Sun House

"Thank you for your trust, I will do all that is required, Rhae", she gave her a small grin as she stood in the door. "Get some rest sister. I will mull over the words for Lady Daenerys while I eat."

She grinned once more and closed the door behind her.

As she walked the hall headed to the kitchens, in her mind a fire was burning and the word "Peace" was the fuel. She knew her brother would not bend a knee unless it meant the end of all his enemies, but what surprised her was Rhaella's softening to sell peace towards a man that took their father away, a man that has caused them nothing but trouble since he started this farse.

"We are not strong enough to fight," Rhaella answered in a low voice, so as not to disturb the man dying in the bed. "Two of our dragons are too badly wounded to fight. We don't even know if either of them will fly again. If they do, it won't be soon. I dare not attack Redwyne with only three dragons. His fleet is too big and too dangerous. If Aegon's army triumphs against Ser Hector we'll perhaps be able to join forces against Redwyne. But until then, we just don't have the strength."

Rhaella frowned. "You would do this thing alone?"

She folded her arms across her chest. Of course he wanted something more.

"What kind of distraction? Tell me the whole, Aerion."

"That would put our ships in great danger again when the chance of success is not great," Rhaella answered. "Morale is low already. It is much to soon to try such a thing. Lord Velaryon gave his life for us. I will not see his sacrifice wasted. We need to recover our strength."

She sighed. "I honour your courage, Aerion, but I cannot commit our ships to such a reckless endeavour. I'm sorry, but the chance of success is not nearly high enough."

She stepped closer, put her hand on his shoulder.

"Lord Greyjoy is wroth with us, I fear. I am not sure we can trust him now, not until you are safely wed to his daughter. The match is not your choice, I know, but it is for the good of the realm. We would likely lose his friendship entirely if you were to die in a reckless quest. I am sending Arenya and Tanis to inform Aegon of our deeds, but Seaskimmer and Sinner are too badly wounded to fly. Amethyst and I must remain here to protect our fleet and our wounded dragons. If you were to depart on Servys, that task would fall to Amethyst alone and we might all be doomed if Greyjoy fled, or Redwyne attacked."

Rhaella was angry but she remained calm. "o not call me a coward, Aerion, I have fought in many battles, as you well know. You speak as if victory were guaranteed. But we underestimated Redwyne and his strength. We cannot lose our entire fleet in the venture you propose. Then we would be even more vulnerable than we are now. You will need to find a better answer. In the meantime, we must make sure of Greyjoy's loyalty. Go and speak with him. I have sworn to keep vigil over Lord Velaryon."

She stepped closer to the dying man, hands slipping to her dagger. Within seconds it was done and he breathed no more.

Orys sat with Sinner, patting the side of the young dragon. Orys blamed himself for Sinner's wounds. Maybe if he had done something a little differently he could have avoided it. That battle as a whole had been... terrible.

Baelon finally entered. He had not flown back, of course, and even once his ship arrived he had spent much time trying to find a maester, or a surgeon, or anyone who could tend to Seaskimmer's wounds. He hadn't succeeded at that, though he had managed to find some wine on the way.

"Need the maester." He said when he found his kin. "Need to see to his wing if he's going to fly again." Baelon took a long pull from the wineskin he carried, and gestured to Velaryon. "This fucking incompetent doesn't seem to have much use for a healer anymore."

Lord Aerion frowned and left to find Lord Greyjoy. He had never enjoyed Baelon's company.

Sitting with her meal at one of the tables in the hall, she picked over the roasted meat and potatoes. The wine she did drink, heavily. Using her fork, she made a trail with the gravy.

What words could be used to console a daughter who had lost her father. Arenya thought of how she felt in hearing the words about her own father's demise. His death at the hands of the very men they have been fighting since their younger years.

Chewing slowly on the food, she thought about her sister's moronic notion of trying to make peace with the very people who would see her head on a pike before they even made a compromise. She pushed the plate away from her and sat with hands together and her two pointer fingers touching each other and resting on her top lip. She knew Maegor would not hear of making nice with the Faith militants nor Aegon.. Who knew what they had endured in their own battle,  as it is evident that this group failed miserably in their own.  How many casualties were they mourning at the hands of their enemy? 

Finish with her meal, slowly Arenya made her way back to Tanis in the yard.

Aerion strode into the hall with slow and deliberate steps, his armored boots crunching broken plates and wooden fragments under his immense weight. He bent and picked up a scrap from the floor and examined it, allowing silence to surround them. Finally he spoke, "Lord Greyjoy." He murmured, allowing the chunk to fall from his hand, its clattering sound echoing throughout the stone hall.

"I had come to see that your spirit had not broken, but I see that it is not your spirit I should be worried about. Lady Cuy will be most upset."