The Kraken's Daughter

"My bannermen are out of control, Euron!" her lord husband wailed. "Beric Dondarrion stormed out this morning, and some others followed, more than I could count. My hold on them slips more every day!"

Heh, husband. This whole affair was a mummer's farce. Asha was beginning to rue the day her uncle returned. His honeyed words had poisoned them all. "Queen you shall be," he promised, not merely over the Iron Islands, but all Westeros. A sweet promise to be sure, sweet as poison. Since she became a woman wed, Asha often heard such in the lord's solar of Storm's End, where the three of them plotted.

"Peace, beloved." Euron cupped Renly's cheek tenderly. Asha wished someone would touch her like that. She hadn't had a man in her bed for far too long. "If any name you traitor, remind them they are party to treason as well. You must either win your crown or lose your head. The ship has sailed. The horse has bolted." The old pirate smiled a smile that promised all, even the ruin beneath his eyepatch seemed to smile. "The whore is pregnant."

I wish I were pregnant.

Renly exhaled roughly, pure dismay upon his handsome face. Would that he weren't a sword-swallower. "I tried that, seven knows I tried! Joff is popular and has won much honor these last few years. Even Loras favors him over me," he complained bitterly.

Loras! Loras! Loras! Was Uncle Euron not enough for this fop?

"Has there been any word from Uncle Victarion?" Asha asked reasonably. It was his stroke on which they chanced their rise.

"There has been no bird from Dragonstone or King's Landing, so we may assume success," Euron answered easily. He was always so sure of himself. "Hostages we shall have in plenty. Once Queen Cersei is ours, we shall hold every child and grandchild of Tywin Lannister. He shall not dare to march against us. Your wayward knight of flowers may yet have fallen into our power, and that's Highgarden."

Euron made it sound so neat, all tied up, as if the realm were already theirs. "And those 'friends across the sea' you promised?" Asha questioned. "Where are they?"

"The Dragon Queen's war against Volantis has expanded in scope, I fear, drawing many a sellsword. They say she fired the whole of the Dothraki Sea and the Forest of Qohor besides. Essos burns, and who knows what shall rise from the ashes?" He sounded like he knew, if Asha was any judge. "Good Prince Joffrey was kind enough to supply us safe harbor. The Weeping Town has expanded its docks, and there is now a convenient road that shall allow our friends to march straight to Storm's End with all speed, ere they cross the Narrow Sea. We are well-situated here, my dear. You worry over nothing. As we are, Storm's End could stand a siege for years, even if all the power of Westeros were brought down on us."

Asha didn't want all the power of Westeros to be brought down on us! Why was Euron so comfortable with the idea?

"Could you blow your hellhorn again?" Renly asked desperately. "It worked so well in my hall, but almost as soon as we had Joffrey in a tower cell, my men began to question me, quietly at first, but they grow louder all the time. At least it drove away those Stark monsters, as you said it would, but they still roam my forests. No hunter I've sent out has reported sighting them."

Euron smiled sadly. Her uncle had many smiles. This one meant "no."

"I fear not, Renly. The price is just too high. Mayhaps if more come to us, many more, it may be worth chancing, but not now."

"We could release the prince!" Renly suggested, his voice pitched higher, near hysterical. "We could tell him it was all a terrible mistake! Beg his forgiveness! Joff is my own blood; he would listen to reason!"

"I'm afraid it's too late for that, my love." Euron's hand drifted down and caressed Renly's side, making the big lord shiver. "All will be well, if only you trust me." Her uncle's voice grew sharper. "You do trust me, don't you?"

"Uh...uh, of course!" Renly stuttered.

I married that? Asha could hardly believe it.

"The potion you gave me, Nuncle. You swear I shall bear a son?" She spoke up before they lost themselves in one another, again.

"Without a doubt," he answered with easy confidence, but whenever did Euron Greyjoy lack easy confidence? Their dungeons were full of highborn prisoners, and they were safe behind Storm's End's thick walls, defended by many swords. Word of Victarion's victory would reach them any day now, or so Asha forced herself to believe.

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Win or die.

"I'm going to him," she declared. With the way the winds were blowing here, it was like Euron had much the same idea. Still, she had to be sure. "You really don't object to being cuckolded?" she asked her fool of a husband.

Renly was still shivering under Euron's touches and did not answer immediately. "I, ah, yes. Your babe will be from Baratheon seed, no? Then what does it matter?"

Mayhaps it mattered not at all. The prince was comelier than this one. Asha always did fancy golden hair. He was young, and would have to be taught how to please her, but there was relish in such a challenge.

"Farewell then, Nuncle, Renly."

She wore a dress this day, as befit the lady of Storm's End. Even so, Asha missed her breeches. Her skirts swirled round her as she departed, feeling naked without heavy steel hanging from her belt.

Joff was guarded, day and night, by Euron's silent sailors. They hailed from half a hundred nations, yet possessed not a single tongue between them. A fancy danced across her mind as she went to him. Mayhaps they could tell the world he was dead, but in truth, locked away in some tower. Thence, he would be her personal plaything and father of her babes.

Nay, too dangerous, she decided. Once she was with child, he would have to be removed. Uncle Euron never lied about his sorceries, failed to explain, aye, but never lied. The babe would be a boy. She would take what pleasures she could in the prince's body, while she could.

The silent ones let her pass into his snug bedchamber. Though a prisoner, Joffrey was not denied any comforts. A maester had seen to his hurts, and he slept upon a featherbed. Books in plenty were stacked upon a heavy oaken desk, and fresh candles to light the windowless room.

He didn't bother to turn and see who came in. "What do you want?" Joff demanded shortly.

Oh? Did this one like to play difficult? Asha loved a challenge!

"It's me, Joff."

This time, he looked up from his desk. "You know nobody will ever believe you about the axe, right? If it goes to trial, I'll win, and have all your heads straight after."

"Bold of a prisoner to make threats, Joff."

"Don't mistake my kindness for weakness, Asha. I had planned to do good things for the Iron Islands, but you wrecked that with this absurd power play. You'd better kill me, because if I get out of here, you're fucking dead, I mean it."

She'd never heard that tone from him before! Asha found she liked it. Maybe she should just stir up the waters and see what comes to the surface?

"Joffrey, you mistake me! I'm not here to kill you." She smiled her most seductive smile. "I'm here to fuck you."

The prince's handsome face, golden and glowing, handsomeer than Renly's, scrunched up adorably. So innocent! Delicious! "What about your husband? You're going to fuck a prisoner under his own roof? Didn't you just get married?"

"Oh, Renly is a sword-swallower," she replied lightly. Joffrey looked shocked. Innocent for true!

"What the hell is a sword-swallower?"

Asha couldn't help it; she burst out laughing. How innocent could you get? "A man who prefers to bed other men. You mean you didn't know?"

Joffrey's eyes went wide. "Oooooooooh. That explains a lot, actually. You mean to tell me he was jealous over Loras guarding me? Nothing ever happened, you know."

"I know. It drove the fool quite mad. Small wonder you never caught on, with your nose buried in books. Do you even know what to do with a girl?"

"Yes," he answered flatly, "but not with you. Get out."

Asha sighed. Any man of her crew would already have her on the bed by now. This would take some doing. "I can show you things, Joff, things that will make your toes curl, and your eyes cross. Just let me see what you've got under those smallclothes..."

Her hands went to unlace his breeches but he pushed her away violently. "You don't understand the situation, Asha. We're enemies. I don't fuck my enemies. Now get out before I break your neck."

There was death in his voice, Asha could tell. So she backed away slowly and left the lad alone. Mayhaps she would need to get him drunk first?