hadriel | Video 7 - Sewing Shop

I wish it were, too. It would come in quite handy, even here where people have fewer reasons to lie.

[she's terribly adept at that, for good or for ill. Margaery has always had a gift for knowing what to say or do to get herself into a position of strength]

I wish you luck with that. Westeros has become embroiled in the mistakes made by the current generation and I fear that it will be the work of the next to fix it.

[she's always had a mind for both politics and strategy, a mind her grandmother honed as sharp as a blade]

Then you must have those experienced with magic in your country as well, to counter those from Torenth. If they perceive weakness on your part, they won't hesitate to strike.

[both seem to be in rather desperate need of healing]

They say that the Citadel in Oldtown has the largest library anywhere in Westeros. That is where men study to become Maesters. Unfortunately, Maesters are expected to know a little about every subject, so it prevents most from becoming masters of a single topic. Such as the legends of magic in Westeros' past.

[she assumes that magic is lost to Westeros, that none will find the right books or scrolls to bring it back]

Lying is human nature, even here where there are is little law and order, people will lie. Perhaps I will avail myself to the Guard if they ever have need.

[His way was certainly easier than simply harassing or beating someone until they relented. Kelson lowered his head, knowing somewhat what Westeros was going through, and feared Margaery was right.]

It took two hundred years for Gwynedd to get where we are today. I fear you may be right. Nothing worthwhile happens overnight, although inroads can be made. I hope your kingdom and your world finds the stability and peace it deserves.

And you are right. The duke of Corwyn has always been Deryni, despite the laws against any holding titles or land. Corwyn directly borders Torenth. They are a warning device, if you may.

[Kelson's glance hardens, knowing Margaery understands]

They already sensed weakness. During my coronation and only a few months later. It cost them their kingdom.

[And now Kelson held a crown of a land he never wished to rule, and the death of a man he never wished to kill.]

Weakness isn't the only thing that makes an enemy dangerous. Now they have nothing else to lose.

[Both lands desperately needed a healing balm. Kelson hoped he could make the changes Gwynedd needed, and that maybe Daenerys could do the same. Or perhaps, it would take longer than both their lives. But they could start the process.]

Do the Maesters control this library, or can anyone go in?

I'm sure they'd appreciate your services, especially in cases where it's one man's word against another's.

[she's hopeful that Daenerys will be able to restore some order, but the work that needs to be done to actually fix Westeros will take generations]

As do I. Though, I fear it will require more bloodshed to reach that point. Cersei Lannister will not surrender power without a fight which must end with her death.

Ah, that's clever! I trust that the duke is a man you have faith in.

[she understands power and unrest all too well]

So now you have conquered lands to hold and govern. Conquered lands are always the hardest to do either in.

[both difficult burdens to bear]

And an enemy with nothing else to lose is an enemy who is capable of doing anything, no matter how mad it seems to those on the outside.

[they do. she believes that Kelson and Daenerys both can be the leaders their people need and set their countries on paths to greater stability in the future]

The Maesters control who has access, usually only other Maesters or their apprentices.

It certainly has been useful in Gwynedd. When I'm finally able to travel I'll contact them and make arrangements.

[Kelson wished it wouldn't take more bloodshed in order to stabilize Westeros but he knows how much it's taken in Gwynedd, even in just his short four reign, and he's tired of it.]

Then she must die. Her and those who refuse to surrender. It's not enough to just cut off the head. You have to prevent it from rising again or Westeros will never be free.

[Kelson did not want Westeros to end up another Meara, generation after generation marching into a situation that should have been resolved hundreds of years earlier. Too much blood had soaked that ground. Better it be all at once.]

I trust Alaric Morgan with my life, and have, many times. He's as much a father to me as my own. If he were here, I'm sure he'd be able to help you or Daenerys with some strategy or the like.

[But he wasn't, and you were stuck with Kelson instead of the Lord General of the Royal Armies. Kelson was good, but he was still only eighteen. So sorry.]

I've avoided doing much, besides holding their ten year old king hostage, as much to try and prevent hostilities as to teach him how to govern. I'd warn you to stay away from conquered lands, but you are going to a land much different than either of us is used too.

Kelson cocked his head. He wasn't surprised to hear of the Maesters. Typical.]

How fitting. They control all the knowledge and get to choose who has access and when.

Good. Everyone I've met on the Guard has been well-meaning and hard working. I'm sure they'd appreciate your assistance.

[there's no way to bring Westeros peace without killing Cersei Lannister. even in prison, she'd be a rallying point]

I agree. The Lannister line must be wiped out with the likely exception of Tyrion. He's sided with Daenerys over his family. However, anyone else with Lannister blood, no matter how minor, must die.

[let the Lannisters have their own Rains of Castamere. they've done it enough to other Houses]

It's terrible to hope for others to come here, but I hope that he does. Along with my grandmother. Between the two of them, I'm sure they'd formulate the best way for Daenerys to take Westeros.

[he's doing just fine on his own. he should have more faith in himself]

It's good that their king isn't of age. That makes it far easier to keep him under your . . . protection. And that is my wish, yes.

[never expect much of Maesters (who aren't Aemon) and you won't be disappointed]

Indeed. There are rumors that they have scrolls dating back to The Long Night, but nobody knows for certain.

[Kelson's face went hard. He had hated what he had to do but it had been necessary. Margaery needed to learn that too, even if she wasn't going back. She still had influence over the people who were going back.]

I don't know this Tyrion, but trust me when I tell you that if you intend to stop this, he has to be sentenced to death too. Even if you are absolutely sure of his loyalty, you cannot be sure of those around him, he could be used as a rallying cry against his will by others--needless of whether they have Lannister blood or not. Wars have been fought over less. There would always be the chance if he survives.

[No, don't imprison Cersei. Don't make the same mistake Kelson did. They escape. They always escape. Still, Kelson smiled. The mention of Morgan was too much, even with all the talk of death.]

I do hope so. I miss him terribly, as much as I'm sure you miss your grandmother.

[Goodness the things those two might have to talk about. At the very least, Margaery's grandmother wasn't a silly lady in waiting but a grown, mature woman. He had less trouble dealing with those.]

[Yes, protection. Let's call it that. And it would also be the truth.]

Considering his family have already sent assassins after his life, protection is a good word for it.

[Then again, they might not have if Kelson hadn't been holding the poor boy. He might have tainted the boy!]

As for those scrolls, I would find out. Most of that would have to wait until after the region was more stable, but I'm starting a library. It's hidden at the moment, for at least a few more years, but, the knowledge needs to be shared. It does no good hidden in my library. Or the Maesters.

Tyrion was never loved by the other Lannisters or by their smallfolk. Tywin Lannister refused to name him his heir, despite Jaime Lannister joining the Kingsguard and surrendering his right to the title. When Joffrey was poisoned, Tyrion was blamed with his father and sister leading the charge. The other Houses of the Westerlands would never follow Tyrion willingly.

[no, Cersei must die. Margaery has requested that she be fed to Daenerys' dragons]

I miss my grandmother more and more every day. She has nothing after my death and the deaths of my father and brother. All of our Tyrell cousins were killed in the Sept of Baelor as well, so there's none left to inherit Highgarden.

[a grown, mature woman with a tart tongue and the inborn instincts of a suvivor and a politician.

boy kings always invite rebellions and attempts on their lives]

Already? While he's still a boy? I suppose it makes sense from a gruesome point of view. I take it the nearest heir is a man grown?

[then again, they may have tried to kill him anyway]

Prying the books and scrolls out of the hands of the Maesters will take some doing. Barely anyone outside of nobility is literate and there are even those within the nobility who rely on their Maesters to take care of their written proclomations and correspondence.

If you are sure? It there was any possibility at all, you would be leaving the possibility of insurrection open.

[Kelson hated it, just as he hated killing that poor bishop, whose only real sin was being gullible enough to let others manipulate him. But the crown came with a price. As nice and as never lowed as Tyrion might be, Kelson would still execute him. Unless he could marry him off in a political marriage that would solve other problems. As for Cersei, Kelson thought that was rather fitting. If not unconventional.

He closed his eyes briefly, the situation yet again mirroring Gwynedd.]

There were many Deryni families were killed during the dark days and the purges. Entire lines were destroyed, inheritance shattered. You have my sympathies.

[He still had to figure out how to deal with it when he got back home too. How was he supposed to restore lands taken away and restore Deryni titles and lands when some lines did not exist anymore. And what was he supposed to do? Take it away from the humans who had inherited it for generations? It was a mess. Just as Highgarden was doomed to be a mess as well.]

Already.It was while I was away. They would have never dared otherwise. But the boy's eldest brother was already the victim of a rather timely accident and was thrown from his horse. The next heir is his younger brother, whom the mother refuses to present to me. Under the pretense of illness.

[Kelson clearly did not believe the boy was ill. It was much to convenient.]

I believe the next in line after Ronald is a grown man, yes. One of his current regents.

[Regents. Maesters. Corruption.]

Then best do it one by one.

[Or brute force but Westeros had enough problems already without adding to it.]

Start small. Literacy isn't common amongst the common folk in Gwynedd either, but if they're going to master magic and be part of the school I want, we have to start somewhere. People can't read books if they can't read.

[It was a big project. A huge project. And Kelson might be biting off more than he could chew. But what if it worked?]

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Daenerys is sure of his loyalty. Ultimately, it's not my choice to make, it's hers.

[Tyrion has already been wed to Sansa Stark. Margaery wouldn't want to see that marriage reinstated, though, given what House Lannister did to House Stark. perhaps he can be forbidden from marrying and fathering heirs? and Margaery rather likes the idea of Cersei being eaten or even burned to death by the dragons]

And you have mine. Once a line is gone, it's gone forever. And the nation is made poorer for it.

[it sounds like a mess. one with no easy solutions. take the lands away, you've made an enemy. leave the lands in the hands of potential usurpers, you've gotten the resentment of Deryni who had been nobility]

Ah, that old excuse. It sounds as though they're already making way for a newer, stronger heir.

[Margaery doesn't believe it, either. she assumes that the boy is likely doomed]

Of course he is. And I'm sure that the potential heir makes a fine show of loyalty to the current heir.

[the Faith of the Seven. more corruption]

Ordinarily, that would be a task for the Septas, but given the mismanagement and fanatacism of the Faith of the Seven, I'd be loathe to trust them with anything of that importance.

[she assumes that any such projects would need to wait until Daenerys took Westeros]

I shall pray she makes the right one then, whatever that may be.

[Contrary to ever so popular belief, maybe re-enforced by Gwyneddian belief that the magic Haldane's had was a sign of divine favor and not connected to the stigma of Deryniness, royalty did not make you perfect. Decisions sometimes were the wrong ones. Kelson was no stranger to that. He was no stranger to the want for vengeance either, although being eaten by dragons, while fitting, was not exactly a mainstream execution. Kelson always felt it better to stick to the law, lest it come back to bite you later.]

Oh yes. Quite possibly. I only hope I can keep them at bay long enough for Liam to claim his crown, and that he is strong enough to keep it.

[Corruption was a human failing, it was a pity it was found so often in those who wanted to keep power. Even Haldanes were not immune.]

No, only trust those you are certain you can trust.

As do I. His is one of the voices she listens to the most.

[they have no concept of divine right in Westeros. Aegon Targaryen won his crown by conquest, as did Robert Baratheon. as will Daenerys Targaryen. and certainly, Cersei could merely be beheaded and justice would be done, but after all of the people she's made to suffer, a quick, clean beheadding is too good for her]

Do you take an active role with him? Seeing to his needs, his education, making sure he has a carefully selected friend or two? Doing all of that would make him far more likely to cleave to you.

[corruption is a very human failing and the desire for power made it nearly inevitable]

That takes the Septas out of consideration. The Maesters as well, as I doubt they'll be eager to share their learning and resources with Westeros as a whole.

Who else does she listen too?

[Kelson was still learning about Margaery's world and had never met Daenerys, but you could tell a lot about a person based on who they listened too and who was their counsel. As for divine right, that was a pity. Kelson and his ancestors had found it quite useful. Admittedly, it mainly avoided them getting burned at the state and tortured amidst the other Deryni, but divine right was handy to have.

If it were up to Kelson, Cersei would have been beheaded, just as simply and cleanly as any other treasonous royal, despite the hurt she caused. Or hung, if he was truly angry. Margaery was a bit more vindictive than he was. Kelson wondered if it was a female trait.]

Yes, Liam attends schooling and squires with my own royal cousins. I hear he's rather inseparable with some of the boys at court.

[Kelson smiled at the memory, Liam had been running around with Payne and Rory within an hour of arriving, and Kelson had known he'd get along just fine.]

He's expected to do the same as any other Haldane or foreign prince would in the kingdom, although he does have a tutor from home for his religious education. I've actually attended some of those. I don't know a lot about Torenthi religion.

[Torenth, being a mix of Islam and Eastern Orthodox, was quite different from Kelson's upbringing of Anglo-Catholicism.]

He sometimes squires for me during court as well, just as I sat with my own father when I was young.

[Kelson learned a lot from watching his father listen and make decisions. It was quite unorthodox, letting a young child sit at his fathers knee and listen, but it had paid off, and he hoped it was paying off with Liam as well. Maybe that one day soon the two kingdoms would reach an understanding, via those two kings.]

Sometimes, if what foundation isn't working for you Margaery, you have to tear it down and start over.

[Or wait for them to do something illegal and execute them. Corruption always rose to the surface. Made things easier.]

She's mentioned an interpreter, Missandei. She has Daenerys' trust, as does Grey Worm, the commander of the Unsullied.

[yes, divine right would've been very useful when it came to keeping the country together when it started to fracture. but that would've required a king far better than the likes of Joffrey Baratheon to enforce it.

and Margaery isn't just avenging herself, she's avenging her father, her brother, and all of her Tyrell cousins]

That's good. That will help him gain the proper respect for you, that along with the boys he's making friends with. It's easy to betray an enemy. Far harder to betray a friend.

[then Margaery is hopeful that the boy will be able to acclimate himself to his situation and grow into a fine young man]

Oh? Is it that different from your own?

[the Faith of the Seven, the Old Gods, and the Drowned God are all drastically different from each other]

It's best to learn such things young. A young mind is thirsty for knowledge of all kinds. They say that my grandmother began teaching me all of what she knew from the moment I was born. I was an apt pupil. As I hope Liam will be as well.

[and Olenna Tyrell was a strict teacher. by the time Margaery was five, she knew the words, lords, and emblems of every House in Westeros and had already begun learning some of the more . . . unsavory things, like how to tell what kind of woman a man wanted and become that woman]

I'd imagine it would take a lot of work and effort, especially as Daenerys comes to Westeros with a legion of Unsullied and the Dothraki horselords.

Grey Worm?

[That was an...interesting name. Kelson repeated it to make sure he heard right. ]

Does he have another name?

[Yes, Joffrey Baratheon was not a good king, whether in the moral sense or simply ability. As for avenging--or revenge, that had it's uses. Kelson wished her well.]

I had hoped so too. It's working rather well, I know Gwynedd isn't his homeland but I think he's becoming rather fond of it. Perhaps then when he becomes king, he wont be so quick to attack it. Or me, or his friends, especially knowing many of them will most likely be in battle against him.

[Kelson hopes Liam lives long enough to grow into the king he hopes he could become. It's hard not to see himself in the boy, although Kelson came into his own kingship a few weeks before age. Surviving and acclimating is hard.]

Some aspects of it are quite different, others, are similar. Almost like looking in a mirror, some things are backwards or upside down but you can still see what it is.

[Even the way they crossed themselves was strange, but it was still a cross, he could see it, even if so much of the structure was completely alien.]

I hope it helps Liam as much as it helped both you and I as well. It was rather unorthodox when my father did it, but by the time I assumed the throne I unintentionally learned a lot just by being there. Was it the same for you?

[Both Brion and his uncle Nigel were not lax either. Nigel was especially strict to his young pages, royal or not, and they were all the better for it. He might not have appreciated it at the time though. Unlike Olenna Tyrell, Nigel's training was a bit more conservative.]

Are Dothraki and Unsullied not native to Westeros then? Are they from further away?

[she shakes her head no] None that I'm aware of. According to Daenerys, the Unsullied are all given such names, those of lowly creatures. It's to keep them meek and compliant to their masters as they were slaves before Daenerys freed them and they joined her cause of their own free wills.

[Joffrey Baratheon was a nightmare of a king. the only person who missed him was his equally nightmarish mother, Cersei]

I do hope that your plan works and that Liam grows in friendship with you and your country. It would avert a great deal of pain and bloodshed if you're able to make of him an ally rather than an enemy.

[it's always difficult when a young man or a boy becomes king. difficult for the king and difficult for the country]

How strange it must be! In Westeros, no one would see the Old Gods in the Faith of the Seven or the Faith of the Seven in the Drowned God.

[and worship was largely based on region. once, everyone followed the Old Gods and worshipped at weirwood trees, even people as far south as the Reach. now, only the North keeps to the Old Gods]

It was. Grandmother was the true ruler of House Tyrell. Oh, people still paid their respects to my father as Lord of Highgarden and the Warden of the South, but everyone knew that if you truly wanted something done, you went to my grandmother. And I was by her side the entire time.

[likely far more conservative than Olenna's, given that Olenna also had seduction and the art of knowing what a man wants of a woman and giving it to him on her lesson plan]

Both are from Essos, but even in Westeros, we'd heard stories of the savagery of the Dothraki and the unquestionable efficiency at killling of the Unsullied.

And they chose to keep their Unsullied names?

[Kelson couldn't see anyone wanted to be called Grey Worm but, if that was what they had been taught, it would be hard to break. Like anything else, indoctrination was difficult.]

Thank you. I hope so as well. It would end centuries of bloodshed on both sides. I'm sure it wont be as easy as all that but nothing good comes without a few hurdles. It will take more than changing Liam's mind to make a difference. We both have to change our peoples.

[Kelson cocked his head, listening to the differences in the faiths in the Westeros versus in the Eleven Kingdoms.]

I imagine that part is one portion of our worlds which is dissimilar. But your grandmother, I'm certain you learned much, as I did with my father.

Some chose to go back to the names they had when they were free, but most chose to keep their Unsullied names. Apparently, their masters would change their names regularly to keep them dehumanized, always low creatures. But the ones who kept their names counted them as lucky as those were the names they had when they were freed.

[she can understand that reasoning]

And that will be the tricky part, I take it. Years of enmity on both sides, I assume?

[the worship of the Faith of the Seven began with the invasion of the Andals into Westeros. prior to that, all Westeros had were the First Men and the Old Gods. and the Drowned God forever in the isolated Iron Islands]

My grandmother taught me everything she knew, which was considerable. Not just politics, social skills as well.

I wish them well.

[Kelson could understand that, both sides, as horrible was it was. After earning such names, most would choose to keep them, as marks of honor, or whatever the Unsullied valued.]

And yes, hundreds of years of violence and hostilities between our nations and our peoples. It wont change over night, but if we do things right, it will change for the better.

I'm glad your grandmother was able to pass on her knowledge to you. And that it helped you.

As do I. They'll need it when adjusting to Westeros. Though, the Dothraki will have the hardest time fitting in.

[the Unsullied do value honor highly along with service]

It will change starting with you and Liam. And with your sons and daughters following you.

Her teachings helped me more than I can possibly say. I could never have survived Joffrey without them.

All cultures need time when adjusting and learning of others. They will all get there, God willing. As will Gwynedd and Torenth. As you say, it will not be easy, but one step at a time, one alliance at a time, and we may get there.

Indeed. Westeros adjusted to new citizens twice before, once with the Andals, then with the Targaryens. It was made stronger each time. And I'm sure that your world will get there. How can it not, with a man like you leading the change?

You really think so? I do my very best. And with any luck, so will my sons.

[Assuming he can find an actual wife.]

Of course I think so. And I'm sure you'll have many strong sons.

[yes, he will have to do that]

Thank you. I shall pray to God you are right.

I will be. You'll see.

Video 7 - Sewing Shop

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Sorry! Don't know where this one went!

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Time to wrap it up?

Until next Sewing Shop post! Which will probably be next weekend