Carried on black wings, word has reached King’s Landing of Lord Chester’s assassination in the midst of the shadow city. King Daeron, the Young Dragon, had planned to go to a last hunt with the Sealord of Braavos before his departure back to his city; with the news, he gave up the notion, instead closeting himself with his councillors for a time. Birds could be seen winging their way from the Grand Maester’s tower, flying south, some hours later. More, rumors ran that half a score of royal galleys were to be prepared to journey to Sunspear as swift as may be with fresh levies and knights to increase the force the king’s cousin, Ser Alyn, had available.
And in far off Dorne, the shadow city has been turned near upside down as the shariffs, under Ser Robin Dayne, search out the means by which Reaversbane was intercepted and killed. The mystery of his failure to depart with the morning tide as he had planned was swiftest resolved: Ser Alyn had intended a last meeting with him in the small hours before sending him on his way to the Greenblood. The details of the meeting, however, had been sent out in strict secrecy. Soon enough the courier of the message admitted he had stopped at a pillow house to while away some time before completing his task, as Lord Chester would be much of the evening at the Old Palace. Ser Alyn insisted on sending knights of his own to supervise matters when the shariffs ransacked the pillow house for information, and Prince Doran allowed this with no complaint. Yet nothing came of it, as the women the knight had kept company with had left the establishment the morning of the murder, and none could say where they had gone.
Lord Tyrell, busy bringing a measure of quiet to the dry lands between the Greenblood and Godsgrace, has made no move to interfere in Ser Alyn’s investigation; indeed, few missives but the briefest of matters concerning logistics and movements have been shared between them, fuelling rumors that the Young Dragon’s chief commanders are feuding. Whatever the case may be, the golden rose of Highgarden flies above the walls of Godsgrace while Lord Tyrell resides there for the time being to enforce the king’s will. And where next? To Vaith, it’s said, where the unpopular Bright Banners led by Beslon the Bad have justified their most recent brutalities by claiming to have uncovered a conspiracy of rebels.