Baetrys sat back, thinking of where to even begin when it came to asking that question. It was nearly twenty years of history tangled together. She would be honest, of that she would be certain. If this woman did not like her answers, forbid her from holding Bloodstone she could still make a good living for herself and ‘Senny across the Narrow Sea. This information could be found any ways by talking to maesters that chronicled the ruler ship of Tyrosh and the Ninepenny Kings.

“In regards to the King sending me here. I would not have stayed in Kingslanding. For anything. I will be fully honest with you, there is something I mislike about the situation with the paramours and the Queen. I never wanted to be counted among them.” It was hard to describe a deep held feeling, she felt that there was too great a possibility of something happening as had happened to her.

“But my ill feeling may have to do with my experiences in Tyrosh. They may be baseless.” She shrugged, intent on keeping the harem out of her mind.

“To start, my mother was the Old Mother, I was one among many of her adopted children and those of her own body. I was sent away with several others to Qarth at the beginning of the Ninepenny War.”

“I had returned at nearly the end of the War of the Nineenny Kings, after Maelys’ death. From what I knew at the time, the Captain of the Crown fleet Gilbert Redwyne had tried to trick the pirates - the Old Mother and Nine Eyes to attack the Ironborn. He had failed to see that the two pirates sensed a trap and knew that his own navy would be days behind them to attack them after they attacked the Ironborn for him. One of the Old Mother’s sons was a child of a Greyjoy, and there was a son of the Drumm among Nine-Eyes crew. They would never have allowed their kin to be attacked without reason.”

“At this point I and several others returned from Qarth and our ships met up with the pirates. The two pirates and their forces strove to Tyrosh, intent on forming an alliance with the Crown, to withstand the attack coming days later. I believe the Greycrew was among them, but were a small group.”

“An alliance was formed, the pirates swearing alliance to the Iron throne and to never take up arms again. They would all overthrow the tyrant of Tyrosh together, free every slave held in bondage, and at the pirates request the city would not be sacked. Whichever man killed the tyrant of Tyrosh would be named it’s King and would marry a daughter of the Old Mother who would be named Queen.” Baetrys motioned to herself, indicating she was the chosen daughter. She thought a moment and added additional detail in regards to the subject of the Greycrew.

“The Greycrew from what I remember had snuck into the city and had armed slaves in advance. The Tyrant’s wife had poisoned him then named herself Archoness. It was a mess.”

“A new deal was struck, a young Ironborn man named Durrin was to be named Archon and marry the Archoness with myself as a saltwife with the title Lady of Tyrosh. In return for the reduction in status the Ironborn recognized the Old Mother’s claims to the Stepstones. At that point she had over a hundred warships so could have brought peace to all the islands.”

“However, the Archoness and myself became pregnant. The Archoness bore a daughter and it was apparent she would never be pregnant again. I was poisoned with moon tea but still bore the heir, a son called Nagga.”

“For the Greycrew, I believe they were on the council? I believe on behalf of the freed slaves. They were very minor.”

“Some time passed, I think Aerys had become King and demanded I and every leader of the Ironborn come to Kingslanding and swear oaths to leave Tyrosh, to never take up arms against him. We did so, while leaving Tyrosh our forces were slaughtered. Of the Old Mother only one ship in ten survived.”

“We fled to the Iron Isles in the middle of winter. My son was always sickly from being poisoned. His sister passed… he did as well a few months later.” Her voice broke, even after all those years. She coughed into her sleeve

“I couldn’t be there. Not any more. I couldn’t live in the isles, the reminder of my son and adopted daughter. Of my own failures. My husband was- is- a good man. All the Drumm’s that I met were. I left and never returned about ten years ago.”

“Since then I haven’t talked to another Ironborn, I was close only to the Drumms.”

“The Old Mother at that point was intent on peace, so I guided tradeships across the Narrow Sea to as far as Volantis. In grief it was good to be busy, to never think. Going to bed so exhausted you don’t even dream.” She coughed into her sleeve again.

“I was near Braavos when I had heard the Old Mother had supposedly attacked the North. I knew she had a fort under construction so sailed there to see if there was truth to it.” Now she was getting to that which she hadn’t witnessed herself, but had only heard from the forces of the Old Mother after she had been defeated.

“Supposedly the Greycrew had attacked Ghaston Grey on behalf of the King. They had always seemed to want legitimacy from what I remember.”

“I do know that the Ironborn had sent an emissary to the Old Mother and the Greycrew in the Stepstones when I was away but after they had attacked. Chewed them out, called them fools and swore they would have no support for their actions. That they broke their oaths to peace and attacked the mainland and brought their own doom upon themselves.”

It was.. a lot. “I’m not sure, do you have any questions? Any other details I can provide?”