To Love A King || Maegor Targaryen

11 • HOUSE YRDEN OF CASTELLAN

“During the reign of your late grandsire, Lord Medell Yrden gracious son was still a little lordling, Foltest showed us what he was capable of, and he was capable of a great deal. We hoped he would grow out of it. But when Medell died and your brother King Viserys ascended the iron throne, shortly after his coronation Foltest became Lord of House Yrden and Warden of Castellan." Peytr Baelish began.

Maegor listened carefully not missing a detail. "Keep talking." his cold voice sent daggers to Baelish throat.

Baelish cleared his throat. "Foltest was doing well, and he surpassed himself, jaw-droppingly: he got his own sister with child. Adda was younger and they were always together, but nobody suspected anything except, perhaps, their late mother…To get to the point: suddenly there is Adda with a huge belly, and Foltest talking about getting wed to his sister. The situation was made even more tense because Lord Lyonel Strong wanted his daughter, Hyacinth, to marry Foltest."

"But Lyonel daughter is set to marry Tyland Lannister, make it make sense." Maegor doesn't like to be on cliffhangers.

"It is truth Your Grace. Lord Lyonel wanted Foltest to marry his daughter Hyacinth, he had already sent out his envoys. But with Lady Adda pregnant, we had to restrain Foltest from insulting House Strong, and lucky we did, or Lord Strong would have torn our insides out. Then, not without Adda's help, for she influenced her brother, we managed to dissuade the Foltest from a quick wedding."

"Hmmm." Maegor wrinkled his brows. "Continue."

"Well, then Adda gave birth. And now listen, because this is where it all starts Your Grace. Only a few saw what she bore, but one midwife jumped from the tower window to her death and the other lost her senses and remains dazed to this day. So I gather that the royal bastard, a girl, was not comely, and she died immediately. No one was in a hurry to tie the umbilical cord. Nor did Adda, to her good fortune, survive the birth."

"So the baby murdered her own mother?"

“Yes. But then Foltest stepped in again. Wisdom dictated that the royal bastard should have been burned or buried in the wilderness. Instead, on the orders of our gracious Lord, the baby was laid to rest in a sarcophagus in the vaults beneath the palace.” Baelish narrates.

“It's too late for your wisdom now.” Maegor inclines his head.

“One of the Silent sisters should have been sent for.”

"But none of them came did they?"

"Of course Your Grace. But later on ten of them came running later, when it became known what lay in the sarcophagus. And what scrambled out of it at night. Though it didn't start manifesting straight away. Oh, no. For seven years after the funeral there was peace."

Maegor's eyes darkened.

"Seven years Your Grace, I see your surprised your Master of Laws didn't tell you what's being harbouring at Harrenhal."

"Keep talking. What came out of the sarcophagus?"

Baelish inhales deeply. "Then one night it was a full moon, there were screams in the palace, shouting and commotion! I don't have to tell you, you've read the proclamation. The infant had grown in the coffin and mow grown to have incredible teeth! In a word, she became a striga."

“Pity you didn't see the corpses Your Grace, as I did. Had you, you'd have taken a great detour to avoid Harrenhal.”

Maegor was silent, his gaze didn't leave Peytr.

“Then, as I was saying,” Baelish continued,

“Foltest summoned a whole crowd of sorcerers. They all jabbered at the same time and almost came to blows with those staffs they carry to beat off the dogs, no doubt, once they've been set loose on them. And I think they regularly are. I’m sorry, Your Grace, if you have a different opinion of wizards. No doubt you do, in your lineage, but to me they are swindlers and fools. Sorcerers inspire greater confidence in men. At least you are more straightforward Your Grace, you have dragons” Peytr remarked carefully.