Redfork Menace

A Golden Net pt.2

{Pardon the phrasing, but I am having a ball writing this party. This is what I always yearn for in asoiaf, everyone at a big ass party having fun!! Dancing, drama, fights!! This is what life is for.}

Shanda weaved her way through the throngs of people crowded inside the ballroom. She could see Martyn talking to a member of house Mudd briefly before she ran smack into Lady Bellena of house Mooten.

"Running is what got you into this mess, slow down a bit! But then if the punishment is a strapping man like that, I might take off in flights of fancy myself eh?"

Shanda did not particularly care for Bellena because she was always in someone's business and frequently would beat her out for information. But tonight, she was more than happy to play into the lady's gossiping games.

"Oh Bell, you know I never could sit still. But you simply must tell me, are the ladies truly envious of a brute like that?"

Bellena laughed loudly, a shrill sound like a tree branch scraping along a window, her head thrown back. Her bosom was in danger of falling out of her dress as her chest heaved.

"Don't play coy with me, I'm sure you've taken him for a spin or two."

When Bellena winked at her, it took a great deal of self control not to lose her cordial facade. Bell obviously wasn't going to tell her anything without something in return.

"I'm not as crass as that. Though there is a more, shall we say, dynamic man behind the blood stains."

Shanda then glanced around suspiciously before she grabbed Bellena's hand and led her to a less crowded area. It was all an elaborate theater to make it seem as if what she was going to tell her mattered. It didn't but theatrics go a long way in convincing people that something is important. Shanda learned that early on in the information game.

"You didn't hear it from me but the heir has actually been investigating my mothers death."

One look at Bellena and Shanda knew she had her complete attention as she crowded closer to her. It had been Martyn's idea really. They posit that Benjicot was actually madly in love with her and started this whole ordeal to help Shanda discover her mother's murderer. It didn't matter that it wasn't true, it was a good rumor and plausible. Besides that it gave the gossip hungry riverlanders a hidden undercurrent to latch onto. Nothing makes a story juicier than hearing insider information straight from the source.

The lady gasped, "No! Oh I knew it. No offense but I've known you long enough to realize there had to be something else going on."

That irritated Shanda but she ignored it. Instead she nodded her head in a sympathetic manner.

"I know but we couldn't come out and say it could we? Not with the climate around here. It's just a shame because we don't have any good leads."

The lady grabbed her arm and pulled her along as she spoke.

"Well now this is all hearsay but I'll tell you what I heard about that night. Your mother had stopped in on us on her way out, you know…"

And so Shanda spent the night charming the river house's strategically. She would tell them whatever angle would get them talking. Then Martyn would come behind and talk about the tragedy of their family being pulled apart. Royce's job was to spread dissent so the houses did not start talking amongst themselves about whatever her and Martyn were saying. It worked well for them to know all they could but it would be disastrous if the houses figured out it was all a ruse. Which is why they'd went with the plausible story that Benjicot and her were star crossed lovers who started a skirmish to find out the truth.
***
Martyn was growing tired of the idiotic voices of men sounding all around him. When he managed to find a sympathetic ear eventually the conversation would turn to whether his sister's virtue was truly intact. After the third fool wormed it into the conversation, Martyn had dismissed himself. He'd talked to several ladies, who were far better listeners, but he hoped his sister was having better luck than he was. He knew Royce was having a splendid time wreaking havoc on the established hierarchy baked into the river lords. He would catch a glimpse of him standing beside some lord before said lord would turn red in the face and start fuming.