Anticipation grows in the court of King’s Landing, as the royal wedding of Prince Baelor—heir to the Seven Kingdoms—and his sister Princess Daena is set to take place little more than four months hence. Ser William Waxley, the royal steward, has been in daily conference with the king and Princess Viserys regarding arrangements, as well as with Lord Cargyll the master of coin, and the various ladies and gentlemen attached to the households of the prince and princess. Merchants have been contracted, seamstresses have been found, and even still more needs doing. Courtiers have offered their services, sometimes in contradictory fashion, and this has sparked new gossip about petty enmities and the maneuverings of noble against noble to win the esteem and generosity of the crown.
To add to the excitement, the quiet comings and goings of certain Braavosi men of note has led to new speculation that some great event is being planned involving the mightiest of the Free Cities. Only a few years before, the new Sealord came to power on a tide of martial success, and has prosecuted a successful war with Pentos concerning its trade with slaves. Might the Sealord, a man still young and with a bright future ahead of him, see some common brotherhood between himself and King Daeron? Or, as others whisper in corners when few are about to overhear, is it in truth the Iron Bank that has concerns with the ongoing conflict in Dorne, a drain on the crown’s revenues while Dorne seems increasingly poorer than anyone had ever supposed?