>>5843858The lord cursed himself silently as white spots danced on his eyes, the roar was ferocious and as much a thunderclap as any that might have been outside though he knew it to be a trick of the round hall, the Storm kings had designed it well for the trick and the Thunder lord had long since learned to leverage such appearances in dealing with lords here. The collective din had been sliced in an instant and he thanked whatever gods that might be for the silence, he let the effect sink for a moment before continuing with strict control that demanded attention.
<span class="mu-i">’’The matter is settled, house Strong shall have position of the toll tower as recompense for the rape of Jeyne Strong,<span class="mu-s">the Regent</span> has spoken.</span>
He caught a righteous smile of satisfaction from the black Swan as both Mudd and Lord Stonepeake made to protest, Mudd could only stammer a string of weak protest and Lord Stonepeake was seized by the collar by Ser Criston and hauled towards the base of the dias,for half a heartbeat his brother moved to bear steel before he thought better of it and stepped aside, the Thunderer took in a silent victory as Stonepeake was thrown to the stone floor, he might have basked in the exertion of his authority had his head not been a drum, as the old lord of Stonepeake made to rise the Thunder lord spoke.
<span class="mu-i">’’Renly Stonepeake for the rape of Jeyne strong you are stripped of rank and title, your deeds and house shall pass to your heir, in the name of the King you are to be imprisoned until such a time as the regent see fit to condemn you for your crimes’’</span>
Renly made to speak but only spat blood, a guard began to drag him by the ankle until he made to kick, that earned him a boot to the face from another that silenced him, the Thunderer noted with satisfaction that he thought he heard teeth breaking, he might have smiled but the ache only gave him a grimace, he had never liked the lord Stonepeake, he had been a flower, pleasingly and pleasant at court, eager to earn the affection of any woman, married or no and the list of accusations against him was longer than those voiced by the like of the Black swan.
He considered the missive from dragonstone as he approached, the display had made him tentative and unbalanced, inwardly the Thunder lord thought that boded well…
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