The One True Heir

Chapter 13

His plan had been a simple one, and his proposal even simpler. Daenerys Targaryen was the last living Targaryen, of royal blood and a very good match for the King of The Seven Kingdoms. He had only heard rumours of her beauty, of how she hatched dragons after decades. The Targaryens still had supporters on this side of the narrow seas, dormant but waiting. It would go a long way to bridge that gap and bring those secret Targaryen loyalists to his cause. But his council did not see it as he did.

The reaction he received from his council was nothing short of an outrage. Half the council expressed outrage at the very idea of bringing a Targaryen back in power, while the other half politely explained that Daenerys Targaryen was an unknown quantity. None of them knew whether the Targaryen madness had touched her or not. His Han and grandfather admonished him for believing rumours that dragons were back. Even Varys admitted that the rumours were unreliable and that his connection, Ser Jorah Mormont, had turned his back to him and gone silent. In the end, it was a unanimous decision to turn that proposal down. It only left two that could be considered.

One of them was Talla Tarly the second child and eldest daughter of Randyll Tarly and Melessa Florent. She was a shy girl known for her sunny nature and a kind heart. She was easily swayed and chose to listen rather than advice. What she brought to the board was her father, one of the finest battle commanders in Westeros.

The other was Desmera Redwyne, the only daughter and youngest child of Paxter Redwyne and Mina Tyrell. She was known to be headstrong. She wasn't an easy listener, needing to be convinced to get her to listen. She brought with her the finest fleet in The Seven Kingdoms, the Redwyne fleet.

Both were good choices, Edric admitted but in the end, he had picked Desmera. The Tarlys were loyal men, he could trust Randyll Tarly to stick to his vows once he gave them. The Redwynes he wasn't entire;y sure about if he was honest. Paxter Redwyne showed himself an able Master of Ships and loyal. But he wasn't entirely sure if he would stick to it should his liege lords press them. And after what happened with Loras Tyrell, he was confident that the House was planning or would be planning things against him. House Tarly had bent the knee and he was sure they would not break oaths, and with House Redwyne they were taking the fleet away from them and cutting their numbers short. The threat of a Targaryen invasion was still in his mind. The Tyrells were famous for their loyalties to them.

But before the betrothal was announced, he wanted to meet Lady Desmera personally and get to know her better. It was in his favour that the woman was already in the capital. Edric had invited her to join him for a walk through the gardens one evening.

The Lady Desmera was a beautiful woman, a year younger than Edric from what he was told. She possessed a curved figure, fair skin, bright blue eyes and long orange hair and freckles decorating her face. She held herself up with the elegance of a true lady who styled herself as a Queen. Her lips were quirked up into a smile and she curtsied when she reached the King.

"Your Grace," the woman said softly, standing to her full height and perfectly straight.

"My Lady" Edric smiled, offering his arm to her. "Shall we?"

The femme wrapped her arm around his and the two walked around in the gardens, making small talks, learning about each other's likes and dislikes. Edric was not surprised to learn that she favoured grapes as her choice of fruit, it was the Redwyne family symbol after all. Though he was slightly surprised to know that she did not like to drink. It made her head heavy and she did not like it when she couldn't think straight, she informed him.

"So, you've chosen me to be betrothed to?" Desmera asked, the talk eventually shifting to the buzzing topic.

"Have I?" Edric feigned confusion, "has your father told you that?"