Another Feast

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(Firmridge, the Riverlands)

The night's feast had gone just as well as one could expect.

Lorimas's victory within the melee solidified the image of the Mudds as a martial dynasty. The nobility and smallfolk gossiped and conversed with awe amongst themselves.

It had pleased Erlend quite a bit.

In a continent where the ability to command armies and combat skills were hailed above all else, he and Lorimas not only delivered but smashed the proverbial expectations like it was two penny whore with a quota to meet.

Congratulations have been going on for nearly an hour now, as more people tried to cozy up to his Uncle, though a few dared to offer their heirs as potential marital prospects for Mya.

Lorimas was lapping up the former and having none of the latter. The look he gave anyway who so much as hinted towards engagements was enough to scatter them away. 

Catelyn held his arms to his right, looking as beautiful as always.

His blue-eyed queen gave him a smile that mirrored his own. "The Melee went splendidly."

"Indeed, Lorimas couldn't have done better even if we asked him to," he responded.

"Any thoughts on who the jousts victor could be?"

"If Malora is to be believed, Baelor might win it."

"I know better than to bet against Malora, though more Lords will be participating in the joust."

"It's either going to be a Reachmen or a Knight of the Vale, it's their specialty anyway." Catelyn nodded her head in agreement. "You noticed the dornish lady too, I take it."

"If you mean the violet-eyed woman that has been staring daggers towards me since the welcome feast. No, I have not."

Rolling her eyes at her husband, Catelyn stared at the infamous beauty.

Ashara Dayne, lady regent of Starfall and the woman that had enchanted both her past betrothed during the Harrenhal disaster.

Reportedly, while she agreed to dance with the quiet wolf and was even amused by his shyness, she'd ended up kicking Brandon directly in the balls when the most rambunctious wolf got too handsy while drunk.

Elia had spoken a few words about her but largely remained silent on her former lady-in-waiting.

The relationship between the two soured these past few years.

"You'll have to deal with it later. Elia does miss her friend." She told her husband.

"Here's hoping she doesn't kick me in the balls." Erlend gulped, no amount of power would ever reduce a man's fear for his more precious parts.

A pleasant silence encompassed the two as they watched the rest of the feast around them.

…

"Father looks happy," Garlen noted to his siblings.

"I didn't expect him to befriend the imp of all people," Loras said.

"They have a bit in common, though I reckon Lord Tyrion is much more knowledgeable." 

"Nice way of calling father a fool," Margaery smirked.

"Marg!" Willas protested.

"What, it's true though."

"He's still our father." Garlen sighed, he knew his sister despite her pleasant attitude, resented their father for causing the divide between himself and their mother.

Still, there was no need to be so blatant about it, not in public at least.

"He might not be the wisest of men, but he still does his best," Loras added.

The rest of his siblings turned to him in surprise. 

Offended by their looks. "It's true though," he said.

"We know it's just that… you said it." Willas looked at his brother as if he had seen him for the first time.

Seeing his brother turning red from anger or embarrassment, the Tyrell heir wisely changed the topic.

"So sister, what's the result of your bet with the viper's daughter?" Willas looked curiously at his sister.

The annoyed look on her face told him all he needed to know, "She got the 5 crowns."

"You're far too young to be betting Marg," Garlen chided.

"Oh shove off, it wasn't my gold anyway."

"Who's gold did you use Marg?" dread started to pool in all three brothers' stomachs.

Looking at her pale brothers with a mischievous smirk on her face, "Wouldn't you like to know."

Faster than she could react, her siblings immediately jumped from their seats and rushed towards what she could only assume were their quarters.

There were cries of vengeance in the mix, though they remained inaudible due to the loud conversations happening around them.

"It was only 5 crowns," she murmured, not noticing the annoyed looks she was receiving from the poor maid who had spilled some wine due to the Tyrell sibling's sudden movement.

…

"Margaery did something devious, I can feel it," Malora stated.

She received a deadpan look from her sister, "You don't say." Alerie said.

"How's Highgarden?"

"Makes me feel like strangling that stupid git that I'm unfortunately wed to the more I stay there."

Patting her sister on the shoulder consolingly "At least he doesn't force himself on you."

"Does the King do that?" Alerie had a worried look on her face, fearing for her sister.

Though that fear evaporated instantly "Heavens no, you think I'm going to say no to that hunk. You must be drunk little sis."

"I am drunk."

Ignoring "So I take it Olenna hasn't caught on to your act yet."

"The old hag still thinks I'm a ditzy noblewoman," Alerie said proudly.

Fooling someone like the Queen of Thorns hadn't been easy, but she did it, and that was an accomplishment that few had achieved.

Even the King was wary of Olenna, why he didn't just kill off the conniving bitch, she had no idea. Malora might know, but she wasn't saying anything about it.

"Don't underestimate her Ale, she's feared for a reason." Malora cautioned her sister.

"Yes Yes. I know. Tywin with Tits, you've said this a hundred times already."

"That does not make it any less true."

"I'll take your word for it."

…

"Lormias looks ready to blow," Yohn stated.

"Yes, Yes he does." Benjen agreed.

"Should we do something about it?" Stannis asked with worry.

It had been a while since the feast started, and Lorimas Mudd was beginning to lose his temper with the snakes surrounding him, it didn't help that a few of them had been insulting the Mudd's adopted daughter just a few hours ago.

The man wanted to head to his wife and daughter, but the idiots were in his way, and he couldn't just ignore them.

Looking thoughtful, Yohn pondered his next move, "I'm still thinking about it."

"This might turn into a scandal."

Benjen did nothing to hide the large smile on his face, "He did always say he wanted to know what it felt like smashing a snake would feel like."

Not many were used to seeing smiles on a Stark's face if their backing away was of any indication.

Even the northerners looked perturbed by it.

Stannis stared at his colleagues, already feeling a headache coming up. He doubted that the king would care for the more ambitious noblemen.

Still, it wouldn't look good if the champion decided to break a few skulls during the feast. "I'm going to put a stop to it, you two are welcome to join."

"It's fine Stannis, Lorimas won't hurt them… much"

"That's what I'm worried about."