed son Ser Almer betrothed to a Dornish heiress and so showed an admirable pragmaticism (by some lights; a certain unscrupulous cynicism by other lights), has been making his presence felt at court rather than attending the wedding of his liege’s daughter so that he might more readily affect the composition of the embassy.It seems the whole of the embassy has been decided by the king in consultation with the Hand (and the High Septon… but not the small council), and it is only a matter of time before they shall sail on royal galleys to Sunspear to promote the peace between the realms.

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