#THE MARSTON DAUGHTER IS MENTIONED BTW

[idyllghost]

Johnigail lovers come get your juice

[blue-mint-winter]

Reading Fire and Blood: The rest of regency - Unwin Peake and others

I decided to make a post about the last chapters as they are mostly straightforward and the level of bias is somewhat lowered. With the removal of Orwyle and Eustace as sources and replacing them with Munkun it becomes a smoother story without so many internal contradictions. It's clear Munkun is still pro-Green and both him and Gyldayn paint certain characters in a better (or worse) light than they should, but all in all it's easy to see what was really going on - powerful people plotting to stay in power and control young Aegon III. I was rooting for Aegon III a lot.

Unwin Peake was the major player seeking full control as the new Hand by any means necessary. His execution of Orwyle and various actions taken to fill the court with people loyal only to him show how dangerous and power-hungry he was. Now I have no doubt he was behind Tyland's and Jaehaera's deaths (which is identical to Helaena's death, giving a strong hint that both of them were murdered).

Btw, Orwyle was highborn! I wonder which house he belonged to - was he another Hightower or maybe Dornish? When he hid in the brothel, he was called Old Wyl and Wyl is a house in Dorne.

Munkun is ridiculous as he's constantly calling Aegon III a sullen boy and trying to make him sound unreasonable when the kid was firmly under the boot of Peake, was tormented and terrorized by his master at arms who punished him for any disobedience by hitting Gaemon - who was like 7 years old. Aegon III was surrounded by traitors and enemies and couldn't trust even his own Kingsguard which was filled with Peake's own men. Marston Waters, the man that served Aegon II and watched Rhaenyra's murder, was the Lord Commander. Aegon III had nothing to be happy about, he had zero freedom and was only a puppet king constantly in danger of being replaced by a new claimant, if one was found, or by his own son if he married Peake's daughter.

Munkun portraying the choice to marry 6-years-old Daenaera Velaryon as motivated by her being exceptionally pretty is another claim that is hard to believe. Obviously, Aegon chose her because his sisters brought her and because she was so young that before he could have children with her, the regency would already be over and he'd be king in power. It was a perfect solution to his problems. (Btw, how ironic that Daemon and Rhaenyra's son married Vaemond's granddaughter).

The mess with Greyjoy succession and then Arryn succession is probably more important to the main book storyline. I definitely enjoy the mention of Nettles and Sheepstealer still hiding in the Vale. I wonder what happened to Alys Rivers and her son and the alleged dragon. Harrenhal is strangely dropped from the story and it wasn't even given to anyone.

Of course Hightowers are warmly welcoming Alyn on his way to Iron Islands, they are sucking up to king's brother-in-law. They want to regain their political capital. It's pretty telling how Redwynes are still refusing to be associated with them and won't even send their ships alongside Hightower ships.

Viserys was found which was a huge relief. I really like how the brothers became a united front against all the plotters. Especially the part with protecting the drawbridge to Maegor's Holdfast against Peake's loyalists and Viserys exposing lord Rowan's confession as false. It all pretty much proves that confessions under torture are completely unreliable, the man was so broken that he was agreeing to everything that was said to him.

Sandoq the Shadow was really cool, he seemed like a Balrog on the bridge, but he protected the king against the attacking white knights.

The fall of house Rogare does seem more like an Essosi plot than Westerosi. They had many powerful enemies, among them Iron Bank, their competitor. But then one of the Rogares went to Braavos which funded his attack on Lys, so it's uncertain if Braavos was truly behind the fall of his house or only wanted to get rid of their bank, after which they did business as usual with him.

Even though the current generation of Targaryens didn't practice incest, their marriages were still messed up, with huge age gaps. They were forced to grow up too young :(

The amount of child abuse in these chapters is staggering, including the girls that came to the ball on the Maiden's Day.

Manderly as the last Hand treated Aegon III the best out of them all, but I can see why he decided to get rid of all people involved with the whole regency mess when he finally came of age. The idea of progress wasn't bad in itself, as previous kings did that, but without a dragon was it truly safe to go to visit the lords, whose loyalties were often uncertain, and risk his neck to more plots? His decision to keep the home advantage and only treat with lords on his own turf in King's Landing was reasonable.

The policy of full bellies and dancing bears :)

All in all, I think Aegon III's regency looks like GRRM's answer to the end of GOT show, when the council from all over Westeros chose Bran, who was still a child, as their king and... just let him rule? Why would they let him have any real power over them? GRRM showed his version of what would happen if a council put an orphan child on a throne and the results aren't pretty - the constant power struggles, plots and various dangers to the young king's life. The king was vulnerable and helpless, a puppet that had no real power as others ruled in his name. If Aegon III represents the future king Bran (both are even called the Broken), then Baela and Rhaena would be substitutes for Arya and Sansa (Baela and Arya - wild, willful, Rhaena and Sansa - a lady, married to the trusted Valeman). The sisters came in the clutch, but couldn't truly protect their brother from the vultures. Perhaps Baela's marriage to Alyn, a bastard that became a lord, foreshadows that Arya would similarly elope with Gendry if he was acknowledged and given Storm's End. Viserys, the younger brother returning from overseas long after they presumed him dead, would be Rickon's substitute.

[johntheirritatedgunslinger]

Do you spoil your kids?

OOC: I don’t know what verse you mean, but I’ll do pre-rdr 1 1910. I need Marston baby.  (Game started in 1911) I love John being a father so much. Ughhhhhh, Give me more Marston baby!! Crayons and Teddy Bears were the latest toys in the 20th century, btw! 

John rocked the sleeping bundle lying against his chest. Her dark curls shifting as he breathed. “ I don’t think I do,” John answered earnestly.

“Abigail and I don’t often argue anymore, but this is one of the few things we do argue about. She says I’m not soft enough towards the boy. Showing him enough love and all that. She’s wrong. I try. I really do. Jack hasn’t wanted anything to do with me since he was around seven. All the stress of us moving around. Me trying but constantly failing to build a better home. Abigail’s frustration bleeding on to him.  I’m not saying she turned him against me - but he always takes her side. Like the incident at Pronghorn. We would have been homeless if I didn’t step in. 

What kind of father would I be then? I was damned no matter what I did.  He’s fifteen now. He doesn't want to be held - he’s far too old anyway. He doesn’t want to play cards. Or fish. Or hunt. Or shoot. He just wants to read. 

Then he complains I don’t do anything - yet I’m offerin’ all the time. He tells me he hates me sometimes. Yeah, I know. He’s a teen, but I kind of gave up. I’m the bad guy, no matter what I do.”

He looked down at his three old daughters and smiled. “This one, though? She loves me. Her eyes light up when she sees me. She loves being held. I don’t buy her extra toys. She likes to color, so I’ll occasionally bring her extra paper. We bought her a teddy bear not long ago for her birthday. But we don’t really do much more than that. We don’t have the money.

She likes to follow me around the ranch. Abigail likes to call her duckie because she follows me around like one. But she does chores. They’re easy ones like dumping feed for the animals or helping with the water. I’m always with her anyway. Jack didn’t do any chores until he was eleven. Every time I tried to get him to do something - Abigail said he needed to study or that she’d handle it. Let a kid be a kid.  It’s different with Amelia. I don’t know why. I guess Abigail doesn’t want her becoming entitled.” he said with a laugh. He loved Abigail. He loved Jack - but sometimes, there was some hypocrisy. 

“Alright. You caught me. Sometimes I sneak her cheese. It’s her favorite food. Sometimes, when Abigail goes out of town with Jack, I let her sleep in our bed. “  John shrugged.

“She’s three. Is there anything so wrong about that? I love her. I feel like I’ve done something right with her. She’s my chance for redemption. I’m not super religious, but God gave her to me. He gave me Jack. I’m doing what I can with him, but I was there from the very beginning with this one.” He said fondly as he booped her nose.

“I’d do anything for her. For Jack. For Abigail. But one day, it hurts me to think that she won’t want to sit on my lap anymore. She won’t ask Papa to come to help her. In the blink of an eye, she’ll be married. Have children of her own. Maybe she’ll take over the farm! She likes animals.  Jack has already talked about how he can’t wait to go to college and leave us. It is what it is.” He said with a sigh.

“Maybe Abigail is right. She has my heart wrapped around her little finger. If anything. Anything. Ever happened to her. You bet there’s hell to pay.” He said severely, suddenly feeling out of breath.  Amelia yawned and scooched up to his chin.  “Hi, Papa.” she whispered sleepily. “Hey, Darlin’,” John whispered back. He gave her a kiss on the cheek. “That’s scruffy, Papa!” she squealed. John laughed. “ I think it’s time we put you to bed. I hope that answers your question. Goodnight!” John said, tipping his head. “Bye! “ the little night-gowned girl waved. 

OOC: Jack has canonically mentioned “dumping” his parents several times to the point where John and Abigail had actually talked about how worried they were about retirement and what to do with the farm. They knew kids didn’t want to work on a farm or ranch.