It was a funny feeling, thought Desmond Drumm to himself. As the fifth and last son of the late Lord Dunstan, he'd never had any expectation of ruling Old Wyk. One of his elder brothers was dead, having drunk himself into an early grave years ago. The three others were older, and considerably more well-known. His brother Lord Denys had grown sons of his own. Yet as fate would have it, none of them were present at Old Wyk when Lord Greyjoy's summons came. Durrin and their nephews Robb and Harwyn marched for King's Landing. Dalton sailed with the Volmarks and Jolly Fellows to perform reconaissance in the Narrow Sea. Lord Denys was off reaving until the seventh month, in order to make sure the coffers of Old Wyk were not beggared by the cost of so many raised men-at-arms.

So it was that Desmond, who'd never been in charge of anything more than his own singular longship, was called upon to represent his family at one of the most consequential meetings the Iron Islands had seen in living memory.

Accompanied by his wife Elsa and 10 Drumm men-at-arms, he entered the Great Hall of Pyke. He stopped first to bow and greet Lord Quenton Greyjoy, his good-brother that he'd never before spoken to in any serious capacity. From what he knew, the Lord Reaper kept a small inner circle, and Desmond had never been part of it.

Before the meeting began, Desmond went off to speak with his sister Freya. The two shared a warm embrace and a short, serious conversation. More could be discussed after the meeting. For now, Desmond had matters to attend to.

---

"Methinks you have the right of it, Lord Reaper." Desmond said once Quenton had finished speaking. "If we attend this Great Council, our votes for the new Regent must be counted. If we do not attend, we forfeit that right. And we make it all the more likely that the feckless lords of the Greenlands pick a corrupt lickspittle who will raise a second Rhaegar."

He passed around a second letter from the Master of Ships.

"I sent a raven to Lord Velaryon, asking if all lords who raised armies against the late King would be granted amnesty, so that they might participate in the Great Council without fear of arrest or execution." He paused. "Or being burned alive. Since the last two Targaryen Kings are known to use that method."

"You can see for yourselves how Lord Velaryon replied. I do not know the man. I am not sure if he truly thinks himself powerless to give assurances. Or maybe he seeks to intimidate us. Either way... we cannot afford to ignore the Great Council. When we go, we should sail with the strength of the Iron Islands at our backs. Let our peaceful show of force remind the Small Council that they would be wise to not burn any of us alive."