To Take What Is Rightfully Ours

Chapter 46. Getting Exactly What You Wished For

TW: graphic childbirth

***

Otto didn't bother to get up from the table he was sitting at when Mellos barged into his rooms.

'This is completely unacceptable!' the Grand Maester stated, holding a letter in his hand, while Otto regretted not locking (and then barricading because the locks didn't seem to stop certain people all that much) the doors to his chambers.

'May you perhaps elaborate, Grand Maester, what brings you here so late in the evening?' Otto asked, taking a sip of his wine and trying not to look as done with this conversation as he actually was.

'I have received the letter from the High Septon himself.'

'My sincere congratulations.'

Mellos blinked in confusion but continued, 'It is a very serious matter! Apparently, Lady Diane managed to corrupt the maester of Dragonstone. He renounced his vows! It is the biggest treason to the Faith!'

Otto just looked at Mellos for a few seconds and then asked, 'And?'

'Not only she is turning Dragonstone into an abomination, full of sin and perversion, but now she refuses to cooperate. The Citadel was ready to send her a new maester instead of that oath-breaker but she refused! And she said that if we try to force Dragonstone to accept a new maester, she would do everything in her power to make the Faith of Seven a minority religion!' the Grand Maester almost shrieked at the last words.

'She really said that?' Otto asked in amusement. He did appreciate the fact that most of Diane's threats were rather polite in nature. It made them even more interesting.

'That's what High Septon wrote,' Mellos said and then asked, 'What are you planning to do about it, Lord Hand?'

'Me?'

'Yes. You are a man of Faith-'

Otto refrained from rolling his eyes at that but only barely.

'-you should understand how big of an insult this is!'

'Shall I remind you, Grand Maester, that Lady Diane does not follow the Faith of Seven?'

'But House Targaryen does! And she as its member - even if not completely legitimate one - is obliged to-'

'She is, first of all, Lady of Dragonstone,' Otto interrupted Mellos again. 'And if you remember, late King Jaehaerys gave this island the autonomy to preserve Valyrian traditions. Which includes the Faith of Fourteen Flames. The fact that they allowed a maester to be present at Dragonstone was a courtesy. Which, as far as I understand, is no longer extended. There is nothing you or I can do to change that,' he added, hoping it was a good enough reasoning for the Grand Maester to get the fuck out of his rooms.

'Surely you understand the danger of this situation, Lord Hand,' Mellos said. 'Something needs to be done.'

'And I leave the decision about what exactly to you,' Otto said.

'The King respects your opinion, surely you can-'

'The King - yes. But Lady Diane doesn't respect anyone's opinion. Unless it's her father's, of course,' Otto said, even though he saw Diane give Daemon shit rather publicly once so he was not so sure about that either. There was also Rhaenyra with whom she was pretty close but Otto didn't want to bring the princess into this conversation. 'And Prince Daemon and I- he will not listen to any advice from me... or you for that matter.'

'So what do you propose? We should just let such a grave insult slide?' Mellos asked in disbelief. Otto had a distinctive feeling that Mellos was so pissed not for the sake of the Faith but because he still wasn't over Diane calling him out during the Small Council meeting. Pathetic, really.