Lord Manfred Hightower POV

41 AC

OLDTOWN

*Sigh* At only 1 and 60 namedays I already have seen to it that the future of my house will be secure and prosperous. In my years of tenure as the leader of my household, House Hightower may have only just reached the start of our true supremacy in Westeros. Marrying my daughter and allying myself to the second prince had been one of the best and worst decisions that I have ever made, for me and my house have greatly benefitted out of the arrangement for a time but now it has just filled me some regrets that I can never hope to change. Grooming my daughter to be one of the most eligible bachelorette and maintaining it for a considerable period had proven to be useful, for the royal match that I sought had come to reality when my daughter was betrothed to the second prince at 24 AC, and married to the said prince. It could have been better if my daughter was betrothed to the crown prince, but a royal match is a royal match, it is still a prestigious match worthy of a daughter of an ancient house such as ours.

Given that the boy prince then had only been a decade younger than my daughter, I had surmised that she could have influenced the prince's decisions and promote our house to greater heights now that the board of the game had become more centralized and its stakes higher than before. But I was wrong, the second prince was far more mature than any boy that I met and can be mistaken for an old veteran who had already experienced many lifetimes.

I can still remember the day after my daughter's marriage was consummated when the boy prince had privately invited me to a luncheon and disclosed the true owner of the popular trading company who had travelled and traded as far as Yiti, and constantly traded their goods in all known cities in Westeros was him and not his mother. Oh, I have heard humors about it after doing my own investigations but immediately dismissed it for who can only be successful in this endeavor but a full fledged adult, and I can find no other suitable candidate as the company's owner except for the mind behind the throne, Queen Visenya. I was flabbergasted knowing that a boy of just 10 and 3 namedays had already made himself richer than most nobles of the realm. Now, that I had already become his good father the boy thought that it would be prudent for me to join his company and his future plans by giving me a certain amount of shares in the company but in exchange for a stupendous amount of fortune which I politely declined for I think the boy's future endeavor will be a failure. And when it fails I will be the one to gobble all his trading venture and when it does not, I will make sure that it does.

Then come five years later, the prince had had made his very own city in Crackclaw point with it's own shipyard and it's own harbor. Declared his ownership of not just the ever-growing mercantile-trading company, but also his very own sell-sword company in Essos. There were many oppositions to the prince's growing wealth and power of course, mostly spearheaded by the Velaryons but they can never successfully make their appeal come into fruition for there is Queen Visenya who always supports his son's endeavors. I always thought that I could break down the prince's way of meticulous administration but there are no loop holes in his business that I can permeate and wreck it down from the inside.

During the five years of marriage, not only was the union fruitless, house Hightower never truly got any favor or position from the new royal court. This is because Prince Maegor choosing not to live in Kingslanding where King Aegon usually held his court. The chances of my daughter giving the second prince a proper heir was growing slimmer and so are my ambitions of having Dragon riding grandchildren that could have help my house in the near future. Then the day where I grievously fear that would one day come has arrived, Prince Maegor had become a very powerful man that maybe not even the king his own father can control, for after three more years after his declaration of his own businesses in Westeros and Essos he had once again shook the known world.

By simply announcing that he had reclaimed the lost knowledge of Valyrian steel making which had been the results of secretly leading three successful expeditions in the Valyrian Peninsula, and that he will soon be hosting an auction for three Valyrian steel swords and for the items he had excavated from the peninsula . Everyone was surprised and had even grown more jealous to the Targaryens but most of all jealous to Prince Maegor. Of course, if there are many who had become jealous to the prince there would be as much many people who would want to be acquainted with the prince or much better form a friendship or alliance.

Despite the jealousy most of the nobles felt towards the prince all of them and some of the magisters in Essos send their regards and willingness to participate in the coming auction. If most people felt jealous towards the prince I only became curious as to how the prince had managed to kept his successful expeditions not once, not twice but three times, and I only had a possible conclusion to this question, absolute allegiance from his men. Not even I may be able to expect that from my men for I know human nature is fickle and full of flaws.

Half a year later, the prince suddenly visited Oldtown astride his dragon Morghulax without any notice and specifically looked for me. I do not truly know why it warranted the prince's presence and visitation but still, I have my speculations towards his business with me. You cannot truly decline a prince's orders when the said prince is a dragon rider of a battle-ready dragon, can you? I cannot help but still remember that day, for the prince entered my solar for his eyes cannot hide his unbridled fury…..

Me: Good son! Welcome to the Hightower, I cannot help but be surprised to your sudden visit, I am sorry for not properly welcoming you down for my bones already ache whenever I take the stairs…..

Maegor: Enough of these false pleasantries, goodfather and SIT DOWN! DO YOU KNOW?! My apologies…. wrong question…. WAS IT ON YOUR COMMAND?

Me:WHAT?!!! WHAT COMMAND ?!!! WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO TELL ME?!!!

Maegor: STOP acting like a fool goodfather and answer the DAMN QUESTION!!!

Me: DON'T YOU DARE RAISE YOUR VOICE ON ME GOODSON!!! MAY I REMIND YOU THAT YOU ARE IN OLDTOWN AND NOT IN DRAGONSTONE?!!

Maegor: are YOU threatening me now Lord Hightower?!!!

Me: Of, of course not my prince, I was just trying to remind you that I may be your vassal and your servant but I am still due your respect, especially when you are in my solar and most especially your father by marriage.

Maegor: Uhuh? Respect? We're talking respect now eh? Tell that to your daughter who always secretly consume moontea with the help of her very own maester to prevent getting herself with child! A very shrewd woman who always talks as if she was above myself due to her seniority in age.

I was of course shocked to this revelation and felt greatly ashamed of my daughter's actions and greatly felt disappointed towards my daughter for her actions can greatly cause the very existence of our house.

Me: My prince are you truly sure about…

Maegor: You're calling me a liar? Goodfather?

Me: Of course not your Grace, of course not your Grace it's just that its very hard to believe your accusations towards my daughter….

Maegor: I have a substantial evidence if that's what you're looking for Lord Manfred, you do know of the severity of the crime your daughter had committed Lord Hightower ?

Silence permeated the solar but then I walked out of my table and knelt down towards the prince.

Me: Your Grace! As the father of your wife, I humbly ask for your forgiveness! Forgive me and my house for we have failed to properly educate my daughter your grace! Forgive me and my house your grace, for my daughter had brought disgrace to you and both our house! We truly did not know of my daughter's sinister activities after ...

Maegor: But you exchange letters with your daughter regularly my lord, I cannot help but doubt your words

Me: Your grace! Please! Mercy! Mercy your grace, even if you'd not want to believe that I am truly ignorant of my daughter's actions I am willing to face the consequences as the father of the offender, but please! Your grace! Spare the entirety of house Hightower of your wrath!

Maegor: Is that what you truly think of me Hightower? A vindictive and vengeful person?

Me: Of of course no….

But before I can say that he grabbed my face and held it up until my head is levelled unto the face of the prince, and I can't help but pee in my robes after witnessing his whole face up close.

Maegor: Because you're goddamn right!!! So here's what we're going to do Hightower, I will be establishing the faith of the fourteen flames in Dragonstone and as the lord defender of the faith you will ensure that the faith will not get in my way, Second, I do not want any Maesters frolicking in my seat of power and I want copies of the books and scriptures of the books only Maesters have access into, and lastly, see to it that your house will never ever set foot in the court without my knowledge and permission. Am I clear Hightower?

I could not help but only nod my head. After nodding the prince released his hands from my face.

Maegor: Do that Hightower and I will gift the faith seven Valyrian steel swords in honor of the seven identities of your god, one Valyrian steel sword to you house, a Valyrian candle to the Citadel, and the route to the Valyrian Peninsula that I took to my successful expedition. In that way, no one gets to be in the losing side out of this arrangement, but make no mistake Hightower, if I ever get a hint that the faith, the citadel or your house seek vengeance from this humiliation I will use every resources that I have and take back the gifts that I gave to you all and take much, much more from you. Oh, you need not worry about your daughter's grievous act being known for I will not disclose to anyone not even to my mother because not only will your house suffer from humiliation but also my house especially me, but in exchange, your daughter will only just be my prisoner in everything but in name.

After that, the prince unceremoniously left back to Dragonstone and true to his word a small trading fleet bearing the sigil of his company came to Oldtown a moon later bearing the said 'gifts'. My hands are already tied so I've only done what was asked of me, of course there were oppositions from the High Septon and from the Archmaesters but after telling them of what was in exchange for the prince's 'favors' they unilaterally agreed without any much more talk.

A year and a half later, it was then declared that my daughter died in her sleep but I know better than to just take the news as it is. I have grieved, my family have grieved but only I know the impending death of my daughter in the hands of that monster. To my surprise the prince delivered my daughter's remains to Oldtown accompanied by a small fleet and when I took a glimpse of my daughter's remains I cannot help but cry for I cannot see any signs of cruelty on her body she still look the same when she left from my care. In that moment I truly cannot help but look at the prince in a new light and almost come to respect him.

After bawling my eyes out of grief, the prince came to me and told me that he truly have come to love and respect my daughter despite their unhappy marriage. Then told me, that my daughter died because she made and drank a poison to end her miserable life and only came to know this after reading the letter she made. Also, in the letter states that she asks to be buried beside her mother which the prince respected by delivering her remains back to me. Then the prince told me that he was sorry and asks for his deepest condolences. I was left speechless after that. Ever since then, we never talked throughout the burial ceremony and the actual burial, and only after the prince witnessed the burial himself did he left unceremoniously once again.

I thought that he would get married immediately but he once again surprised me by not marrying for five years and only after that period did he marry once again but not to the potential women that I had thought he would be marrying, he truly is an enigma. A year later he was then blessed with a son, a son that was supposedly my grandson if only my daughter had done her duty. Now, I am having this meeting with my good brother, the High Septon.

High Septon: It seems you've been lied into taking this route we've been using in these past six years brother. Six years and not even a return to this huge investment. Nothing, but death and losses that have been greatly piling.

Me: The prince is anything but a liar, you do know that the route is not the problem but the dangers lurking within the peninsula.

I replied after taking a sip of wine from my cup. It seems that my thirst is unquenchable during this meeting.

High Septon: I cannot help but notice that you are protecting the murderer of my beloved niece brother.

Me: I am not protecting anyone just stating the fact. Urghh ehem it seems that I have some problems in my throat, excuse me brother but I need to end this meeting now for I will be seeing my maester to check up on my throat.

High Septon: I'm afraid I cannot let you do that brother.

Me: What are you talking about brother? Urgh, cough*, cough* YOU!!! Cough,

I then stood up and tried to call out for help and tried to quickly ran for the door but I was overwhelmed by my brother and locked in place.

Me: cough*, cough*, Why? I've trusted you, cough*cough* You only got your position because of…

High Septon: No, I've earned my position because of my sacrifices, I married my sister to you to secure a high position in the faith and I also married my niece to those inbred mongrels so the faith will have a much sway in the affairs of this new kingdom. But what have you done huh? You permitted the establishment of new faith in Dragonstone in exchange of 8 swords and a chance to mine old relics of the Valyrian freehold? It is nigh time to correct your mistakes, I have waited long enough, the time is here for the faith to lead the nobles and Westeros.

Me: You do know the repercussions of your actions right? Cough* You might give them the just cause to eliminate not just the faith but the lords who had already started to become unruly in these past decade.

High Septon: That is the difference between us brother I am never afraid of those fire-breathing beasts for I am far more wise then you ever will be, do you know that those dragons they ride are useless when their riders are dead? That is all you need to know brother Goodbye… and sleep tight...…

The fool must be truly thinking that I haven't thought of that? Sigh*. I just think that it would be much better that my house must to control the dragons after I killed their riders and basically control the iron throne in the shadows by having my grandchildren sit that ugly chair. House Hightower have a very long legacy, it had witnessed a time where Gods walked amongst men, when men waged war upon deities and the dead, when men coexisted with the creatures of legends, and it had witnessed the truth became a legend countless times. My house had survived time and time again by following the house's words, but I guess the legacy of my house will end with my son because of my foolish and greedy good brother. What a petty ending for me....