Hugh Hammer (ASOIF/SI)

 Ulf watched as the girl dressed herself, giving him sultry eyes over

 her shoulders before she left his chambers, promising more of the

 same, well more of the same as long as he paid her, of that Ulf knew.

 The chit was a serving wench in the Red Keep, a buxom young thing

 with a salacious way of moving her hips that was enticing to the eye.

 Even though she had come to his bed willingly enough, the wench

 had asked for coin to continue their trysts, something which had

 disappointed Ulf if he was honest with himself.

 But he had paid out the coin the girl asked for, not that her rates

 were exorbitant, and certainly nothing like the coin charged by the

 better class of whores on the Street of Silk.

 Which he as sadly now barred from, confined to the Red Keep as he

 now was. He was not even allowed to visit the Dragonpit and

 Silverwing, not that he had ever had much inclination to visit that

 cantankerous bitch. One had grooms to look after horses did one

 not? And it was the same with Dragons, there were people on

 Dragonstone and in the Dragonpit who were trained in the care and

 handling of the great beasts.

 And truth be told Silverwing made him nervous, the few times he had

 ridden her recently she had appeared to be truculent, rebellious

 even, and he had been less than lenient with the whip to get the

 bitch to obey his commands.

 After Hugh and Addam had disappeared off towards the Eyrie Prince

 Daemon had locked down the Red Keep, entry and exit was highly

 restricted and additional guards had been assigned to him. This had

 terrified Ulf at first, convinced that his treachery had been

 discovered, but as the days wore on Ulf had become less sure of

this, for would Prince Daemon let him live if he knew the extent of his

 treason? Ulf knew the answer to that was a resounding no. The

 Rogue Prince would not let him live a minute longer than the time it

 took to reach him with a sword if he was aware of just what Ulf was

 up to.

 A few days after Hugh and Addam's departure Ulf had been invited

 to dine with the Lord Protector himself in private, and he was not too

 proud to admit that he had soiled himself when the invite had been

 delivered.

 It was dark outside, and the winds of winter were howling around the

 walls of the Red Keep when he had been let into Prince Daemon's

 private dining room, where a lavish spread was present on the table.

 "Sit, eat, drink with me Ser Ulf, for we have much to discuss!" the

 husband of the Queen had announced, smiling in the candlelight of

 the room, though his eyes remained shadowed and invisible to Ulf.

 He had done as he was bidden, no servants were present in the

 room had had noticed, just the two of them.

 "You are no doubt wondering why you are here Ser Ulf?" came a

 smooth question, instantly putting Ulf on edge.

 "I, I am your Grace" he replied, failing to prevent his voice rising to a

 higher pitch than he wanted.

 "Treason Ser Ulf, treason…..in the worst of places Ser Ulf…"

 "Oh?" he squeaked, feeling his stones contract automatically,

 suddenly praying for a swift death at the hands of the Rogue Prince.

 "Aye, treason… do you know why I kept you with me Ser Ulf and

 sent Hugh and Addam to the Vale?"

 "No…..no" her replied, the second negative lower than the strangled

 sounding first one.

"To get them out of Kings Landing and away from the plots and plans

 that pair are hatching, treasonous plans Ser Ulf, treachery of the

 highest order!"

 "Then, then why, then why allow them, why allow them to leave

 Kings Landing, and with, and with their dragons, your Grace?" Ulf

 asked, confusion whirling in his brain, that just did not make any

 sense to him.

 "I wanted them out of Kings Landing so I can move against their

 supporters and the agents of the Greens that they have been in

 contact with!"

 "Agents…." Ulf paled, his stones attempting to crawl even further up

 into his belly if that was possible.

 "Aye, Hugh and Addam have been planning to betray me to the

 Greens, to turn their coats. Getting them out of Kings Landing with

 their dragons was a priority. When they return, I will have dealt with

 their supporters and the agents of the Greens, and they will be easy

 to take down. But for this to take place I first had to get them out of

 Kings Landing."

 Ulf nodded in response, deciding to take a long draught of his wine

 to hide the fear that was threatening to show on his face. If his

 contacts with the Greens were discovered, well he was a dead man

 then also, was he not? This realization made him sick to his stomach

 as Prince Daemon began loading up his own plate with food.

 "Ser Ulf, please, help yourself, the food is the best in the city, I

 swear!" remarked the Lord Protector as he began to eat heartily.

 Ulf swallowed nervously and decided that if he did not eat it would

 look out of place, so he selected a few of the choicest looking

 morsels and despite having absolutely no appetite began to eat the

 food.

It tasted like ash in his mouth and his stomach clenched and

 rumbled as he swallowed, annoyed at the intrusion of food when it

 was in such a perilous state.

 "You are to tell no one of this conversation Ser Ulf, I warn you, the

 agents of our enemies are everywhere, you must keep this secret,

 for your own safety. If the traitors Hugh and Addam return from the

 Vale they will be dealt with. But you must make no overt move

 against them, you must not let them suspect a thing, depending on

 how soon they return I might not have everything ready for them" the

 Rogue Prince grinned like some bestial animal, showing way too

 many teeth for Ulf's liking.

 He nodded in response, concentrating on swallowing the food that

 he was eating and not betraying the fear that he was gripping at his

 guts like a vice.

 "Oh, and we have not spoken recently of rewards have we Ulf? No,

 we have not, well I should remedy this, should I not?"

 Ulf again could only nod in response, not sure that his voice would

 not betray him.

 "Well for a start there is your name, what say you to marrying into a

 great house and taking its name as your own?"

 Ulf gave an enthusiastic nod of his head and chanced his voice "that,

 that would be, be great your Grace!"

 "I may even have the family and the girl for you lad already!" the

 Rogue Prince barked out a laugh "How would you like to take my

 name and marry my daughter Rhaena?"

 Ulf very nearly spat out his food, coughing and spluttering for an

 embarrassingly long time before he could reply a gasped "yes your

 Grace…."

"Good Lad! Good, but I warn you, this depends on how loyal you are

 and what you do over the next few moons…."

 Ulf decided then and there that he would flee to the Greens as soon

 as he could, there was no way he was staying in this viper's pit one

 day longer than he absolutely had to.