THE LADY - Jacaerys Velaryon

xiii. The Heir

CHAPTER THIRTEEN
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T H E H E I R

             LORD CASPIAN TYRELL was dead.

           Mentally.

           He has been absent in his daughter's life since she was seven years old, not being able to cope with the death of his wife and son. He was heartbroken. Locking himself in his chambers and only coming out to make important appearances.

           Whilst doing so he left his daughter to fend for herself. Daella was now his heir, many of his council members had tried to persuade Lord Caspian to take a new wife, and produce more heirs. But he couldn't. His love for Dorna was endless.

           He couldn't bear the thought of having to wed and bed another woman. Caspian Tyrell was nothing without his wife.

           Because of the Lord's resistance is taking a new wife, they knew Daella was his heir. She was his only child. Surprisingly, the lord sired no bastards nor did he have any male relatives still living.

            Daella was all that was left of his blood. The first time Daella had seen her father leave his room for the first time in two years was when he announced her his heir in front of his council, retreating back as if he had never left.

           Since that day, instead of the Lord of Highgarden sitting the grand oak chair at the head of the council, his heir did. And she didn't like it very much.

           "The people have become restless, My Lady." Lord Redwyne said, sitting on the right side of the young lady.

           Daella stared absentmindedly at the table in front of them, her fingers twiddling with one another.

           The lady had just recently turned one and four, four years since she had been betrothed to Aemond, four years since she visited King Landing, four years since...Jacaerys.

            She took in a drop breath before responding. "What can we do? The king has not given us a raise of profits since last season, harvests are coming in slower because of inflation and slow growth because of winter. There is not much more I can do." She sighed, departing her hands from one another and rubbing her temples.

            "Perhaps we could give them some of our saved coins." Lord Tarly suggested, him too looking rather stressed with the matter at hand.

           "We have done that already, it didn't last very long." Lord Allun Caswell reminded. His knuckles perched on the wooden table.

           "It is not the amount of coin they're worried about." Daella said, catching the eyes of the lords. "It is whether they can secure enough protection for themselves and their families for winter." Highgarden do not normally get harsh winters, but they're still brass and untameable, resulting in many deaths or hunger.

           The all nodded their heads solemnly. "Maybe, we can ask for produce to be sent over to us, in return we could give them our word of allegiance." Lord Hightower said.

           Daella almost rolled her eyes, he wanted her to become allies with the crown. The King. She had heard whispers of what Otto Hightower and his daughter had been plotting behind the kings back. To usurp Rhaenyra and pronounce Aegon as king. Ridiculous. Of course their kin would try and make Highgarden another one of their list of allies.

           "To whom, M'lord?" Daella asked, knowing the next words coming from his mouth.

           "The king and queen are known to be very generous to their allies." Hightower said, his face dropping when Daella chuckled before him.