After the Arryn rebellion was crushed, peace did not come easily to the Vale.
The fighting was over, but the tension remained. Old loyalties had been shaken, and old houses spoke in low tones about the state of things.
The talk was the same across every holdfast and village... could a woman truly rule and keep the Vale together?
Some said no, that men were meant to lead.
Others said yes, that the Vale was better under the calm of Lady Jeyne Arryn than under a dozen feuding lords who had dubious intentions.
Though the question reminded many of the Great Council. Some maesters asked what might have happened if the lords had chosen Princess Rhaenys instead of King Viserys.
Would the realm have torn itself into conflict sooner like it is with Lady Jeyne's rule? Or would it have been far worse?
Whatever their thoughts, the realm had no peace of mind now either.
King Viserys still had only one trueborn child... Princess Rhaenyra... and his brother Daemon remained a problem no one wanted to deal with.
It was a quiet unease, but a deep one, and everyone paying attention could feel it.
Which was further emphasized with Lord Yorbert Royce's death... and having another woman take his place... making it so that Lady Rhea Royce was now the official ruler of Runestone.
To some, it seemed a fine thing, for she was capable and fierce. But others saw it as another sign that the Vale had lost its old order.
The Eyrie was led by a girl, and Runestone by another.
Grumblings about these issues could have risen some more in the mountains and the smallfolk of the lands... until those same voices fell silent after hearing of what had also happened on the battlefield of this noteworthy rebellion.
The Order of the Bronze trained and led by the young Ronan Stone, had fought like a wall of knights and warriors that seemed insurmountable.
Mountain clans were crushed by them. And pirates who should have harried the coast had vanished because of them. Which were rightfully commendable in their own right...
But to think that even the rebel army who tried to overthrow Jeyne Arryn were beaten back faster than anyone expected. And that was something else.
So, people began to pay more attention to this Bronze Order... of soldiers who apparently moved as one, fought as one, and never broke ranks.
But most of all, they spoke of their leader.
A boy not yet grown, already commanding men twice his age.
A bastard of the Lady Rhea, raised and legitimized to heirship.
And now, a knight named by the Lady of the Eyrie herself.
It caused an uproar in the realm and in rumors.
The lords of traditions called it a scandal.
A bastard made heir and a boy made knight. It was clear to them that the Vale had lost its wits.
Still, some people will always see things differently.
Either way, Runestone grew stronger than ever. Its trade doubled, its small ports expanding into a connected harbor, and its people walked safer roads than most of the realm could claim.
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Of course, as the rest of the realm clamored and murmured... the two talked-about ladies of the Vale convened more often than ever.
Lady Jeyne heard the criticisms daily.
She is too young, they said.
She is but a woman, even more so... a girl. They emphasized.
So, she needs a husband. She needs a man to steady her rule. They demanded.
To that, she answered only with what she could... steady lands, quiet borders, and a maintained Vale.
However and whenever she met with Lady Rhea Royce in the Eyrie, they often shared their sentiments over such words.
Lady Jeyne, as grown as she might be, still needed a guide. And who better than the one who filled Lord Yorbert's seat?
Also, there was comfort in their partnership. Both knew the cost of holding power in a world that did not think they should have it.
Letters from doubting lords went unanswered.
Whispers were met with silence.
And every passing day of ignoring the noise made their positions stand taller. Through certain truths that none can deny.
Of course, almost always behind and between them stood Ser Ronan Royce... a young knight who had become both ally and problem.
He had the respect of the East's strongest soldiers, the loyalty of the Bronze, and the ear of both women.
It made some uneasy. To the lords of the mountainous kingdom, he was either a weapon or a warning.
To Lady Jeyne, he was a rare mind ... quick, strategic, and unburdened by pride.
To Lady Rhea, he was blood and proof that their house would not fade quietly.
The three of them... the Maiden of the Eyrie, the Lady of Runestone, and the Young Bronze as they called him... were almost obviously trying to stir the future of the Vale together.
And though the rest of the realm doubted women in power, or bastards raised to honor... the fact of the matter still stood, and the banners of the falcon and the bronze still flew.
That, for now, was enough.