The news from the Citadel.
Who: Polonius Haine, William Stark. When: Day 19, evening. Where: The King's Chamber. Rating: PG Status: in-progress
Polonius shifted his weight and straightened his shoulders. Giving bad news was hardly his task but Penrose seemed to be intent on taking the coward's way out on this one. So the Master of Whispers was the one left to stand here in the King Regent's presence and present him with news that was grimmer than a Northern winter.
"Your Majesty, I have received word from the Citadel," he said solemnly. The letters in his hand were near identical but one was heavy, though it bore none of the official seals of the Arch-Maesters whilst the other contained little more than a great quanitity of seals and ribbons of a hundred colors. The first had come from a friend and only by methods so secretive that Polonius was half amazed he'd ever received it at all. It too had originated within the Citadel's walls, but had never been meant for his eyes. "They say they can detect some strange pollen perhaps on the gown but nothing as would create such a reaction in your daughter..." He hesitated. The second letter was more enlightening but its import was such as he wasn't certain that reporting it would help William.
He had been blindsided. He, whose trade was secrets and his life suspicion. Nothing in the Seven Kingdoms was ever calm, nothing balanced more than precariously and yet even Polonius Haine was unsure of what to make of this strange tale. What would a Stark make of it? Simply to ignore it, Polonius thought with a hint of bitterness, though he was still fool enough to hope not.