Hugh Hammer (ASOIF/SI)

As they sat down in the comfortable private room he had booked

 Daemon pondered how to handle the next few hours. Which ploy to

 go with first, which one would best serve his purposes, his goals.

 As the food was brought in, fine fare but not excessive, as he found

 that he often felt bloated and out of sorts after too large a meal, he

 made his decision.

 "Eat up Ser Hugh, enjoy, we will discuss matters as we eat."

 "Yes, your Grace" replied the dragonrider, who selected several

 small portions from the fare laid out on the table, apparently

 determined to taste of everything. Not a bad strategy if you had

 probably not seen fare such as this before Daemon mused, again

 highlighting the lad's brains, if nothing else.

 "I invited you here as its more private and secure than the Red

 Keep" noticing the lad's reaction to this, well-hidden but still

 noticeable to him, good, he was not losing his touch me smiled

 inwardly.

 "The walls of the Red Keep have ears" came Hugh's reply,

 somewhat sotto voiced.

 "Indeed, they do, though I wonder how you know of this secret,

 hrmmmm?"

 "The legend that Maegor the cruel killed his workforce after the

 completion of the holdfast that bears his name is well known. And as

 to why he would do that, it only stands to reason to keep some

 secret of the construction of the Holdfast. And secret passageways

 and escape routes are the most likely thing that Maegor wanted to

 keep secret. It is simple logic" finished Hugh, returning to eating from

his plate, but Daemon noticed the tension he was carrying in his

 shoulders and neck. The lad was afraid, and nervous, good, very

 good, he might slip up yet.

 "Logic eh? If you say so, anyway, you know that the war will

 hopefully be brought to a swift end soon enough. Winter will be upon

 us soon and a war in winter is the height of folly, but that will not be

 the reason why the war will end soon. We have a decisive

 advantage in dragons, in no small part due to you young Hugh."

 "Your Grace is too kind."

 "I am not" he replied, letting a little of his anger and annoyance spill

 into his voice "I give praise where it is deserved, no more. I am not

 having this discussion with that drunken sot Ulf am I, or with that

 filthy, wild thing Nettles?"

 "Or Addam" Hugh replied, his voice calm but quiet.

 "No, he is the concern of his grandfather, or should I say his

 father…" when the lad did not react to this Daemon was somewhat

 pleased, not that anyone whose head was used for more than

 keeping their ears apart would not suspect the Sea Snake of being

 the father of the two bastards that had so recently been legitimised

 as Velaryons.

 "Once the war is over there will have to be a reckoning with the

 enemies of the Iron Throne, with those Lords, High and Low, who

 cast aside their oaths and who threw their lot in with the usurper. And

 there will be opportunities to rise higher for those who were loyal, for

 those who offered leal and valuable service to her Grace."

 "I have already been knighted" came the lad's wary reply.

 "And a good start that is Ser Hugh, a good start, but I suspect that

 you would not wish to remain a landed Knight and vassal to the

 Velaryon's for ever would you?"

Hugh paused a second or two before replying "I would not, no.

 Daemon smiled wolfishly in response, "no of course not, you would

 much prefer a nice big castle somewhere and a pretty young High

born lass to fill your bed. As would your compatriot Ulf the White, but

 whereas you are too reticent, he is unfortunately far too forward, and

 nobody likes a grasping cunt, especially one so quickly risen above

 their station."

 Hugh said nothing in response, merely methodically eating his way

 through the selection of food on his plate.

 "And Ulf lacks a certain discretion, he talks far too much, and says

 much more than he should. It has been noticed, and approaches

 have been made by certain parties to him."

 "The Greens are trying to get him to turn his cloak" came the reply,

 no hint of a question in Hugh's voice.

 "Aye, which begs the question, have you been approached?"

 Without missing a beat Hugh replied, "I was, I told them I was not

 interested."

 "Oh? Is that so Ser Hugh?" Daemon asked, wondering suddenly if all

 this was for naught.

 "Yes, a certain merchant factor called Janas Barner, suave fellow,

 but far too insincere and oily for my tastes."

 "Ha! Ahahahaha! I like you Ser Hugh!" laughed Daemon in response,

 knowing that this fellow Janas Barner was indeed who had made

 contact with Ulf and whom his men were following closely. But inside

 he was raging, that his men had missed the approach to Hugh

 boded ill. And he wondered what offer had been made to Hugh, and

 if he could trust the lad in light of this.

 "They offered me Horn Hill by the way, if you don't already know."

"Horn Hill eh? That's quite the seat now is it not?" asked Daemon,

 wondering if he would have to end the lad here and now.

 "I'd never live to sit my arse in it, it was only 'promised' once the war

 was over. Even I'm not that stupid to think they would not shank me

 once the war is over. I assume they made a similar offer to Ulf, and

 he no doubt believed them."

 Why the hells not thought Daemon, "they offered him Horn Hill."

 This got no reaction from Hugh, a good sign as far as Daemon was

 concerned.

 "So, what are you offering me then?" asked Hugh, finally finishing

 what he was eating and pushing away his plate.

 "Legitimised as a Targaryen, the 

lands of House Bettley and House

 Cockshaw in the new and much enlarged Crownlands, and the hand

 of my daughter Rhaena in marriage."

 "Oh bugger me sideways!"