Runestone, the ancient stronghold of House Royce.
The walls of the castle hall were built from massive blocks of gray granite, rugged and heavy.
In the center of the hall, people filled the seats around a great long table.
At its head sat the Earl of Runestone, Yohn Royce himself.
He was powerfully built, his graying hair and thick beard meticulously trimmed, and he surveyed everyone present.
Along both sides of the table sat the core members of the Lords Declarant.
The Countess of Ironoaks from House Waynwood, the Earl of Longbow Hall from House Hunter... and several other powerful lords of the Vale.
The atmosphere was solemn and grave.
Yet the focus of the hall at that moment was not Earl Yohn, but an uninvited guest standing before the long table.
He was tall, even half a head taller than Earl Yohn, and wore a finely tailored dark blue velvet coat, with an ornate longsword hanging at his waist.
His golden hair was meticulously combed, and his bright blue eyes held a merchant's shrewdness.
Eson Arryn, the head of House Arryn of Gulltown.
The Arryns of Gulltown were a wealthy cadet branch of House Arryn of the Eyrie. Though they were not the lords of Gulltown, they possessed a vast merchant fleet and extensive holdings in the town, giving them astonishing wealth.
But in the eyes of the Vale's mainstream nobility, who took pride in ancient bloodlines and chivalry, they were more like nouveau riche merchants, vulgar and lacking the heritage of true nobility.
Earl Yohn frowned deeply. "Lord Arryn, did you just say you wished to join us as well? To join the Lords Declarant?"
House Arryn of Gulltown had always remained outside the Vale's inner circle of power, focusing on their trade. Their sudden declaration now could