Damien cocked an eyebrow at the young man's rather decisive vision of justice. What do you expect? The boy grew up hearing "The Rains of Castamere" echo through the halls; it's only natural that that's what his idea of justice would be. He cleared his throat, instantly garnering the attention of every lord present. He realized that he truly was the lowest man here; born with little and having had even that stripped away from him.

But unlike near every other man in this room, he was the only one who had earned what he had. He wasn't commander of Tywin's guard because he was born into it; he was commander of Tywin's guard because he was loyal, smart and knew how to kill.

"Lord Tywin, if I may be so bold - your son raises an interesting point. Despite their best efforts, the Ironmen are cut off. Their ships sit out at sea, biding their time while packs of loyal ships roam the waters between them and their homes. While the ships we have seen do not constitute their entire naval strength, we know that some defenders must have remained on the isles who support Greyjoy."

Tywin's gaze told him to get to the point and Damien steepled his fingers, contemplating. "The way I see it, our options are threefold. We can order the Royal fleet to sail on the isles - sack a few small holdfasts whose forces are primarily committed to the raiding. The issue here is that our own ships would be vulnerable on their return. And if they're caught unawares by the Ironborn while in hostile waters, they're as good as dead.

"Alternatively, we could order the fleet to engage the raiders. Of course, this wouls require that we locate the bastards first, and a whole new issue is presented when one considers that the Ironmen are bred for combat at sea. Such a maneuver would likely be costly for our own side."

He stopped a moment and waited while those in attendance chewed on his words before finally continuing, "As a third option, we could present the Ironborn an... opportunity. Think, my lords. The Ironmen thrive at sea because they are mariners. They excel at raiding because they are reavers. And while none can deny their ferocity in battle, a squid caught out of water will dry in the sun. Present the Ironborn with a prize they cannot resist - and when they seek to claim it, cut them off from their precious sea and watch as the sun works its ways."