[D8, ME] After the Judgment (Closed)

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

Nathan's absence from the executions had gone noticed by Corrine, and she sought him out as soon after the proceedings as she could.

Her presence was announced, and she soon swept in briskly, eager to get out of the rain. Ser Markus quietly waited for her just outside, beneath the awning that formed the entrance to the pavilion.

She pulled back the hood of her cloak, briefly touching her neatly braided hair, checking it was still in place. It was a self-conscious habit she always displayed when she removed a head covering, but there was a genuine anxiety in her eyes.

"
Nathan, my dear. I hope I am not intruding. I did not see you at the execution earlier, and I was concerned about you."

[Nathaniel Mason]

"
Never an intrusion, my Lady."
replied Nathan bowing. "
I was there, although I did not stay for the inevitable outcome."


He was dressed simply today. Except for the quality of his clothing, most would mistake him for a farm boy in his church best or the son of a merchant. The last several days Nathan had been quiet and inconspicuous, the handsome Lord Davain being the central focus of House Bartheld.

"
I thank you for your concern. I am fine. I have just been very busy with distribution of supplies and settling some of the more minor disputes. Not glamorous work, but well needed."

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

"
I understand. The important work tends to be the less dramatic,"
Corrine nods, with a little smile. "
And, really, I expect you are as weary of dramatic crises this past week as I am. Are you looking forward to going home?"

[Nathaniel Mason]

"
Would it be selfish of me to say I will be extremely grateful to see the back of both House Blackwood and Bracken?"


Nathan gave a weary smile. "
Still, it would be irresponsible for me to leave before I am satisfied that I have given the smallfolk the best chance for survival."
He motions to a seat. "
I was just about to have some tea. Would you care to join me? Perhaps something stronger. The day, and indeed the week cannot have been easy for you either. Harder, I would say, given your position and the tasks demanded of you."


"
I read the treaty. A valiant compromise and much better than most will have expected. You should be complemented. If both sides follow the treaty there should be some lasting peace, or at least both sides will be too poor to wage aggression on each other. A treaty no-one will like but nearly everyone can live with, which is the hallmark of true diplomacy."

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

She takes the offered seat.

"
I will gladly take a cup of whatever you are having,"
she replies, tactfully. "
And it doesn't sound selfish at all to want to be out of here. As much as I bear none of them ill will, it has been a difficult week, and I too am eager to return home. Hammering out that treaty was a thankless task, but, hopefully, it will do some good."


She sighs wearily, and gives Nathan an apologetic look.

"
I was worried you were angry with me, for being too lenient with Arran."

[Nathaniel Mason]

Nathan looked a little surprised. "
I am honoured my feelings give you any pause at all, but you should not worry. I am not angry with you. I am not angry at all. I have moved past that. I am more... resigned."


He pours them both cups of tea. "
Arran committed a crime so heinous that I doubt any punishment would be sufficient."
He pauses in thought. "
Arran consumed by dragon fire might have been closer to the mark, but apparently that particular penalty is reserved for peasants."
he continued dryly.

Nathan sighed. "
Honestly, I don't know if the outcome would have been any different. There were those that wanted to send him to the Wall. Not that he would have made it to the Wall. At least his execution gave some finality to the situation."


"
You are right that I would have liked Arran made an example of, but my greater wish would have been to learn of his plans and assassinate him before he acted."


"
Unfortunately, the past is the past and can't be changed. I will move forward, as you should. You have accomplished a great deal in a very short time. There are probably things both of us could have done better, and will do better in the trying times ahead."


"
I spent the first half of this week counting the dead. The last few days I have spent counting the living and the lives that have been saved far exceed the lives lost."

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

Corrine nods solemnly.

"
I wanted to see him suffer too, but I was advised against making myself look capricious. And, well, I cannot very well preach compassion and peace if I go around burning old men, even heinous ones who have earned it. And, while I agree that Aemond's behaviour was horrific, there is little anyone could do about it. That is rather the problem with Targaryens. I doubt people would be as scared of them without those dragons."

[Nathaniel Mason]

Nathan shrugged. "
Lord Haig Bracken has no dragons and yet there are plenty of people who are scared of him, and rightfully so. Dragons are an obvious aspect of power, but not the only one.

In actually, it is not the dragons of this world or the men who flaunt their power that one should be most afraid of. It is the Arrans of this world who wander around in complete obscurity waiting to strike."

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

"
A good point, well made,"
Corrine admits. "
Once again, I am somewhat shamed by your rectitude and wisdom."

[Nathaniel Mason]

Nathan looked somewhat abashed. "
I am not sure how to respond to that, my Lady. It was not my intent to shame you."


"
Power is a dangerous thing, but hard to quantify. Lord Bracken and the Prince have power because we have some idea what they are capable of. Arran had power because most underestimated him. It was not just his knowledge and access to the poison, it was his age. He could act because he knew the majority of his life was behind him and there was little we could do to punish him if he was caught;
and he knew he would be caught."


"
Lord Blackwood had power, but not the power to prevent his death or the death of his wife. His son now has power. Let us hope he uses that power better in future then he has in the past."


"
The true test of power is simple: Does someone have the means to get what they want? Benjen Frey is a good example of that. He lived his life doing exactly as he wished. It only ended when someone else wanted him gone and had the means to make that happen. No matter how much power one has, there is always someone who has more, if only in the moment."

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

"
I suppose. If only the responsibility that comes with such power was taken more seriously."

[Nathaniel Mason]

"
Power breeds arrogance and arrogance breeds contempt. Our society is built upon the nobility caring for the common people, but how many forget or ignore that for their own selfish agendas."


"
When our good King dies and the two factions strive for power, will only Knights go to battle, or will they conscript the smallfolk? Smallfolk who have very little to gain and everything to lose from the conflict."


"
When that eventuality happens and you, Lady Marsten, are called upon by your liege to go to battle on one side or the other, how many of your people will you bring to the battle, and how many will you bring home when it is done?"


"
You call me wise, but I see no solution to that particular power struggle that does not end in tragedy for one side or the other, likely both. Not a solution that I have the means of bringing about, in any case."

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

"
It is my hope that the side I support will be strong enough by then that we can avoid a war altogether. But, well, in the event of it happening anyway, I would not wish to conscript smallfolk at all. As you say, it is not their fight, and, looking at it selfishly for a moment, I'd rather have a smaller army of trained warriors than an unskilled rabble."

[Nathaniel Mason]

"
From what I can see, both sides are fairly evenly matched. Perhaps that will change before it comes, if it comes."


Nathan sighs. "
I hope it won't come. I would not want to have Jon or Ben die in a pointless family power struggle. Jon sees honour and glory in battle. I am unconvinced. I think there is more honour in what one fights for than the battle itself."


"
If the King truly wishes to ensure the Princess is his chosen successor, he should step down and have her crowned. Few could argue with him while he lived. If he waits till he is dead, I forsee enough turmoil and bloodshed that what we have seen here will look quaint by comparison."

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

"
I imagine it is difficult to relinquish power when one has it, even if it would be better for the Realm."


Her pensive gaze returned to Nathan's face.

"
I don't want Ben or Jon to die either. Especially not so pointlessly."

[Nathaniel Mason]

"
Well, that is a problem for another day."
Nathan sighed. "
We may not be in agreement on who is to sit on the Iron throne, but we can agree, at least, that neither of us wants a war. Perhaps there will be opportunities to avert that fate in the future."


"
What of today? Are you happy with the treaty?"

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

"
In. A true compromise, no-one is happy,"
she quips, with a mirthless smirk. "
But, it will serve, as long as those involved abide by it. I used to just assume that people would naturally want to do good, but I know better now. If I never see the wretched Riverlands again, it will be too soon. I almost lost myself to stress, Nathan. I really did."

[Nathaniel Mason]

"
I can say from experience, Lady Marsten, that the old saying 'What doesn't kill me makes me stronger.' is true."


"
Most people actually want to do good. Some, like Lord Bracken have only interest in doing good for themselves. Some, like Ser Myles, want to do good, but have a very narrow view of what good is. Some, like Lord Darry are too afraid to do much good for anyone. Some, like Ser Olyver, actually believe they are doing good. Some, like Lord Daleford are hampered to do good by the burden of too many responsibilities and the cost that doing good sometimes brings. For most people, doing good is a luxury they cannot afford;
their lives are consumed by simple survival."


"
Through a great deal of hard work, more than my fair share of luck, and some would say compromised morals, I have amassed a large fortune. My only responsibilities are to myself and those I employ. I have the luxury of doing good, or at least make the attempt. However, I believe that my situation is fairly unique, so I cannot judge others by my own measure."

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

"
It is good that you have that luxury, regardless of the circumstances. You also lack the trappings of nobility. You don't have appearances to keep up and fractious bannermen to placate."

[Nathaniel Mason]

"
It's true I have only the obligations I choose,"
he gives her a wry grin, "
but as far as appearances, have you seen the size of my wardrobe?"

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

She laughs more heartily than she has in a while.

"
I have not, actually. I expect I would envy it."

[Nathaniel Mason]

Nathan grinned over his tea. "
My Lady, I have a large number of talented women in my employ, all of whom can sew and usually have an excessive amount of time on their hands. I also have numerous older women in my employ who have lost the ability or desire to continue in their profession. In many cases they would be ejected, or have to find work in a less secure establishment. A grievous waste of opportunity in my view. One of the first things I did when I restructured the Boar was hire a full time tailor and dressmaker. Several of the more fashionable young ladies and men of King's Landing wear fashions that were made at the Boar, although they probably have no idea, or lie through their teeth if they do."


"
To be perfectly honest, I have generated so many different revenues for the Boar, the girls probably only gain a quarter of their income from actually sleeping with anyone. A Lord treads dangerous ground if he relies on only one source of income. A brothel is no different."
Nathan took a sip of his tea. "
I should say, a properly run brothel is no different."


"
Many brothel owners, of course, use and abuse their staff for their own gain. Very shortsighted. The happier people are, they more money they make. The better off they are, the better off I am. They have to watch their staff every moment of the day. I can leave for a week or even a month without a second thought."


"
If you ask me, there are some Lords that should have to spend some time running a brothel. They might learn something."

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

"
What about Ladies?"
Corrine asked, with a wicked glance.

[Nathaniel Mason]

"
Your welcome to be my guest any time you wish."
Nathan smirked. "
I suggest a disguise."

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

"
Oh, of course. I already attract more than a fair share of gossip. Speculation about me being a whore, sapphic, or both, while a change from speculation about my suitability as a leader, would be best avoided. I admit to being curious though. Might be character-building for me to learn about other ways of life. I am sure you bring an integrity to it that should be an example to others."

[Sponsored content]