The Brightest Sun

Chapter 63

You are well beyond burning the midnight oil, my dear," Ignotus called. He was seated comfortably in his portrait, stopping his conversation once she entered the solar.

"And you portraits are far too lively at this time of night," Elia countered, a smile softening her words. Ignotus laughed in response, eyes cutting to the where Ralston sat in Henry Potter's portrait.

The solar was more cluttered than it had been since their arrival; the original two portraits had been expanded to three, giving way for a Potter, Peverell and a Black to offer their words of wisdom when necessary. There were two shelves between the tapestries, each holding the books Elia had turned to time and again as she made and remade her plans. Sheafs of parchment were stacked at the corner of the desk, a locked drawer containing the more sensitive correspondence.

It was that drawer she reached for, the wood sliding open at her touch. Maester Garth had brought ravens to take any letter Elia wished to send yet it was to Tweak and Winky she turned when discretion was required.

"Have the others left for the night?" Elia asked. Her hands smoothed the scrolls addressed to her, dark eyes running over the familiar words written in Monford Velaryon's careful script. Beneath that scroll were others — reports gathered from the Dragon's Men over the years, detailing the names of the customs officials in Duskendale, Gulltown, King's Landing, and Maidenpool. Elia had been unsurprised to see reports from Lannisport and Oldtown; Lord Velaryon had assured her the group had men placed across the Seven Kingdoms even if they were most active in the Crownlands. It was the reports of White Harbor that surprised her, not expecting that they would brave the North.

"Cassiopeia is off bothering someone, no doubt," Ralston said. "Henry is doing his rounds near the guest rooms."

Shireen Baratheon had arrived earlier in the day, her mother stiffly holding onto the little girl's hand. Elia had pried as much information as she could from the maester after receiving Harry's letter detailing Stannis' requests, knowing the little girl had been subjected to all manner of treatment since her unfortunate exposure in Storm's End.

"The guards are on alert, however little trouble we expect from the two ladies," Elia said.

"Not in the presence of so many guards," Ralston conceded. "Now. Will you tell us what has you awake before the sunrise?"

"I thought I'd get another look at things," she answered absentmindedly. Robert's Master of Coin has done an abysmal job, she thought; twenty-five thousand dragons on a single tournament for the winner of the joust, won by a man who would become one of the Dragon's Men. Another writing a gloating report of having spent three tourneys in King's Landing, winning some thirty thousand dragons altogether. The more Elia looked into the scrolls Lord Velaryon had forwarded, the more she realized they would have their work cut out for them.

"In the middle of the night?" Ignotus questioned. There was a gentle smile on his face, the ancient Peverell correctly guessing what kept her awake.

"They will take the city with nary a scratch on them," Ralston said confidently.

"All it takes is a stray arrow," she pointed out. As confident as she was, there was a lingering worry that something could go very wrong. A worry Ralston clearly did not share.

"Against magic?" Ralston scoffed. "They don't have a single wizard among them. Harry has a full-fledged wizard in Teddy and three elementals with him - two of which carry wands!"

"Magic in a Muggle war is a terrible thing," Ignotus said quietly. "Have you forgotten the costs, Ralston? William of Normandy showed us what can happen when magicals take to the field alongside armoured knights. His grandchildren's war very nearly decimated the magical families that were in place. It was not uncommon for magical families to pay weregild, and blood feuds amongst magical families often arose from cases where weregild should have been the solution but was deemed unacceptable by either party."