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Well then! Quite the cliffhanger you’ve left us on. Here’s hoping Aurion didn’t just straight up drop dead, but even if he’s only had a stroke or something, or perhaps been rendered incapable, it seems like the Golden Age of his reign is nearing its end. Time will tell what comes afterwards, but I’m happy we have another of your prophecies to give us some hints!
I’m definitely having a tougher time figuring this one out compared to some of the previous dreams and visions, so good job lol. It seems like we will see dragons clashing with dragons again in the near future, seemingly caused by even more trouble with the Seafyres… Tough to say at this point though if “the Sea’s son” refers to Valerion’s boy who we met recently or one of Aelor’s children instead.
Speaking of Aelor, what a painful, miserable fate life had in store for him, reduced to an insane, decrepit wreck. Karma came around for him hard and fast, I suppose. Vaeron also seems to be having a terrible time in life with the death of his lady love, I just hope Aurion doesn’t come to sorely regret placing the safety of his entire family in the hands of his secretly craven brother. I wonder what was going through Vaeron’s head when he watched his fellow Kingsguard placed on trial for the same crime he himself was guilty of (among others)…
Prince Yraenor certainly seems like an interesting character to keep an eye on, not least because he’s apparently blond??? Is this just a case of the game getting a bit weird with gfx_culture and having him look like that because of Alicent’s Hightower genes, or is there something more sinister afoot when a brown-haired man and a silver-haired woman have a golden-haired child..? I also notice there’s quite an age gap between Maelyx and his younger siblings, even more so than between Aurion and all his brothers (so much so that Maelyx’s younger sister appears to be of similar age to his son!). I wonder how that’s affected the relationship between them, if the younger dragonlings feel any particularly closeness or loyalty to their elder brother.
And RIP to Princess Larissa, it’s crazy that someone from her generation was still hanging around! Considering how much time she spent in vain trying to convince her mother to not be a cruel, shadowy tyrant, I imagine living out her last few decades during Aurion’s reign of relative peace and justice must have been very vindicating.
Thank you for the update. Prince Yr and his hot-tempered dragon will create many problems for his brothers. Imagine the attitude of a dragon that is more hot-tempered and angry than a typical dragon. It is sad when you look at Princess Larissa's portrait and realize that the Queen of Skulls died without title. Maelyx needs to take the throne and hold it against his brothers that are military with little diplomacy and intrigue but possess dragons. Dragon diplomacy/intrigue can be very effective.
Princess Larrisa Targaryen would never return to King's Landing however, catching cold on the voyage back and succumbing after a brief illness…the old woman being the last of the daughters of the Queen of Skulls to die
some nights when he looked hard enough he could see images and visions dancing in the embers,visions of the past, the present, future and never to be….yet most gone by morning.
King Aurion fell to his knees and collapsed as all went dark around him, the faint sounds of Alicent shouting and the Kingsguard rushing in from outside as his world grew black around him.
I wonder what those Iron Islanders will do in Essos... Will they be content to be mere mercenaries, or will they attempt to carve out their own realms like their Viking inspirations?
Well then! Quite the cliffhanger you’ve left us on. Here’s hoping Aurion didn’t just straight up drop dead, but even if he’s only had a stroke or something, or perhaps been rendered incapable, it seems like the Golden Age of his reign is nearing its end. Time will tell what comes afterwards, but I’m happy we have another of your prophecies to give us some hints!
I normally try to avoid cliffhangers, especially when its not the end of a chapter, but given the scenes still left in this chapter it was the best place to split it.
It seems like we will see dragons clashing with dragons again in the near future, seemingly caused by even more trouble with the Seafyres… Tough to say at this point though if “the Sea’s son” refers to Valerion’s boy who we met recently or one of Aelor’s children instead.
I wonder what was going through Vaeron’s head when he watched his fellow Kingsguard placed on trial for the same crime he himself was guilty of (among others)…
Unfortunately Vaeron wont learn from this.......he will feature heavily in the next full chapter, and there is a little scene with some self reflection I look forward to writing.
Prince Yraenor certainly seems like an interesting character to keep an eye on, not least because he’s apparently blond??? Is this just a case of the game getting a bit weird with gfx_culture and having him look like that because of Alicent’s Hightower genes, or is there something more sinister afoot when a brown-haired man and a silver-haired woman have a golden-haired child..?
It is a little odd...and Yraenor is not the only golden dragon as the youngest son of Aurion and Alicent (Taegon, who will have a POV in the futurure) is also blonde, but I did check and no surprises as to their parentage....Alicents Hightower father was blonde.
Maelyx needs to take the throne and hold it against his brothers that are military with little diplomacy and intrigue but possess dragons. Dragon diplomacy/intrigue can be very effective.
To inherit the throne is one thing...but too hold it is another true enough, luckily Maelyx does have a certain skill for intrigue, though he wont be without his vices as the next part of this chapoter will show.
Aurion has been a great King, and he deserves a better death than a stroke in his chambers....and he just might get it
To All: Sorry for the lack of updates, have been pretty busy with work, my semester starting up and taking on an internship, as well as getting a new pc, good news is it looks like the save and all my adjustments has been transfered succesfully. Dont have all that much left of the final part of this chapter to finish before it is posted, maybe sometimes next week.
It seems like Aurion's time and reign is coming to an end relatively soon even if he does not simply die here. I will be somewhat critical of Aurion as king. I would say that Aurion is a mediocre personality and talent who was elevated to play a hero's part and enjoyed more than his fair share of luck. His numerical stats are unimpressive. He was overly generous towards certain siblings and noblemen who did not deserve his generosity. His foreign policy towards Essos created unneeded enemies and failed to secure a stable ally. He had lots of luck in his life. He was lucky to bond with Vhagar. He happened to have loyal and capable regents in his youth. His method of picking a wife was frankly terrible but he was fortunate to ended up picking a loving and loyal spouse who was not a political liability unlike many other young ASOIAF characters. He was lucky to have survived being betrayed by two of his younger brothers.
Nevertheless, he will probably be remembered as a great monarch in comparison to his loathed scheming great-grandmother Laena or his recklessly ambitious father Jaerion unless Aurion becomes mad in his final years. Aurion reigned over a prosperous time, built the Kingsroad, funded the reconstruction of Oldstones, and was a diligent active monarch. His desire to restore the people's respect for the Targaryen monarchy and to gain the personal respect of the people without relying on the dragons as a crutch is admirable. Many other Targaryens are way too fond of flaunting their dragons and status as dragonlords. He is arguably the first truly Westerosi Targaryen monarch.
I get the impression that the relationship of Aurion's younger children with their father is one of distant admiration and they are closer to their mother. Aurion does not seem to make much time for his younger children, but the younger children are probably aware of their father's great reputation with the realm and agree with it. The younger children wish to make their father proud and to serve their house the best they can.
Princess Larrisa Targaryen was the last living agnatic Targaryen and one of the last connections to the time of Vaemond and Laena. Her death marks the extinction of House Targaryen in the male line, but the Targaryen name and legacy goes on strong in the various female-lines. The main Targaryen royal line represented by Aurion and his family are also a junior cadet branch of House Baratheon although nobody refers to the current line as the House of Targaryen-Baratheon unlike the real life current Habsburgs who are technically the House of Habsburg-Lorraine after Maria Theresa.
This is a really interesting point actually, and fun to think about. I do think you’re right in saying that Aurion has benefited greatly in the eyes of both his realm and of readers of this AAR from a favorable comparison to his two immediate predecessors. His reign has been long, thanks to Jaerion’s untimely death, and has transpired almost entirely in peace and prosperity - which is, rather ironically, in large part thanks to Queen Laena leaving behind a treasury overflowing with gold and a realm cowed into relative obedience. That, combined with other instances you mentioned like his bond with Vhagar and his marriage to Alicent, does speak to a great deal of good luck and favorable circumstances helping him along. Aurion himself certainly hasn’t made any huge errors so far, but he also hasn’t really had to face too many great challenges. His two lowest points were probably Aelor’s attempted rebellion, which Vhagar put a premature end to, and the plague outbreak at the start of his reign, in which his main accomplishment was not succumbing to the disease.
Still, I wouldn’t want to completely rob the guy of his achievements. He has had the good sense to re-invest Laena’s hoarded gold into the realm with public works projects, especially the roads, and this work was facilitated by a series of well-chosen Hands of the King at his side. His frequent progresses have ensured loyalty and stability, with injustices and treason swiftly punished. And to his credit Aurion has taken to the field in person when necessary to protect the realm, though I think the last time he did so in any meaningful capacity was back during Septon Arstan’s rebellion, which was technically before he even became King. He has the good sense to trust his wife and treat her as a relative equal, which has allowed for a lot of meaningful progress to be achieved by way of her women’s courts. And though they have a great brood of kids, with many of the younger ones probably not getting much 1-to-1 time with their dad, they have managed to raise a very shrewd, competent heir in the form of Maelyx, who could even surpass his father’s legacy and ability depending on if/when he takes the throne.
So yeah, all in all a decent but not necessarily remarkable reign, at least so far. History will remember him fondly because of Laena and Jaerion, and the smallfolk are no doubt pretty happy with a long, prosperous, relatively uneventful kingship. It could all still go very wrong, though, and even if Aurion himself keeps the ship of state steady there is also this looming feeling of “Après moi, le déluge” considering how many brothers, sons, and grandsons he has who could all decide to stake their claim on the throne once Vhagar is no longer around to uphold it. In that regard Aurion is perhaps more like Viserys I than Jaehaerys the Wise, in spite of the more tangible comparisons to the latter.
He was overly generous towards certain siblings and noblemen who did not deserve his generosity. His foreign policy towards Essos created unneeded enemies and failed to secure a stable ally.
I agree with that, his charity/generosity has really created a blindside to potential threats...and the foreign policy towards Essos has created a lot of problems without any real benefit to him getting involved in a war across the Narrow Sea for moral reasons.....this will come into play quite a bit in the next part of this chapter.
Princess Larrisa Targaryen was the last living agnatic Targaryen and one of the last connections to the time of Vaemond and Laena. Her death marks the extinction of House Targaryen in the male line, but the Targaryen name and legacy goes on strong in the various female-lines. The main Targaryen royal line represented by Aurion and his family are also a junior cadet branch of House Baratheon although nobody refers to the current line as the House of Targaryen-Baratheon unlike the real life current Habsburgs who are technically the House of Habsburg-Lorraine after Maria Theresa.
I get the impression that the relationship of Aurion's younger children with their father is one of distant admiration and they are closer to their mother. Aurion does not seem to make much time for his younger children, but the younger children are probably aware of their father's great reputation with the realm and agree with it. The younger children wish to make their father proud and to serve their house the best they can.
I do hope to give a little bit more character to some of Aurions younger children in the future, Vaegon will have another POV (which will involve Yraenor) and Prince Taegon, the youngest son will also have a POV, that while not super releveant to any big storyline I thought was interesting enough to plan a scene on.
History will remember him fondly because of Laena and Jaerion, and the smallfolk are no doubt pretty happy with a long, prosperous, relatively uneventful kingship.
I will say speaking from the future, the Smallfolk will LOVE Aurion....and not just for reasons seen so far, he will be further adored by smallfolk as a result of a future event, adoration that may not be completely deserved or warranted.
And though they have a great brood of kids, with many of the younger ones probably not getting much 1-to-1 time with their dad, they have managed to raise a very shrewd, competent heir in the form of Maelyx, who could even surpass his father’s legacy and ability depending on if/when he takes the throne.
Yeah, Aurion definately does play favorites, being lovers with Alicent and friends with Maelyx, that takes up most of his ''bonding'' time, for all of her faults, with that family trait, Laena probably had a more directly involved and knowledgable relationship with all her children, though of course a lot of that was negative involvement.
To All: Thank you for your patience, the final part of this chapter will be posted tommorow.
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Chapter 60: Of Peace, Plague, and Progresses (Part 3)
Prince Aurion made his way through the halls of the Red Keep towards his fathers solar, the afternoon rays shining lazily through the windows while a cool breeze from Blackwater Bay came in through the open walkways.
Hesitating for a moment, he continued on, the Kingsguard on duty letting him into the room, his father, the King leaning over a table, studying a map, planning his conquests.
The Prince felt strange as he saw his father, a feeling he could not quite explain came over him, almost as if he had not seen the man in many years.
‘’What have we here?’’ Jaerion asked, his father rising and giving him a long studying look before continuing ‘’Not just a boy or prince….but a King….’’
The Prince felt that same feeling…this time speaking with words that were not his own….his voice coming unbidden from his lips.
‘’I was ready father….I wanted you to know…..I was.’’ He said, feeling much older than his 12 years, and a creeping knowledge that this would be the last time he would see his father.
‘’You were…….’’ Jaerion said, his signature twinkle in his eyes and smile set upon his face as he slowly faded away into black.
Aurion could not say how long he drifted through the darkness, except that he saw other visions, his Uncle Aemorys placing a hand upon his shoulder, his mother lying abed, a tired smile upon her face, soaring above the skies of the Hightower with Alicent, some of these apparitions spoke to him, while others were silent….yet he felt at peace.
Slowly however, words began to cut through the fog of his mind, as if a curtain was pulled over his eyes…..feebly he tried to resist…yet the words echoed loud, pulling him from his slumber
‘’Cant keep this secret from realm forever…..whispers have already begun to spread……must call a meeting of the Small Council.’’ A man's voice responded.
‘’Can't give up….your father is strong….strongest I have ever met.’’ A softer voice protested.
Alicent The King realized, his eyes slowly opening to see his wife, the Queen Alicent sitting at his bedside, a damp cloth in her hands as she looked upwards at another figure.
‘’I'm not giving up Mother….but preparations must be made….should the worst happen….’’ The man, who Aurion now recognized as his son Maelyx responded, pacing the room.
Alicent looked poised to respond, but gathering the last of his strength, Aurion reached for her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze, causing her to gasp and flinch initially, but quickly respond in kind.
‘’I'll get the Maester!’’ Maelyx said, giving his father a quick look before rushing from the room.
‘’I thought I had lost you Aurion….I truly thought.’’ Alicent wept, tears in her eyes, embracing him as he ran a hand through her silver curls, which had grown more white and dull as the years had passed, yet to Aurion she was still as lovely as the day they had first laid eyes on eachother in the Hightower.
‘’W…Wine.’’ Aurion said suddenly, his throat feeling constricted and the Queen quickly brought him a glass, which he quickly drained, followed by a second cup.
A few moments after, Maelyx returned with old Grandmaester Alekyne, his Maesters chains rattling as he entered the chambers.
‘’Your Grace, it is good to see you awake…we had begun to fear the worst.’’ The Grandmaester said.
Aurion nodded ‘’How long was I gone for.’’
‘’Two days dear.’’ Alicent answered.
‘’And do you know why this happened, all I remember is collapsing in my chambers, my legs felt weak and my mind slowed….is this serious?’’ Aurion asked, rather frantically moving his legs, relieved when he was able to move them.
The room was silent as Maelyx looked downwards and the Grandmaester ran a hand through his gray mustache, Queen Alicent taking his hand gently.
‘’Well, go on then.’’ The King demanded.
‘’Quite serious your Grace….quite serious indeed I am afraid….I examined you after your collapse and I have found a tumor….a cancerous growth within your skull…I am guessing you have dealt with Headaches and blurred vision for some time?’’ The Grandmaester said gently.
Aurion nodded, in truth he had dealt with more headaches than usual in the past months, as well as deteriorating vision, yet he had not thought to consult the Grandmaester about it, such things he assumed were natural, he had recently celebrated his 50th nameday.
‘’Can it be treated?’’ Aurion asked.
The Grandmaester hesitated once more before meeting the King's eyes ‘’In a sense your Grace….I am of course familiar with this affliction….my arts permit me to make you as comfortable as possible, herbal teas for the headaches, poultices and salves for the swelling and other discomfort but…..I fear this case is quite serious Sire….as serious as I have seen, may I speak the truth?’’
The King nodded, taking the grim news with his usual grace.
‘’In truth….I fear you will succumb to this tumor within two years…and that is due to the strength of your body…..and that is a generous estimate…as I have said, I can make you more comfortable during this time, give you as much time with your family as possible, time to make preparations for the succession…but beyond that…’’
The King was silent, Alicent laying her head on his chest.
Suddenly, a memory entered his mind, a memory of him as a boy, entering the chambers of his mother Belle Tully, who had also been afflicted by a cancer. He remembered that despite the scents and smoke she and the Maesters had left, the room still smelled of decay, he remembered her face most of all, tired and almost reduced to a skeleton before she had passed.
I won't die like that the King promised himself.
‘’There must be something else you can do.’’ Aurion demanded, more harshly than he had intended.
The Grandmaester nodded ‘’I was going to get to that….there is a more aggressive approach I could attempt…but such a treatment would require me to cut into your skull, and remove the afflicted flesh and tumor……I must warn you that the chances of success….they are slim your Grace….such operations are scarcely attempted and when they are…the patient often does not survive…..and I am afraid if some an operation were to be attempted, it must be soon, the tumor within your skull grows rapidly’’
Aurion was silent for a moment, drawing Alicent close to him, before finally looking to his son and heir Maelyx.
‘’You are my son…..and you are ready…..how long would it take you to make the necessary preparations?’’ Aurion asked.
‘’Two weeks.’’ His son said solemnly.
Aurion Targaryen nodded, the image of his mother in his mind once more.
I won't die like that He repeated in his mind once more before his gaze returned to Grandmaester Alekyne.
‘’Two weeks then Grandmaester……two weeks to make your preparations….me and my son shall do the same….in two weeks time you shall perform this surgery…and then fate shall decide as it must.’’ The King said and the Grandmaester nodded grimly.
10th Moon, 137 AC-
And so a date was set for the risky surgery, and the Crown Prince and Hand of the King Prince Maelyx Targaryen set to work, not many heirs had such certainty that preparations must be made soon, and Prince Maelyx was determined not to waste it.
The Small Council was put on high alert, with near daily meetings of preparations should the worst happen and all were busy from dawn to dusk, except for the Kings old friend and Marshal of the realm Norman Tyrell, who after a brief visit with the King, was dispatched by Maelyx to return to his seat of Highgarden to preemptively raise the knights of the Reach, who could be needed in the uncertain period that all too often follows the death of a monarch.
Aurions family as well stayed by his side, with both of his daughters Rhaena and Baela making hasty returns to the capitol and their fathers bedside, while Prince Maegor made the trip from the Stepstones, though Maelyx ordered Prince Balaeron to remain in the Stepstones rather then come to his brothers side, no doubt due to wanting him and his dragon close to Valerion Targaryen should he try anything if the King were to pass away.
And so the realm held its breath as Grandmaester Alekyne and his most skilled acolytes entered the King's chambers as he awaited his fate, the Queen Alicent refusing to leave the room or his side. The mood was grim as such a surgery was truly a desperate matter.
King Aurion was a powerful man, of body and spirit however and against all odds, he survived the hours long invasive operation, with the Grandmaester removing the entirety of the tumor…though the wait to see if infection would spread to the wound on his skull quickly began.
Aurion would linger on the edge of death for several days before at last, the danger of infection seemed to be behind him as the wound healed….King Aurion had survived…..and only two weeks following the surgery, he would be back on his feet, walking the halls of the Red Keep and sitting the Iron Throne.
The following months would see several events at court, as in the following year of 138 AC, Prince Maelyx and his wife Myria would welcome their sixth child, a daughter named Syaella, though it was clear the Princess would never be a great beauty.
Just as new Targaryens entered the royal court, so too would another leave as another of King Aurions sons would depart from the Red Keep.
King Aurions youngest son, Prince Taegon, who had sat his fathers Small Council for the past several years, declared his intention to leave court and travel to the Citadel in Oldtown, forsaking his position to study as a Maester, claiming that he did not believe there was much future for him in Kings Landing as the fifth son of a King.
It is said that Aurion initially tried to talk his son out of the idea, he had served well on the small council after all, but a word from his son and heir Maelyx eventually caused the King to relent. With the Prince of Dragonstone claiming that his younger brother would do well in Oldtown, with his love of poetry and fine food, and he would have the ear of his Hightower Uncle and cousins, providing another useful link between the crown and the Hightowers. While all of this may have been true, it is likely that Prince Maelyx also saw the sense in having a younger, claimant, even one he was fond of, safely out of the way and without claim as a Maester.
King Aurion arranged for a suitable escort for his son, highlighted by the Lord Commander Vaeron, who was quite fond of his nephew, and the two men set out for Oldtown on dragonback, Vaeron on Tridax, and Taegon on his newly claimed dragon Chalfyre, who had once been the mount of Princess Larrissa.
Prince Taegons rather eventful time in the Citadel shall be discussed further in detail at a later point in this chronicle, but to speak further on the Prince and his dragon, it is in fact the dragon Chalfyre that the Citadel can thank for the large part of its written literature as the beast was studied extensively during its time in the small dragonpit erected near the Citadel, most notably contributing to Archmaester Perwyns work Observations on the Properties and Behaviors of Dragons, though Chalfyres erratic and crazed behavior led many Maesters to ruefully wish that their new acolyte had arrived with a companion more agreeable to research, exemplified in the fact that during its time in Oldtown, Chalfyre would badly burn four Maesters and roast a further two to ash.
The following year would see two of the King's eldest grandchildren, Prince Taegar and Princess Naehna grow to an age where Prince Maelyx began to make preparations for their futures through marriage.
Princess Naehna proved to be the easier of the two to find a match for. With the crown's influence in the Reach solidified by matches to Houses Tyrell, Hightower, and Tarly, Prince Maelyx decided it was time to forge connections with the other kingdoms of the realm, with the Vale being the focus of his efforts, as the military prowess of the knights of the Vale were second only perhaps to those in the Reach.
The young Lord Paramount of the Vale, Jonos Arryn had already taken a Tully bride, but that did not deter Maelyx, who believed it was wiser to spread the blood of the dragon among powerful vassal houses as opposed to Lord Paramounts, and the Prince of Dragonstone soon began to make overtures to Lord Elwood Royce about a potential match between his son and heir Bryan to Princess Naehna.
Even with Jonos Arryns ascension to manhood, the Marshal of the Vale was the true power in the kingdom, being able to call upon perhaps 10,000 men, and the King Aurion was all too pleased with the match, he had met Lord Elwood Royce on his last progress to the Vale and there was no doubting the man would make a useful ally, and House Royce had proven to be loyal to the House of the Dragon, among the only families of the Vale to remain loyal during the Lion's rebellion, and this would not be the first time a match between the Targaryens and the Royces would be made, as all Targaryens had a drop of Royce blood from the marriage of Prince Matarys and Demerei Royce.
Lord Elwood Royce was all too eager to accept a Targaryen princess as a bride for his son and heir, and a betrothal was quickly agreed upon.
Prince Taegar however proved to be a more complicated matter. As one might expect, the challenge did not come from the quantity of candidates, as houses both great and small all but threw themselves at the Hand of the King to offer up their daughters and sisters to wed the young man who might one day be King.
Yet Prince Maelyx wished to arrange a marriage which would not only secure peace and loyalty during his reign, but also stand the test of time and secure that during his son's potential reign. The Prince of Dragonstones first choice was to arrange a match between his son and the second daughter of his Uncle Valerion Seafyre, a girl named Harraya, no doubt driven by the fact that it was whispered that Maelyx did not trust his Uncle in the slightest, and hoped that a bond of marriage would prevent another conflict between Targaryens and Seafyre.
Surprisingly, Valerion Seafyre seemed receptive to such a match, even in light of the fact that such a marriage would all but spell the end of his rumored aspirations to sit the throne, and both men had productive conversations.
Just as a match seemed imminent however, Maelyx’s wife, Myria Tyrell, a devout follower of the Seven caught wind of the plot to marry Taegon to Harraya Seafyre, who was known to have taken up with the followers of R’hllor in the Stepstones.
Myria Tyrell made it clear in no uncertain terms that she would not allow her son to marry a godless heathen, stubbornly holding her position against Maelyx’s arguments, at one point even boldly threatening to return to Highgarden, though most saw it as empty bluster as both Maelyx and Myria had grown quite fond of each other during their years of marriage.
Maelyx was a man that could never refuse his wife anything, and unsurprisingly eventually abandoned the idea, pivoting to another target, however, marrying into that family was a complicated matter and would require additional planning, and so for the time being the matter of Taegars betrothal was shelved.
Shortly after, a tragedy would strike the House of the Dragon as Princess Rhaena, second daughter to King Aurion would finally succumb to the cancer which had afflicted her since childhood, leaving Lord Tarly a widower along with their three sons.
As always, whenever confronted by grief or hardship, King Aurion would devote himself to work as a means of escape, immediately making preparations for another long progress of the realm.
This progress was to be different than many of those in the past however, as the Queen Alicent would not be joining the King to hold her now famed Womens Progresses, the Queen had always favored Rhaena as her favorite child and her death struck her hard, causing Alicent to take to her bed and refuse any entry into her chambers for several weeks.
King Aurion would not ride alone however, as it was decided that two of his grandchildren, Prince Taegar and Princess Naehna, two children of Crown Prince Maelyx. On the progress, it was decided that the King would make another trip to the Vale and escort his granddaughter to be wed to Byren Royce, the heir to Runestone.
As for the presence of Prince Taegar, a young man who might one day be King after his father, Maelyx after some aforementioned initial difficulty had finally set a plan in place as to who his eldest son would wed…setting his sights on Jocelyn Baratheon, daughter of Richard Baratheon, Lord Paramount of the Stormlands, who had inherited the title after his father was forced to abdicate by the Stormlords, who, despite being defeated in an uprising years earlier, had quickly regained strength and eventually captured Ronnal Baratheon in an ambush on the road and forced him to abdicate his throne to his eldest son and go into exile to Essos.
The ascension of the new Lord of Storm's End had not improved the chilly relations between the Baratheons and the Targaryens however, as Richard Baratheon had not forgotten the feud between King Aurion and the Baratheons years earlier over the castle of Galemont or the harsh words exchanged……a marriage between Prince Taegar, who might one day be King, and Jocelyn Baratheon might mend relations between the two great houses…but achieving such a marriage was easier said than done, as Richard Baratheon was a proud, envious and greedy man who would not simply give away his daughter to a family he disliked….the man had exiled his own son to the Night's Watch after a war of words between the two of them, he knew how to hold a grudge.
Originally, Maelyx had enquired as to if his father would be willing to stop in Storms End to honor Lord Baratheon and propose the match, but the young Prince Taegar came to his father and declared his intention to ride with the King to Storm's End and ask for the ‘’wenches’’ hand in person.
Prince Maelyx was doubtful of his sons offer, the boy had a sharp tongue and was not blessed with a particularly likable temperament, though he knew his son was capable of softening his tongue to the point of almost being charming….when he wished to be…..And so against his better judgment, and after a stern warning that he was not to refer to the honorable Lady Jocelyn Baratheon as a wench, especially in Lord Richards hearing….Maelyx acceded, his son had long requested some sort of role or task to be entrusted with, and if he was too be King one day he needed seasoning…and a lot of it.
And so King Aurion Targaryen and his two grandchildren set off on what was to be his 5th Great Progress of the Realm.
Seeing no reason to put off the most important task of the progress, the royal party and their small escort set off for Storms End.
As expected, they were not greeted especially warmly, and Lord Richard Baratheon proved to be a stingy host, and if he felt honored by the presence of his King, a royal prince and princess, he did a good job masking his delight.
The mood was improved somewhat when King Aurion broached the topic of a royal marriage that could one day see Lord Baratheon's daughter the Queen of the Realm, with Aurion pointing out his own presence and that of Taegars was proof of their sincerity to mend the relationship between the Dragon and Stag.
Lord Baratheon proved to be a stern negotiator however, in addition to a heavy bride price, King Aurion was forced to agree to the appointing of one of Richards cousins, Boros Baratheon as a commander of the River Gate in King's Landing, and most notably to officially decree that the castle of Galemont and the surrounding lands were rightful Baratheon land, putting an end to the hopes of House Swygert, who had ruled the island of Deepstone since Aelors rebellion, of ever reclaiming their ancestral seat….an concession that left a bad taste in the Kings mouth as Anders Swygert, his late Hand of the King had served him well and was perhaps the true mastermind behind the now completed Kingsroad.
Nevertheless, despite the heavy concessions, a deal was eventually brokered and a betrothal between Prince Taegar and Jocelyn Baratheon was agreed upon, significantly cooling the tension between the two houses, and the first leg of the progress being considered a success all things considered.
As for Prince Taegar, he acquitted himself quite well, masking most of his rude temperament and sharp tongue, though there were a few tense moments the King held his breath, such as when his grandson remarked at table after a tense day of negotiations that he did not know that there would be roast pig at the feast, making reference to the burned face and formidable paunch of his new father-by-law, though luckily the rude jape went over the heads of most present in the feast hall. King Aurion would not test his luck however, gently dispatching his grandson back to the capitol after Storms End to ‘’prepare for his wedding’’ so he would not have to fear what the boy would say at other stops along the progress.
With this visit concluded, the King stayed in the Stormlands for several weeks, being hosted at the castle of Parchments, Seat of House Penrose, a house which had once had the honor of providing a Marshal of the Realm to King Vaemond, Jon Penrose who slew two Westerlander Lords in the Lion's Rebellion.
He would continue his time in the Stormlands by making the trip to Gallowsgrey, seat of the elderly Lord Trant who was the realm's master-of-laws, taking to sea for a day of fishing before moving on.
The next stop of the progress was to be the Isle of Tarth, known as the Sapphire Isle for the majestic coloration of its waters. There the royal party would be hosted generously at Evenfall Hall by Lord Olyver Tarth, a giant of a man with a heart of gold who showered gifts upon his Targaryen guests, the first members of the House of the Dragon to visit the island.
After several weeks enjoying the beaches and waters of Tarth, King Aurion and his retinue would sail from Tarth to Maidenpool, where he briefly paid respects at the faded red fountain in the shape of a dragon known as ‘’Vaellas Pool’’ named for his Aunt, whom he had banished to the town decades earlier, though the sight of the fountain filled him with no small amount of sadness as it represented the dragon Narrah, Vaellas former dragon whom his brother Matarys had ridden to its death in Aelors Rebellion.
They would not stay more than a day in Maidenpool however, quickly continuing on to the Bloody Gate of the Vale, and from there the short distance to the Gates of the Moon below the Eyrie, the winter quarters of House Arryn.
There, Lord Elwood Royce, the Marshal of the Vale and his kinsmen were waiting for the wedding between Princess Naehna and Ser Bryan Royce, the heir to Runestone. The wedding would by all accounts be a pleasant affair and the King would bid a heartfelt farewell to his granddaughter, the two having become quite close during the journey, with Aurion later stating the girl helped him a great deal in his grief over the loss of his daughter Rhaena, as the two were quite similar.
It is now time that this chronicle must share a certain change which came over two members of the Royal Family during this time period, changes which were not entirely positive.
The first relates to the King's increased drinking during the progress. Aurion was no longer a young man, and the wounds of his youth were slowly catching up to him. As a younger man while on a progress in the Stony Shore, Aurion had been struck by a throwing spear in the shoulder by a rogue Ironborn raider, breaking several ribs in the subsequent fall. In addition, despite the Maesters removing the harmful tumorous growth in his skull, he still suffered from frequent headaches as a result of the surgery.
While both his shoulder and head bothered him, the worst cause of the Kings pain was the dagger he had taken in the thigh from his brother Matarys, and while the wound had healed, he still walked with a slight limp, and as he aged the wound to his thigh and that of his shoulder caused him increasingly significant discomfort, to the point there was scarcely an hour the King was not in pain.
As a result, Aurion began to turn to drink heavily to numb the pain, far more than a man of his age ought to have. Despite this newfound affinity for drink, Aurion was a polite drinker, waiting for the day's business and meetings with his hosts to conclude, and waiting for the privacy of his own chambers, causing the Royal party to get going significantly later in the morning than they were used to while the King recovered enough from his indulgences to travel.
Meanwhile, back in the Capitol, a similar situation was unfolding with Crown Prince Maelyx Targaryen, though for entirely different reasons.
Prince Maelyx was by no means a lazy man, but the increased responsibility of taking on the role of being his fathers Hand of the King was much more than he had been accustomed too when he had been the Master of Laws…especially when his father was away on progresses, and it was not long before the heir to the Iron Throne began to fall under considerable stress, and Maelyx, not even 40 and already balding, began to turn to drink to cope with the stressors of ruling.
To return to the King and his progress however, Aurion would depart from the Vale, riding west towards Riverrun, the seat of his cousin Horas Tully, who was similarly known for his great affinity for drink. This meeting was much more enjoyable than any previous between the two, and Horas was delighted at his liege and cousins' new found appetite, the two draining the wine cellar of Riverrun considerably…and any plans for a morning departure by the King was quickly scrapped as he recovered.
Aurion would then ride North, through the neck and up to Torrhen's Square, spending a few days resting and witnessing another tournament style Northern Melee before riding to the Flint Cliffs and their chalky outcroppings, taking a ship south to the final stop…the island of Fair Isle, seat of House Farman, who had defied the Lannisters during the Lion's Rebellion and orchestrated the escape of Prince Matarys Targaryen from the Westerlands, avoiding his capture by rebel forces to use against his brother Vaemond.
While sailing from Fair Isle to Kayce on the mainland, King Aurion was shaken by the sudden realization that these were the same waters his forebear, Aegon the Conqueror had been lost in along with the dragon Balerion the Dread. Somewhere below him lay the skeleton of Balerion and the bones of the Conqueror.
At one point in the voyage, he was awoken in his sleep by what sounded like a stormy gale, and whistling winds, along with a roar that could only be that of a dragon, he quickly roused himself from his slumber, running to the deck…but no storm or heavy winds awaited him, only the silence of the night, for an odd reason he made his way to the side of the boat, his Kingsguard following concerned, and for a moment through the pitch black seas he could almost make out a huge dragon looking up at him through the waves from the sea floor, but as quick as the vision called to him it was gone.
Returning to his chambers, his sleep was equally troubled, faint visions and dreams of a Kraken rising from the deep, its tentacles wrapped around burning ships, the water blood red and purple as if squeezed from the lifeblood of a grape….he was glad when early the next morning they made harbor in Kayce….there was something unnatural about these seas.
Little of note happened upon the King's return, arriving in Kings Landing some time later, tired and glad to be reunited with Alicent and pleased to be able to share a drink with Maelyx.
The next year that followed Aurions return was similarly peaceful to those previous, with little of note happening, except for a small uprising of around 2500 former Pirates in the Stepstones that was swiftly quashed by Valerion Seafyre, who once again led his galleys to victory.
Meanwhile, back at court, Prince Yraenor was appointed Commander of the Gate of the Gods, the reckless young Prince had grown into an equally reckless man, albeit one skilled at command and had begun to grumble more often that he had not yet attained a title or command, and Maelyx, no doubt seeing the sense in keeping his younger brother occupied suggested the promotion to his father who eagerly accepted, glad to see another of his children's futures sorted.
Unbeknownst to the realm however, the long period of peace that had prospered for the past several years was coming to an end….ambitious men from the Narrow Sea were no stranger to Westeros, and the realm was about to be reminded of such a fact…..
6th Moon, 143 AC
Coast of Dragonstone, The Narrow Sea
The Lord of Driftmark was silent as Pride of Driftmark cut its way through the choppy waters of the Narrow Sea, most men in his position would have betrayed at least some sense of nervousness, but if Monford Velaryon had doubts he did not show them.
‘’No ships in sight Lord.’’ His helmsman said and Monford nodded, he had purposefully set the day of the voyage to be one with rough seas and they were far enough from Dragonstone to be spotted from the shore, but nevertheless there was always the risk that a fishing sloop might spot them, but luck seemed to be on their side today.
The enormity of what he was about to undertake once again hit him, but the memory of his father Laenor on his deathbed came unbidden to his mind, a man of sixty and seven, who had accomplished little in his life except to survive to such an advanced age…..men were not meant to live such lives…..to survive long enough only to die as a husk….to truly live, one needed to take risk….and it was certainly a large risk that the Lord of Driftmark was taking today….
‘’The islands just up ahead….will you be wanting an escort.’’ His captain of the guard asked, approaching.
‘’No……I will go alone.’’ Monford commanded in a tone which brooked no argument, and the man nodded quickly, with Monford not failing to notice the not so subtle relief that passed through the man's face….he made a mental note to replace the man if he survived the hour…he would have no use for cravens at the walls of Kings Landing.
Sure enough, the rocky island came into view….and Moondancer with it.
The dragon that had once been the mount of King Vaemond the Strong was enormous, over eighty feet in length, coiled in a massive semi-circle on the rocky island….the beast was the second oldest and largest dragon on earth after Narrahs death, and one of the few not contained within the Dragonpit…having made its den on an isolated island several miles off of the coast of Dragonstone.
‘’Prepare the boat.’’ Monford commanded and his men readied a small skiff, and the Lord of Driftmark, walking briskly, lowered himself into the boat, taking the oars and slowly paddling through the gray seas towards the rocky island.
Targaryen, Seafyre, Velaryon, Celtigar……the name does not matter…it is the blood of the dragon that calls to them….that binds them…. Monford thought as he pushed the oars through the choppy seas, no Velaryon had ever claimed a dragon since the doom, but House Velaryon hailed from Valyria the same as the Targaryens…the blood of the dragon flowed just as much through his veins as the descendents of the conqueror….for decades the men and women of his house had been content to play the loyal serving man to their Targaryen masters, their noble lineage forgotten, but it had been the Velaryons who had arrived in Westeros first, before even the Targaryens…the days of bent knees to the Targaryens were coming to an end.
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Monford Velaryon had to appreciate the beauty of the sleeping creature, its torso and neck were covered in thousands upon thousands of gleaming white scales, thin as chainmail and gleaming like fresh fallen snow, from its neck and wings, fringes like glaciers rose up above it.
A Dragon for a King The Lord of Driftmark thought, his nervousness momentarily gone as he looked in awe at the majesty of the beast.
His admiration did not last long however as the skiff hit the rocks with a thud, and Monford clambered to shore…..and looking up to the icy blue eyes of Moondancer, who had woken from its slumber, all around it the charred bones of horses and sheep it had stolen from the mainland surrounding it like a parapet.
Before he had a chance to say anything, the beast clambered forward quickly, sending chunks of rock to the sea with a crash, every ounce of Monfords body wanted to step back, but he forced himself to stand his ground.
The dragon moved its face forward slowly, hunching like a cat, though Monford sensed the beast was more curious than angered.
‘’Hūra dancer. mount hen vaemond, bōsa emagon ao issare idle. waiting iā worthy kipagīros’’ Monford said authoritatively, his voice cutting through the heavy winds. Moondancer, Mount of Vaemond, Long have you been idle, awaiting a worthy rider
The beast seemed to respond to the old tongue of Valyria…its icy blue eyes widening at the mention of the name of Vaemond, emboldened by this, Monford Velaryon took a step forward.
‘’Iā tresy hen Valyria stands gō ao. Nyke brōzi nykēla monford velaryon, tresy hen driftmark se āeksio hen tides. Velaryon. iā proud brōzi. iā brōzi skore ēza survived se vējes. hae aōha forebearers emagon. Nyke claim ao moondancer. Nyke declare nykēla aōha āeksio!’’ He shouted over the winds.
A son of Valyria stands before you....I name myself Monford Velaryon, Son of Driftmark and Master of the Tides......Velaryon...a Proud name...a name which has survived the doom....as your forebearers have...I claim you Moondancer....I declare myself your master
Taking a final step forward, he removed the glove from his hand and with slightly shaking hands, placed it upon the dragon's snout.
Immediately, Moondancer looked upwards towards the heavens and roared into the gray clouds before at last prostrating himself, bowing his head level with Monford.
Wasting no time, Monford quickly scaled the dragon, taking hold of its scales which were hot to the touch.
‘’Sōvegon fly’’ He commanded.
Moondancer wasted no time, soaring into the skies…and in that moment, Monford Velaryon felt every bit a King……
One Week Later
City of Silkhead, Serene Republic of Lys
Monford Velaryon made another round above the city of Silkhead, the towns populace crowded in the streets watching in awe.
Satisfied he had made enough of a statement, he descended below towards the fields to the east of the city, where a large royal pavilion, perhaps not surprisingly erected of silk, was in sight.
He landed upon the fields with a loud resounding rumble, commanding Moondancer to lower itself so he could dismount. A small army of slaves quickly approached, each one carrying a sheep, looks of terror on their faces.
The shepherds are sheep themselves Monford smirked as he made his way to the pavilion.
Awaiting him were at least a dozen Lyseni nobles, all dressed richly in silks and samites, as he approached, they all stood….led by an older man, richly dressed and leaning on a silver cane…Irysono Rogare, the Magister of the Lyseni Republic.
‘’Lord Velaryon….I must say you have made quite the impression with your arrival….it appears there is no doubt that you have accomplished the condition I imposed…..the beast suits you…’’ The Magister said.
Monford nodded, taking a seat on the pavilion where slave girls served them with wine and fine dishes, but he was interested in things of far greater import than food, and immediately turned to Irysono Rogare.
‘’I claimed the dragon…..meeting your condition….now it is time you fulfill yours….you have my army?’’ Monford demanded.
Rogare raised his hand ‘’We will get to that soon enough….but before that, I need further assurances.’’
‘’I've already promised you gold and favorable trade rights when I take the throne, the opening of slave ports too…what more do you want.’’ Monford demanded, annoyed by this seemingly new condition.
‘’Not much Velaryon…not much at all.’’ Irysono Rogare said, reaching into his golden robes and producing a parchment, handing it to Monford who studied it…expecting a list of further concessions.
Instead he found a list of names, a list which seemed to contain every member of House Targaryen, as well as those they had married into.
‘’What's this?’’ Monford questioned.
‘’Simple….should you succeed in taking the throne, I want every man, woman and child on that list turned over to me…..most importantly the King's brothers Valerion, Vaeron, Aelor and Balaeron….the men who waged war against my republic….looted this very city you see in the distance…and raped and sullied the honor of the Great City of Lys by forcing it into submission and humiliation….I have racks in the dungeons awaiting their screams.’’ Rogare said.
‘’And the Queen….the others, you could hardly say they were involved in the war?’’ Monford mused, taking a sip of wine.
Rogare smiled, unveiling a yellow set of teeth ‘’Ive always wanted to fuck a Queen…as for the others, my people are a vengeful one…..the shame and humiliation of the capture of Lys shall be washed away with the blood of the House of the Dragon….Lys never forgives…or forgets….and neither do I come to think of it.’’
Monford nodded slowly, in truth such a request was a boon to him, he had already known it would be necessary to put the Targaryens to the sword should he succeed in taking the throne, but with this demand, he could quietly turn them over to the Lyseni and let them take their revenge, removing the stain of killing women and children and any claimants that could threaten himself or his descendents position.
Suddenly, a remembrance came to him and he shook his head ‘’I have no problems with your demand….consider it done…but one name on that list will be spared.’’
The Magister raised his eyebrows.
‘’Princess Shaella Targaryen, a daughter of Prince Maelyx and my ward.’’ Monford Velaryon responded, some months prior, Prince Maelyx had sent her to Driftmark as a ward to serve as a handmaiden to his Horpe wife and elderly mother, at the time he had probably thought he was securing relations with his most powerful vassal, but in truth the man had gifted him a very valuable hostage.
‘’Fond of her are you?’’ Rogare asked.
The Lord of Driftmark shrugged ‘’Not particularly….but taking her to wife would cement my claim and that of our children.
‘’I had taken to understand you were already married….if I had known you like the young ones I would have offered you one of my granddaughters…..pretty little things.’’ Rogare said, sipping on some wine.
Monford, growing red with disgust, angrily placed a hand on his sword pommel before he trusted himself to speak ‘’I am wed…but she is no fit consort for a King, she can warm my bed until the Targaryen girl is old enough to wed….and then ill set her aside.’’ In truth the decision was a harder one than Monford made it out to be, he had sworn a vow of marriage to his wife, but the woman was of House Horpe, far too lowly a house for a King to be associated with.
Rogare smiled ‘’A cold man you are Velaryon…a man after my own heart….in truth not many of my comrades gave you much hope when you first came here….a beggar pleading for men and support on a fool's hope to take the throne….I had initially thought the same, that is why I demanded you claim a dragon first…I thought that would get rid of you…but here you are….and with your temperament and with a dragon at your side, you might just stand a chance…..count me impressed’’
Once again ice cold fury ran through the Lord of Driftmarks veins as he suffered yet another insult from this Lyseni Cheesemonger, but he needed this cheesemonger's support if he was to take the throne, so with considerable effort he forced himself to swallow his anger with a long swig of wine.
‘’I take it this lack of faith in my success means you have not assembled me an army?’’ Monford said coldly.
‘’Oh no Lord Velaryon….you see I am a gambler….and against the advice of my council, I did in fact raise you an army, 10,000 Lyseni, all armed and armored, with ships enough to transport them….they have been raised for weeks, at not an inconsiderable expense mind you.’’
‘’10,000? When last we spoke, you promised me twice that number….it is not enough.’’ Monford seethed, once again gripping his longsword.
‘’And fulfill that promise I shall….I am a gambler Velaryon…but I am not an utter fool, to assemble such a number ahead of time and keep them raised for weeks without even knowing if you had succeeded would be foolish….and it would raise questions in Westeros…..even here in Silkhead where the Hand Maelyx keeps no spies, keeping an army raised for so long would cause problems, particularly with Volantis….but within the month a further 10,000 mercenaries will arrive….Myrish Crossbowmen, Norvoshi Axeman, Pentoshi Heavy Cavalry….give it one months time and you shall have your army…….
Will the presence of such an... irritable... dragon at the Citadel annoy the Maesters? What will they do to... remove... such a beast from their presence? It's not like they can send a prince of the realm away.
Monford Velaryon is certainly an ambitious man. I hope that Aurion can defeat him and make him pay for his treachery.
Speaking of Monford, is he planning on betraying Lys once he has his crown? He didn't seem fond of his new ally...
Cancer as a trait-based illness has always been interesting to me in CK2, ASOIAF included, since it feels like something more for the player's information than for the character - it's not really an illness medieval doctors could detect or treat in any meaningful way. Historical texts seem to indicate that they were aware of it, but more in the sense that they understood the correlation between the symptoms that accompanied it, and developed treatments as best they could come up with given the lack of X-Rays or any other imaging technology. They recognized that the symptoms of a brain tumor suggested too much pressure inside the skull, and tried to treat it using trepanation, but they had no real way of actually finding the tumor responsible, much less understanding what exactly it was.
All of which is to say that if the Grand Maester Alekyne was actually able to detect the tumor itself when examining Aurion, not just the symptoms, then that would imply that the tumor is already large enough to be noticeable by touch... which is indeed very not good, and which makes the successful removal nothing short of a medical miracle on his part (and a great testament to Aurion's strong health). The man deserves to be immortalized in the Citadel books and showered in gold for the rest of his days. And the emotional link there with Aurion's mother (and subsequently also his long-suffering daughter) dying of the same condition is of course very potent - and concerning. As far as I know cancer isn't actually set as a hereditary marker anywhere in the CK2 system, but it sure feels like any time a ruler comes down with it there tends to be an "outbreak" of cases in later generations as well. Fingers crossed that won't be so for the House of the Dragon.
-
In happier news, the little tidbit about Prince Taegon bringing his massive, feral dragon to Oldtown is hilarious, and I love the detail about it leading to a boom in draconic studies at the Citadel (Maester Conspiracy Theorists tearing their hair out right now).
Prince Taegar seems to be uh... uninspiring, as far as future heirs to the throne go. He's diligent, at least, so he should take his duties seriously, but he seems to be a thoroughly midling, almost mediocre man. Especially in the shadow of his accomplished but drunken and prematurely-balding-from-stress father who may not reign in good health for very long. And as for his new stubborn, arbitrary, wrathful wife from a historically troublesome family... the less said about that the better.
As someone with a vague phobia of the deep, dark ocean I just wanna say that the mental image of Balerion's massive skeleton staring up from beneath the murky waves is as badass as it is terrifying lol. Interesting dream for Aurion too, seems like there may be trouble ahead between the Greyjoys and the Redwynes?
Quite the surprising development at the end there with the old enemy from Lys uniting with a wholly new enemy on Driftmark. Monford Velaryon is the first person to rise up against the throne with both a large army AND a dragon at his back, and that alone will earn him the place in history that he's dreaming of, win or lose. He has offered a great deal to Lys in order to make himself a genuine threat, and the apparent promise to reintroduce slavery in Westeros seems especially egregious. Very curious to see how this deal with the devil pays off for him.
Aurion would linger on the edge of death for several days before at last, the danger of infection seemed to be behind him as the wound healed….King Aurion had survived
It is now time that this chronicle must share a certain change which came over two members of the Royal Family during this time period, changes which were not entirely positive.
Even 22,000 men seems hardly enough … he will need allies to pose a serious threat. But an interesting challenge nonetheless. The Cheesemonger is in a lose-lose here: Montford loses and his investment is blown, or he wins and takes a bit of vengeance for the insults and presumption!
Thank you for the update. Problems, problems for royal house. Aurion and Maelyx are ignoring problems in favor of the bottle. The less said about Taegar the better. As an adult Targaryen, he has a martial of 8. I thought that Targaryen boys were born better battlefield commanders. His little 8yo sister Shaelle knows more tactics now and probably by adulthood will have a higher personal combat score (currently 30 to 50) and take his lunch money (not that he will have much with stewardship of 4). At least Taegar is more diplomatic than rebel scum Lord Monford (how did he get claim on the Iron Throne). Irysono and Monford is a match made on a bad reality dating show. Dewey, Cheatem and Howe are preparing the divorce settlement before the wedding is consummated.
Aurion has tried to avoid relying on the dragons to secure his rule for most of his reign. However, it is clear that Aurion would have deposed long ago if he did not have a dragon and Vhagar in particular. Dragon riders can get a claim on their top liege's title to represent the destabilizing nature of dragons in a medieval style hierarchy and allow dragonriders to usurp their liege's throne if I remember correctly. A monarchy established through the power of dragons bypassing all of the usual things that legitimize a medieval monarchy is an inherently vulnerable to challenges from challengers with powerful dragons of their own. This vulnerability will present unless dragons become extinct like after the Dance of Dragons in the canon or are rendered obsolete by advancement in military technology which is a long way off if that ever happens in the world of ASOIAF.
Sudden existential threats in the form of highly ambitious dragon riders taking their shot at the beloved King riding mighty Vhagar during the reign of Aurion does highlight how lucky King Viserys I was in the canon. Despite being an unimpressive figure who quickly became dragonless after the death of Balerion, it just so happens that none of the formidable dragonriders with mighty dragons such as his former rival to the throne Rhaenys, his troublesome younger brother Daemon or any other dragonrider of the time were personally inclined to use their dragons to try to usurp Viserys.
Prince Taegar has such unimpressive stats for a man in line to the Iron Throne and that some of his younger siblings have the genius trait makes this fact even more painful.
Finally! I am all caught up with this absolute marvel! As always, I am in awe. Brilliant writing and lovely AI! Now to some thoughts.
Fall of the Free Sisters is very unfortunate. I rooted for them, always love a successful story of shackles broken and freedom won.
Also that Silent Sister? She deserved better. As in everything: a better job, a better man and a better end.
While I'm glad my favourite Gay Prince of ADHD is just chilling in peace on his private island with his hopefully gay pirate friends, I am also in need of an underdog to root for, and oh boy with that Taegar, Prince of Sass do I have a new one to look forward to!
That Monford guy has balls, I give him that, but also he's kind of a douche so he can go join Prince Rateater. His ward should have the dragon, thank you very much. Might also burn some Lys while she's at it too.
And of course my main point. Narrah, NOOO! T_T that whole thing wrecked me, as any death of an animal always does, especially such a violent and even move especially such a pointless one.
Will the presence of such an... irritable... dragon at the Citadel annoy the Maesters? What will they do to... remove... such a beast from their presence? It's not like they can send a prince of the realm away.
It wont be the dragon they will be annoyed with...and it is worth noting that the Maesters are actively studying the dragon so it is not random attacks, but there will be a faction opposed to its presence.
Cancer as a trait-based illness has always been interesting to me in CK2, ASOIAF included, since it feels like something more for the player's information than for the character - it's not really an illness medieval doctors could detect or treat in any meaningful way. Historical texts seem to indicate that they were aware of it, but more in the sense that they understood the correlation between the symptoms that accompanied it, and developed treatments as best they could come up with given the lack of X-Rays or any other imaging technology. They recognized that the symptoms of a brain tumor suggested too much pressure inside the skull, and tried to treat it using trepanation, but they had no real way of actually finding the tumor responsible, much less understanding what exactly it was.
All of which is to say that if the Grand Maester Alekyne was actually able to detect the tumor itself when examining Aurion, not just the symptoms, then that would imply that the tumor is already large enough to be noticeable by touch... which is indeed very not good, and which makes the successful removal nothing short of a medical miracle on his part (and a great testament to Aurion's strong health). The man deserves to be immortalized in the Citadel books and showered in gold for the rest of his days. And the emotional link there with Aurion's mother (and subsequently also his long-suffering daughter) dying of the same condition is of course very potent - and concerning. As far as I know cancer isn't actually set as a hereditary marker anywhere in the CK2 system, but it sure feels like any time a ruler comes down with it there tends to be an "outbreak" of cases in later generations as well. Fingers crossed that won't be so for the House of the Dragon.
Thats some very good insight, Ill be honest, I am not very medically oriented so hopefully my interpretation wasnt too jarring, I did do a little bit of research on medieval perspectives on cancer and it wasnt particularly fruitful. As for the hereditary nature of cancer in ckw, I agree and dont think it can be passed down, but there have been quite a few cases recently, Aurions mother, his daughter, and him himself, I guess I can blame Matarys's Royce wife (Vameonds brother) as she also had cancer.
In happier news, the little tidbit about Prince Taegon bringing his massive, feral dragon to Oldtown is hilarious, and I love the detail about it leading to a boom in draconic studies at the Citadel (Maester Conspiracy Theorists tearing their hair out right now).
Yeah Prince Taegon (I regret not changing either him or Taegars name as already it has caused some issues lol) will have a POV in the future at the Citadel.
Prince Taegar seems to be uh... uninspiring, as far as future heirs to the throne go. He's diligent, at least, so he should take his duties seriously, but he seems to be a thoroughly midling, almost mediocre man. Especially in the shadow of his accomplished but drunken and prematurely-balding-from-stress father who may not reign in good health for very long. And as for his new stubborn, arbitrary, wrathful wife from a historically troublesome family... the less said about that the better.
He is dissapointing to say the least, especially when you look at his younger brother Valaenor who is like a single year younger than him (There will be a screenshot of him in the next chapter)
As someone with a vague phobia of the deep, dark ocean I just wanna say that the mental image of Balerion's massive skeleton staring up from beneath the murky waves is as badass as it is terrifying lol. Interesting dream for Aurion too, seems like there may be trouble ahead between the Greyjoys and the Redwynes?
It really did in the game too, I got the notification that he was preparing an attack, and rather than the customary 1 year period, the actual attack happened like 10 days after the notification.
Ill be honest I have no idea, he has no recent Targaryen ancestors or even the ambitious trait, but I do think it makes sense in a lore standpoint, it must have been through an event or a focus.
Prince Taegar has such unimpressive stats for a man in line to the Iron Throne and that some of his younger siblings have the genius trait makes this fact even more painful.
I have not played ahead much past the next chapter, but if Taegar does inherit the throne,I think he will have to keep an eye on his siblings, one brother in particular.
Thank you! I have also been slowly working my way to getting caught up with works I follow and yours is next on the list, was glad to see it get some updates!
While I'm glad my favourite Gay Prince of ADHD is just chilling in peace on his private island with his hopefully gay pirate friends, I am also in need of an underdog to root for, and oh boy with that Taegar, Prince of Sass do I have a new one to look forward to!
Yeah, I hope to get Balaeron involved more, because of ck2 engine reasons he wont be involved in the next chapter unfortunately, though he will be mentioned, and yeah, sass is the perfect description of Taegar with his rude trait.
And of course my main point. Narrah, NOOO! T_T that whole thing wrecked me, as any death of an animal always does, especially such a violent and even move especially such a pointless one.
It was sad for sure, especially since Narrah was the first new dragon to enter the world and I remember writing the scene when it was hatched to Queen Nyel....on that note however, next chapter may be a rough one.....
-To All: Thank you all so much for the suppourt! Next chapter will be out tomorrow, it will be a single partchapter and a bit longer than what I have been posting lately (8.5k words not split) but I think it works better as one single chapter.
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Chapter 61: The Dance of Kings Landing (143 AC) (Vaeron, Maelyx, Aurion)
Vaeron Targaryen spurred his horse forward through the busy and bustling streets of Kings Landing, memories of the past forcing themselves upon his mind with every turn…memories of another journey through these same streets more than a decade ago…and here he was again, for reasons altogether similar and different.
I never should have touched another woman after Aelinor Vaeron thought to himself grimly as he pulled his hood closer to his head and urged his packhorse forward, he would have preferred his destrier, but should a fine horse would only serve to draw attention to himself. He rounded the bend onto the Street of Seeds, stopping momentarily to let a patrol of gold cloaks pass before continuing on until the small and tidy tavern The Golden Grain came into view…and once again memories of that day with Aelinor came into his mind unbidden.
Dismounting, he tied his horse and made his way inside, feeling the heavy coin purse in his belt to make sure it was still there.
The same massive rock of a woman who had been manning the bar all those years ago was still there, older and greyer yet no less formidable, Vaeron lowered his hooded head and placed several silver stags upon the counter.
‘’A woman…’’ He began but the woman shook her head ‘’Not just a woman alone….and as for the rest I don't want to know…upstairs and first room on the left.’’ She commanded, and if she recognized him she showed no signs of showing it.
He nodded his thanks and made his way up the stairs, relieved that it was not the same room as last time….though his relief lasted only a moment before the enormity of his current situation returned to him.
Preparing himself, he opened the door and shut it quickly, finally turning to the room.
She was standing near the window, beautiful as always and dressed in her usual silks……beside her, in a cradle, was a babe….a baby boy.
‘’Let's get this over with Rhae….’’ Vaeron said, forcing any hesitation from his voice.
‘’I was beginning to think you were not coming….but then again, you are not a complete fool…you know what that would mean.’’ She responded sweetly, though there was a cold iciness in her tone.
‘’You have made that abundantly clear.’’ The Lord Commander said curtly, looking at Rhae the Harper, famed bardess and poetress, and his former lover……
They had met two years ago, at the name day celebrations of his nephew Maelyx, which had included a great many bards, poets, and singers as his nephew was a lover of such dramatics.
Rhae had stood out among the entertainers immediately, she was a beautiful woman, with brown hair and brown eyes, she had immediately reminded Vaeron of Aelinor, in appearance at least. Her voice and laugh were charmingly sultry and her bawdy lyrics were….stirring.
She had taken a particular interest in Vaeron at the feast, taking every opportunity to jest with the Lord Commander or share a cup of wine…..and by the time nightfall came, it came as no surprise when she asked him to escort her to her guest chambers in the Red Keep….and Vaeron agreed, he had no plans of anything else…after Aelinor, he had vowed he would never touch another woman…and he had meant to keep it…but Vaeron Targaryen was not very good at oaths…and when the time came to take his leave, he found his trousers were much more eager to take theirs than his legs…..
It was perhaps the most reckless thing he had ever done, there were no shortage of eyes in the Red Keep and, upon waking in her bed in the early morning, Vaeorn feared he would end up just like his disgraced former brother Ser Moribald Ambrose..or worse, but after the heavy night of feasting and drinking by most of the court, it seemed his detour had gone unnoticed, and none saw his hasty return to his chambers in the White Sword Tower.
Their liaisons had continued for around a year, in taverns throughout the city…Vaeron once again felt the familiar shame of oath breaking, but just like the frequent cups of wine they shared in bed, she was a pleasure he was unable to stop himself from partaking in.
Eventually however, Vaeron began to grow paranoid of discovery, his visits to Rhae had become more and more frequent, and it was becoming difficult to explain his absences, and after a close call where he was spotted entering the Red Keep late at night by his friend and sworn brother Ser Jon Belmore, who did not seem entirely convinced by his excuses, he grew even more fearful of discovery.
And so he had ended it….and Rhae, as was in her nature, handled it poorly, all but chasing him out of the room with insults and mockery….that had been many months ago and he had thought the issue behind him…..until he received a message from her that she had given birth a boy….his son….and that unless a large payment was delivered to her…..then word would be sent to the King, informing him of his new nephew….Vaeron Targaryen was many things, but a bold man he was not, and while he had doubts, he would not risk calling her bluff.
‘’You have the gold?’’ Rhae demanded harshly….causing the babe to begin to cry, Vaeron did his best to ignore the child Quick and quiet….don't even look at the boy he reminded himself.
Vaeron nodded slightly, reaching into his cloak and produced a large heavy bag of coins, not failing to notice the hunger that ran through Rhaes eyes….she had always been an ambitious woman, always speaking of one day owning a manse of her own….and with this amount of coin, she could do that, multiple times over if she wished.
He began to pass it to her waiting hands until abruptly bringing it back to his chest ‘’How do I even know that boy is mine.’’ Knowing Rhaes ‘’appetites’’ the distinct possibility existed that he was not the child's father, though he had to admit the timeline was undeniable.
‘’You don't…you'll just have to take my word for it’’ She sneered ‘’but make no mistake…that ‘’boy’’ you speak of is your son…and he will be presented as such to his loving Uncle, the King if you don't stop this folly.’’
Reluctantly, he handed over the coin purse, which she accepted quickly, making sure it was full.
Vaeron turned to leave, but something stopped him.
‘’Where will you go?’’ Vaeron demanded.
‘’I thought you wouldn't care’’ Rhae taunted.
‘’A man should know where his son is.’’ Vaeron said tiredly, all the fight gone out of him.
Rhae nodded, and for a moment the kinder side of her, came out ‘’I've taken a position in the court of the Castle Old Anchor, in the Vale, it it safe there, and I have been assured Lomas will be raised as a page and then a squire….he will have a good life.’’
‘’Lomas?’’ Vaeron asked and Rhae nodded simply.
Vaeron had entered the chamber determined not to even look at the boy, parting would be easier then, but he finally gave out to the desire of his heart….at least once he should look at the boy.
Silently he walked towards the child's crib, initially he had doubts that the child might not even be his, and by appearance, those were not at all dispelled, as there was no trace of any obvious Targaryen features in his eyes or wisps of auburn brown hair…and yet…Vaeron had some sense that the big boned lad in the crib was in fact his son…almost by instinct, he slowly reached into the crib and took the babes hand in his own, and surprisingly neither the babe or Rhae offered any complaint.
He held the child's hand which was warm to the touch, feeling as if the blood of the dragon was calling out to him….this was his son.
May you be a better man than your father Vaeron thought to himself sadly, before abruptly withdrawing his hand and without a second look back, marched out of the room.
It was a somber ride back to King's Landing, and the familiar feelings of self loathing and guilt were heavy in his heart, and it came as a relief when the red brick walls of the Red Keep came into sight and he rode to the common stables, quickly unsaddling his packhorse, eager for the reprieve of his bed, but no sooner had he stepped out then he was immediately assailed by a courtier.
‘’Lord Commander, there is an urgent meeting of the small council underway, you have been summoned.’’ The man said breathlessly, and Vaeron got the sense the man had been looking for him for quite some time.
Vaeron nodded, once again forced to put on the mask of the Lord Commander.
‘’Escort me at once.’’ He commanded and the man nodded, leading the way.
Five Minutes Later,
Small Council Chambers of the Red Keep
Maelyx Targaryen stood at his fathers side in the Small Council chamber, all the chairs had been hastily moved to the side and his fathers councilors leaned over the long table, where a map had been unfurled, a cacophony of advice and disagreement echoing throughout the chamber, Maelyx made no attempt to add his voice to the chao, slowly refilling his cup with wine, watching the red drink trickle downwards.
It will be blood flowing soon enough…… He thought to himself, the surrounding shouts a blur around him.
‘’There is no other possibility….he means to attack us here in the capitol….we need dragons and riders in the air at onc…’’ His younger brother Yraenor insisted fiercely, pacing the chambers in full plate armor, as if he expected fighting to break out any minute.
‘’How could you possibly know that…he could just as easily strike Dragonstone….we must reinforce the Royal Fleet.’’ His son Taegar interrupted rudely, the boy was attending his first true meeting of the small council and no doubt wanted to make his voice heard amongst the older and more experienced men.
Yraenor wheeled on his nephew, and looked primed to respond in kind, but suddenly, their father, the King rose.
‘’ENOUGH’’ He bellowed loudly, in a tone that brooked no argument, and instantly the room grew silent….when King Aurion Targaryen spoke….men listened.
‘’I have heard the opinions and advice of every man in this room….some more than I would have wished….but it seems that my Hand has not yet given me his council…..Maelyx, what have you to say about all this?’’ His father demanded, his normally charismatic and calm self replaced by that of a King at war.
Maelyx nodded, draining the cup quickly to calm his nerves ‘’I believe Yraenor is correct….he must mean to strike us here in King's Landing……he has my daughter Shaelle captive on Driftmark…or perhaps out at sea upon a galley…she is a valuable hostage…and he has not even attempted to use that to his advantage to make demands or terms….that leads me to believe he doesn't plan on an extended war that involves negotiations….he wants to strike while we are unprepared….he wants to take the capitol.’’
A grim silence spread throughout the room, one broken suddenly by the carved wooden doors being pushed open, His Uncle Vaeron entering the chambers, not in Kingsguard plate but a tunic and a hooded cloak.
‘’Where have you been?’’ King Aurion demanded.
‘’Apologies your Grace….I was off duty and went into the city to get my shield repainted…I came as soon as I heard….has something happened?’’ His uncle explained.
Taegar snorted ‘’Has something happened he asks…..what's happened is we are under attack by that treasonous cunt Velaryon.’’
The Lord Commander's eyes widened at that and he scanned the room, looking for explanation.
Maelyx’s brother Vaegon, whom had been silent thus far provided it ‘’Monford Velaryon is in league with the Lyseni…..they have provided him with well over 15,000 men and nearly 300 galleys…..and he has been spotted upon Moondancer…he has bonded with the beast…..we believe he means to assault the city…we don't have long…perhaps two days…his fleet was sighted off Stonedance’’
‘’Off of Stonedance?, how was it not sighted by Valerion Seafyre in the Stepstones….if it truly numbers three hundred galleys?’’ Vaeron asked incredulously.
‘’They did not sail through the Stepstones…the fleet departed from Kylos in the north of the disputed lands and sailed north, avoiding Tarth before cutting west…..that's when they were spotted’’ Yraenor grumbled.
Maelyx cringed once again as the situation was stated….once again and not for the first time wondering where he had went wrong…and he had to admit there had been plenty of warning signs….and he had missed them all.
Regarding Monford Velaryon, Maelyx had underestimated the man….four years prior Maelyx had visited Driftmark, to pay his respects at the funeral of Monford Velaryons late father and his former vassal, rather than being welcomed, Monford had received him quite coldly and seemed to view his very presence as an insult. Shortly after, Maelyx had sent his daughter Shaelle to Driftmark to serve Monfords Lady wife and mother….he had believed it was a shrewd move at the time, by honoring Driftmark with the task of raising a princess, he hoped that it might mend whatever bad blood was between them…..but instead he had delivered his daughter on a silver platter to a traitor.
There were other oversights to be sure….while Maelyx was not officially his fathers Master of Whisperers, he did have a small network of spies in his employ, and he had the sense to send some of them to the free city of Lys. These spies in Lys had reported that on the Lyseni border with Volantis, there was a considerable mustering of an army and a large amount of galleys were being prepared in Kylos.
Maelyx had put it off as the Lyseni preparing for one of their frequent slave raids on the Summer Islands, or perhaps readying for a war with the Volantenes….not once had he thought the Lyseni would be bold enough to launch an attack on Westeros itself….and certainly not in support of a dragon rider.
Finally, he had been aware of Monford Velaryons absence, but he had chalked it up to one of the trading sea voyages members of House Velaryon were known to frequently undertake.
The signs were all there….and I was fool enough to ignore them Maelyx thought grimly, the realm had seen many years of relative peace since his uncle Aelors rebellion, and he had grown complacent…..and now his daughter was in the hands of a traitor and the capitol would soon be under attack.
‘’Our first course of action should be to send a raven to Narrahs Rest, my brother Balaeron must be made aware……we will have need of him and Saphyre’’ Aurion stated.
‘’He may not get here in time, or the raven for that matter….especially if Velaryon means to attack straight away’’ Maelyx cautioned.
‘’We wouldn't be having this conversation if that fool Massey had the sense to send a raven to him as well as here…..but his raven made no mention of such, I read it myself’’ Maelyx’s son Taegar sneered….
‘’Saphyre or not…..it doesn't truly matter, we still have him four dragons to one, Father on Vhagar, me and Vaegon on Proudwing and Kastax…and the Lord Commander here on Tridax….assuming he isnt late for the battle either’’ Yraenor responded haughty, seemingly unconcerned.
‘’Moondancer is no dragon to take lightly son, it is larger than Kastax and Proudwing combined, and bigger than Tridax…should he prevail against me on Vhagar, our numbers may not matter in the end.’’ The King said warningly.
‘’Would it not be possible to avoid a siege all together I wonder.’’ Vaegon pondered calmly, pointing to the map…..the four of us could intercept the fleet here, if we were to defeat Velaryon and Moondancer we could avoid a battle here in the capitol all together, or at the very least burn much of his fleet.’’
Yraenor instantly took the idea, nodding his head ‘’I agree….I have been saying all of this talking is a waste of time….its past time we put dragons and riders in the air….we could end this tonight.’’
‘’It's one thing to fight a dragon…it's another to fight a dragon while being fired upon by scorpions…..Lord Massey knows his ships, and he states that at least half of the three hundred galleys are mounted with scorpions, they could fill the air with bolts….they are not fools, in fact I would wager that is what Velaryon wants us to do…draw you in and pick you off by fire and bolt, leaving the city weak’’ Maelyx said grimly.
A silence fell over the room, as even the most boisterous on the council accepted that attacking a well equipped fleet head on, and one protected by an eighty foot dragon and hundreds of scorpions no less would be a foolish endeavor….though it seemed none were willing to totally abandon the idea.
It was Maelyx’s mother, the Queen Alicent, who broke the silence ‘’I have remained silent so far during your talk of tactics….but it is high time we discussed the safety of Shaelle, she is a girl of eight and in the hands of a traitor…..I have already lost a daughter… I will not lose a granddaughter…so by all means make your plans, but I would hear how you plan to rescue her now.’’
All in the room looked guilty at that, none more so than Maelyx, who truth be told, had little hope of rescuing his daughter or her survival in what was to come….Velaryon was a cold man.
‘’Shes right….that fucker has Shae..and we HAVE to get her back…..no matter what it takes.’’ His son Taegon said fiercely.
‘’Whatever it takes.’’ Alicent said curtly, looking at the King.
‘’We don't even know where the girl is…..if she is on one of the galleys….then she may be unrecoverable.’’ King Aurion said tiredly, running a hand through his beard.
‘’Then you will put an end to the idea of attacking the fleet at once surely….unless you mean to sacrifice her?’’ Taegar replied harshly to his Grandfather, without a modicum of respect, and all quickly looked to see how the King would respond.
‘’Taegar.’’ Maelyx said sharply, but his Kingly father raised a hand.
‘’The young man speaks boldly……but truly….If you must hear me say it…then yes, I won't order an attack on the fleet, no sense in risking our dragons before the battle even starts….or the girls safety.’’ The King said, looking his grandson in the eye.
‘’She may be in Driftmark.’’ Maelyx mused and he met his fathers eye, seeing they both had the same idea.
‘’I am confident in our victory…but should the worst happen….you are my heir Maelyx, and you must continue the fight….but a King and his heir cannot both be present in a battle of dragonfire….you must go, along with your children.’’ Aurion said after a moment's thought.
Maelyx nodded ‘’I shall send my wife with Syaella and Baerion west to Highgarden, they will leave tonight, myself and Taegar will ride to Maidenpool immediatly in haste and take a ship to Dragonstone…..i'll send a raven to Dragonstone ordering my son Valaenor to ready the levy…the boys up to it….then we shall invest Driftmark and free my daughter if she is there….regardless of the outcome of the battle here, our banner shall rise above Driftmark Hall.’’
The King nodded in agreement, and all seemed settled until his son Baerion, the Kings squire, who had been standing at attention at the door spoke up, addressing the King.
‘’I'm not going anywhere…I am your squire.’’ The boy protested.
‘’And so it shall be.’’ The King said, looking at Maelyx, who nodded his approval, far be it from him so separate his son from his grandfather, despite the dangers.
‘’I think we have planned sufficiently for now, we shall rejoin tonight and discuss the defense of the city…..’’ The King said.
All nodded, and left the chambers, except for Maelyx and the King and Queen.
‘’I can make arrangements for you to join Myria and Syaella mother.’’ Maelyx said, but Alicent shook her head ‘’A queen does not run…and I will not leave your father.’’
Maelyx nodded and his mother gently took his hand and kissed him upon the cheek ‘’Bring your daughter home.’’ The Queen said fiercely before leaving the Prince of Dragonstone alone in the chambers with his father.
‘’Years ago I said this…after I had collapsed….that you are my son…and you are ready…It is just as true today as it was then….should the worst happen…you must lead our family.’’ The King said, pouring himself a cup of wine and handing another to Maelyx.
‘’I will…..though some are not so easily led’’ Maelyx said lightly, causing his father to smile, and the two wandered to the open aired courtyard outside the council chambers, feeling the cool breeze as they gazed at the now peaceful waters of Blackwater Bay.
‘’Say what you mean to say.’’ Aurion said gently.
‘’Vhagar……you think shes up for it….she has the size on Moondancer, but even against Narrah all those years ago one would not describe her as young.’’ Maelyx said grimly….he knew that of all the dragons, it would be Vhagar that would have to stand up to Moondancer.
‘’I have oft heard her described as a hoary old bitch…..a fitting description…and I would like to think I have some of the same in me….I expect it will be quite the battle…..’’ His father said sadly, draining the cup, the two taking in the evening sunset of a city that would soon be under attack.
9th Moon, 143 AC
The next day would pass quickly, as Prince Maelyx and his son Taegar would ride for Maidenpool to begin their voyage to Dragonstone, leaving the King and his commanders to prepare the defense of King's Landing, which was awash with activity as the townsfolk became aware of the impending attack, with thousands fleeing the city in the brief period of calm before the storm.
They did not have long to prepare for their enemy, for on the night of the 13th of 9th Moon, 143 AC the fleet of Monford Velaryon was sighted entering Blackwater Bay, within sight of the walls of Kings Landing, the enemy host disembarking and setting up camp upon the Blackwater rush, thousands of cookfires visible from the walls of Kings Landing.
As the hours ticked by, it became apparent that the capitol would not be reinforced by Balaeron Seafyre and his dragon Saphyre from the Stepstones, unbeknownst to any in the capitol, the Kings raven had never reached the Stepstones, as Monford Velaryon had positioned archers on islands northwest of the Stepstones, with orders to shoot any bird that approached to warn Balaeron….leaving the bold dragonrider blissfully unaware of the impending attack on the capitol.
Monford Velaryons men wasted no time in the morning of the 14th of 9th Moon, having already prebuilt scaling ladders and engines in Lys, they spent the afternoon preparing for the assault, while King Aurion and his commanders made final preparations for the defense of the city, and as afternoon slowly turned to evening the forces of Monford Velaryon, more than twenty thousand men in all, began advancing on the city.
The battle had begun.
Evening of the 14th, 9th Moon
City of Kings Landing
King Aurion rode through the streets of Kings Landing, his brother Vaeron and his sons Yraenor and Vaegon mounted beside him, his grandson and squire Baerion bringing up the rear.
King Aurion Targaryen surveys his troops before the defense of Kings Landing
All around them, footmen and gold cloaks mustered into formations doing last checks of their equipment, while squadrons of crossbowmen and men-at-arms made their way to the thick walls of Kings Landing.
Aurion, fully armored in black plate and a flowing red cloak rode down the lines, nodding to the men and giving words of encouragement to the younger soldiers who looked unsure, a King above all must be a leader, and Aurion meant to see off the defenders of Kings Landing personally, their efforts in the sky would be for naught if the enemy should breach the walls of Kings Landing, then their dragons would be useless for fear of burning their own capitol.
The southern gates of the city would bear the brunt of the attack, namely the Kings Gate and the River Gate, though Monford Velaryon had also landed a sizable contingent of men to the north, who would likely assault the Dragon Gate and the Iron Gate…..Aurion, his brother Vaeron, and his sons Yraenor and Vaegon would all be on dragonback in the battle, so the defense of the south of the city would fall to Matagar Goldfyre, Captain of the Gold Cloaks, while Boros Baratheon, Commander of the River Gate would command the defense of the north of the city, the knights of the Kingsguard would be split between the two fronts to represent the King on the field of battle.
Dismounting, the King strode up to the ramparts, taking in the sight of the enemy host roughly split between the north and south of the city, twenty one thousand in all according to his scouts, significantly more than the thirteen thousand defenders of the city.
‘’We don't need to kill them all…..we take out Velaryon and Moondancer….the rest will flee, sellswords won't fight a losing battle.’’ His son Yraenor said confidently.
Aurion nodded, in truth this was a battle that they had every advantage in, the advantage in dragons, and defensive walls, and yet….there had not been a sighting of Velaryon or Moondancer since the previous day, and the white dragons absence was disconcerting….Moondancer was here….but it would be up to them to find and kill the former mount of King Vaemond and its rider.
‘’Time to head to the Dragonpit.’’ His son Vaegon asked, the enemy host clearly ready to begin their assault soon, and Aurion nodded, his retinue mounting up and riding through the streets, abandoned save for soldiers.
‘’When the battle starts…..focus your dragonfire on the back ranks of the attackers, too close to the walls and we risk a fire breaking out……our lads will be at the front as well, especially in the North of the city.’’ Yraenor said, despite being the youngest of the dragonriders, his son possessed the best tactical mind of all of them, except perhaps for Vaeron.
Aurion nodded his assent, the defense of King's Landing was to be an aggressive one, and both Matagar Goldfyre and Boros Baratheon would lead sallies out of the city to delay the sellswords and keep them off the walls, the entirety of Kings Landings heavy cavalry, 350 knights, whos heavy armor and mounted ability would be wasted upon the walls, were massing at the Dragon gate in the north of the city where they would charge out and prevent the sellswords from advancing their siege engines, while in the south, Matagar Goldfyre would lead three thousand peasant conscripts from the Mud Gate to delay the enemy advance there as well, giving the dragonriders time to defeat Velaryon and Moondancer before the enemy could make use of their numbers….if all went according to plan, the battle wouldn't even reach the city walls.
‘’I shall take Vhagar south past the Mud Gate and the Kings Gate, Yraenor, and Vaegon take the North and engage the enemy there….stay close and don't engage Moondancer without the other…..Vaeron, I want you in reserve near the Red Keep on Tridax brother, don't let him attack us from the rear….if he does try that way, I will reinforce you…when it comes time to engage him, all I want you all to do is delay him, I will take the lead on Vhagar’’ Aurion commanded as they neared the Dragonpit.
‘’What about me?’’ His ten year old grandson and squire Baerion asked.
‘’I'll have you escorted back to the Red Keep with your grandmother.’’ Aurion said.
‘’I can squire for one of the Kingsguard at the front.’’ The boy protested.
Aurion sighed and dismounted, gesturing for Baerion to do the same, before unbuckling his sword belt and scabbard, handing the boy Blackfyre, who accepted it with wide eyes.
‘’I know you can, and they would be lucky to have you…but I would feel better knowing you were there to protect your grandmother.’’ Aurion said, gently squeezing the lad's shoulder.
‘’Wont you need a sword?’’ Baerion asked.
‘’I can find another one….and besides, swords are not the most useful thing to have in a dragon fight….I am sure my brother Balaeron would disagree, but i'm far too old for such nonsense…take it.’’ Aurion answered.
‘’I…I have something for you too grandfather.’’ Baerion said, reaching into his saddlebag and handing Aurion a small piece of gray and white cloth, the sigil of House Hightower upon it.
‘’Grandmother told me to give this to you before the battle….she said she would be with you that way.’’ The boy said, somewhat embarrassed.
The King accepted it silently, moved more than he cared to admit, and tied it to his forearm, turning to his brother and sons.
‘’Are we ready.’’ He asked.
Yraenor grinned and Vaegon nodded slightly, no sign of fear in either of his sons, his brother Vaeron was silent but managed a quick nod.
‘’Good…..then may the Warrior be with you all.’’ Aurion said, the four dragonriders striding towards the dragonpit to claim their mounts.
Twenty Minutes Later
Kings Landing
The battle was well and truly underway, Vaeron Targaryen could hear the sounds of combat outside the walls as he circled the city of Kings Landing, Matagar Goldfyre had sallied out with three thousand levy footmen and had engaged the Essosi sellswords in a fierce melee, determined to delay them from bringing up their siege engines, and he could hear the screams of burning men as his brother and Vhagar scorched the enemy back ranks.
Vaeron ordered Tridax to the north of the city, continuing his patrol, his eyes trained upwards, yet still there was no sign of Velaryon and Moondancer.
We have him four dragons to one…..it wont come down to me Vaeron thought to himself, forcing his nerves to calm, he had never truly been comfortable on dragonback, especially in combat, and he found himself wishing not for the first time he was commanding on the ground upon the walls, he was of more use there, but he could hardly deny his brother another dragon rider.
Hearing a distant roar, he turned and saw the Dragon's Gate to the north opening, and over three hundred knights in full armor charging forth in the shape of an iron fist, lances lowered as they charged forth into the dismounted Essosi sellswords front rank like a knife through hot butter….they would not be able to keep up the attacking momentum for long, but for the moment they had stalled the enemies advance and prevented them from advancing the scaling ladders, the cries of death and combat and men being trampled all combined into a distant roar.
Once again he gave a cautious look around as he ordered Tridax to perform another circle of the city, yet still there was no sign of the traitor Velaryon or Moondancer.
Quite suddenly, as he flew near the Hill of Rhaenys, he sensed a change come over Tridax, the green dragon was already on high alert due to the surrounding combat, but quite suddenly it grew restless, letting out a wary shriek.
Then he saw them.
Plummeting from the sky behind them, out of the clouds was Moondancer, its beautiful white scales shining in the evening light like a deadly comet, Monford Velaryon had avoided detection and encircled their rear, Vaeron and Tridax was all that stood between Moondancer and the front walls of the city, where Moondancer could easily roast hundreds if not thousands of the massed defenders…..
Mother have mercy The Lord Commander thought to himself, his blood cold as ice as he caught sight of the dragon, which was well over twice Tridaxes size…and it was clear the other dragon had sighted them as well, roaring in the distance and flying straight at them.
‘’Qrīdrughagon Tridax!’’ Vaeron shouted Away, and the smaller green dragon was all too eager to agree, sensing the danger.
We have to lead him away from the walls….towards Vhagar Vaeron thought as he ordered Tridax forward, his heart pounding out of his chest, casting frequent glances behind him….and what he saw chilled him to the very bone…..Moondancer was fast gaining on them, the dragon was not only much larger, but also much faster, its large white wings tearing through the air…in the distance he saw his brother upon Vhagar, who had by now noticed the danger in the city…but they were far….much too far.
We won't make it Vaegon thought grimly, the realization of his coming death heavy on his mind as Moondancers roars grew closer.
This is my punishment Vaeron Targaryen thought, memories of all his broken oaths, of Aelor and Aemorys, of Aelinor and Rhae….this had been a long time coming……and in that acceptance, Vaeron Targaryen found courage, if even for a moment.
‘’pālegon se vīlībagon tridax’’ Turn and fight Tridax Vaeron said softly, and Tridax turned, the green dragon letting forth a roar of protest.
This sudden turn surprised their pursuers, for a moment at least, and Tridax let forth a stream of green orange flame, hitting Moondancer in the wings and chest, yet it seemed the flame simply washed over the large dragons thin white scales.
Moondancer roared and let forth a torrent of hot white flame, slamming into the chest of Tridax, and Vaeorn felt the very air around him grow hot, so hot he could scarcely breathe as Tridax roared in pain, its green scales smoldering, through the smoke and heat, Vaeron caught sight of the traitor, Monford Velaryon who was shouting in Valyrian, ash and smoke settled on his black hair.
‘’gaomagon qrīdrughagon Tridax!’’ Keep away…keep distance Vaeron screamed,if the larger dragon got its claws or teeth on them…they were finished.
Tridax screeched and attempted to keep wide, slashing with its taloned feet raking its claws against Moondancers snout who roared and disengaged, but only for a moment, the white dragon of King Vaemond quickly attacked again, and this time Tridax could not avoid the attack, Moondancers teeth gripping around the green dragons neck and tearing, Vaeron shouting and wincing as hot droplets of dragon blood pelted his face, falling backwards and only saved by his feet, which were fastened to his saddle.
Tridax screeched horribly as its neck was torn and mangled, managing to disentangle itself for a moment, and Vaeron, who had pulled himself back onto his saddle saw the white dragon preparing to latch on again for a final and deadly time but before he could there was a loud crash as if two mountains had come together.
Vhagar had come…… and had slammed into Moondancer with fury as the two dragons began their deadly dance, the white dragon quickly abandoning the smaller dragon and focusing on its much more formidable opponent.
‘’Sōvegon Tridax’’ Fly Vaeron shouted desperately, but Tridax was finished, weak snorts and grunts coming from the dragon as it slowly fell through the air, dragon blood flying through the air, its mangled and torn neck sizzling and its wings spasming as it descended, freefalling before momentarily regaining control and falling again as the fields outside the city grew ever closer……Vaeron desperately trying to control the dying dragon.
The Skies Above Kings Landing
‘’DRACARYS!’’ King Aurion Targaryen shouted, and Vhagar responded accordingly, letting forth a deafening roar and bathing an entire column of Essosi mercenaries in flame, arrows, bolts and throwing spears harmlessly bouncing off the dragon's thick scales.
Pulling Vhagar up, Aurion spared a quick glance to the other side of the city, where the knights of the city had sallied forth, and his two sons were similarly roasting the back ranks of the enemy in green and gold dragonflame.
Still no sign of Velaryon The King thought, preparing to attack the enemy again when out of the corner of his eyes he saw something falling from the skies, above the cities, plummeting like a falling crystal.
Moondancer He realized, ordering Vhagar to turn back into the city, seeing his brother Vaeron and his mount Tridax was being pursued by the much larger Moondancer, his brother was intelligent however, and rather than fighting the beast on his own, was attempting to lead it to Vhagar.
Come on brother Aurion thought, urging Vhagar to go faster…but it was clear that Moondancer was much faster and Vhagar would not arrive in time to prevent the uneven melee.
It was clear his brother thought the same way, as quite suddenly, Tridax wheeled on its pursuer and engaged with the larger dragon.
For a moment, Aurion was hopeful that Tridax might prevail due to the surprise attack, but as Vhagar approached, it was clear that Moondancer had the upper hand and had forced a battle of close quarters, and such a melee could only favor the larger dragon, and sure enough it became clear Tridax was getting the worst of it.
Aurion urged Vhagar faster and the old dragon tore through the air with a roar, but it was too late….Moondancer had taken Tridax by the throat.
Faster than he had thought the old dragon capable however, Vhagar slammed into Moondancer with a deafening crash, and Aurion was jolted from his saddle, for the briefest of moments catching sight of his brother and his maimed dragon plummeting towards the ground, but the King had little time to be concerned with his brothers wellbeing, as Moondancer had recovered from the initial shock and the melee began in earnest.
Moondancer was larger than his brother Matarys mount Narrah had been, by at least fifteen feet, and this was reflected in the beast's strength and speed, Moondancer was a dragon in the prime of its life and Vhagar was having trouble accounting for its speed.
The two dragons clashed, exchanging torrents of copper and white fire, and attacking each other with tooth and claw, rending, tearing and burning flesh and scale, the blood of the dragon at war.
As the fight went on, the difference between the two dragons became clear, Vhagar had the advantage in size, but the years had begun to take its toll on the old dragon, who lived a sedentary life in the comforts of the Dragonpit, as opposed to Moondancer, who hunted its own prey living in the Gullet.
‘’emā mēre tolī vīlībagon isse ao’’ You have one more fight in you The King shouted above the melee to Vhagar.
For the first time, if only for a moment, Aurion caught sight of his opponent, a young man with black curls and a thick beard, armored in silver, though just as soon as he caught a glimpse of the enemy dragonrider, he was gone, the air filled with fire and smoke.
Suddenly, Moondancer chose its moment to strike letting forth a huge torrent of white gold flame, scorching Vhagars torso, and this time, the old dragons scales could not withstand the power of the dragonflame, the smell of acrid burning flesh heavy in the air, Vhagar roaring loudly in pain as its chest sizzled and smoldered.
‘’vīlībagon va mount hen visenya, vīlībagon’’ Fight on mount of Visenya, fight! Aurion urged, scarcely able to keep his grip on the reigns.
Moondancer sensed that victory was close, and its Velaryon rider shouted a war cry, advancing on Vhagar, who had disengaged after being wounded, no doubt hoping to outflank them and strike onto the back of Vhagars neck, sending both the King and his mount to their death.
Suddenly a realization came to the Old King, Moondancer was quicker yes, and Velaryon was making good use of that speed and youth to run circles around Vhagar, striking at vulnerable areas before Vhagar could turn and yet…Vhagar was bigger, including wingspan…….
As Moondancer flew forward like an arrow of white crystal, Aurion calmly urged Vhagar up to a position where its tail was pointed downwards and its head facing straight ahead, Aurion was barely able to keep his grip, and it made them a bigger target…if Moondancer hit them with another burst of flame they would be finished, but there was something primal about dragons that made them go for the back of the neck to rend and tear…and if Moondancer did that…then they just might have a chance.
Aurion could hear Velaryon shouting commands urging Moondancer forward above Vhagar for a final deadly flanking attack……
Wait for it…..wait for it Aurion thought, forcing himself to wait for the right moment to issue the command, almost by instinct, his weathered hand reached for Alicents silk about his opposite arm….she was with him….as she always had been.
Finally the moment came….Moondancer was so close above them that Aurion could hear the fire rumbling in the beautiful white dragons belly, the orange flame within almost translucent overhead.
‘’Pryjagon bē lēda se tīkun vhagar, bē! bē!’’ Aurion bellowed Strike up with the wing Vhagar…up…up!!!!
Vhagar, the last harbinger of the coming of the Conquerer, roared and in a sudden ferocious movement, faster than Aurion had thought the old dragon capable of, flapped its wings upwards, its formidable tough copper wingspan colliding with Moondancer ahead, crashing into the younger white dragon with a collision as loud as Aurion had ever heard, and it is said that even the troops below stopped their melee in shock.
Moondancer was shaken and put off balance, reeling through the air…and Vhagar needed no other invitation, seizing upon the momentum instantly, bathing Moondancers crystalline face in hot copper flame, blinding the beast before racking its talons against its vulnerable chest, and finally going right for its throat, sharp teeth mauling and tearing.
Aurion once again saw this Velaryon dragonrider, a man he had never met before today, the younger man desperately shouting and trying to control his dragon…momentarily distracted…and this time it was the Kings turn to strike.
Aurion, thinking quickly, drew his borrowed longsword, wishing he had not been so hasty in relinquishing Blackfyre, and hoping the blade would do the trick.
With the strength of a much younger man, Aurion roared a warcry, raising his sword, Monford Velaryon turning, eyes widening as he realized what was going to happen.
The old King brought down his sword, slashing the leather fastenings which held Monford Velaryon to his saddle, the borrowed sword sharp enough to hack through them clean….for a moment, Monford Velaryon held on, but only for a moment, as the fierce melee of the dragons rocked him from the saddle, the Lord of Driftmark slid from Moondancers back, plummeting to the ground below with a cry as he fell to his doom.
Now it is up to Vhagar Aurion thought, holding tightly onto both reigns and scale to avoid meeting the same fate as his Velaryon foe.
Moondancer never regained the momentum, despite fierce resistance, in a battle of close quarters and without a rider to command it, Vhagar was able to bull through the younger dragons defenses, setting upon Moondancers vulnerable neck with its toothy maw, tearing, rending, and biting the smaller dragon to its death…and ripping off its head…..the lifeless corpse of the former mount of King Vaemond falling heavily through the air to the fields outside the capitol below….the deadly dance had finished.
With such a visible death, it did not take long for the Essosi mercenaries to lose heart, Yraenors prediction that sellswords would not fight for a losing cause proven correct, the enemy host had not even breached the city walls…and they were seen on their way by multiple torrents of gold and green dragonfire from Kastax and Proudwing, ridden by Aurions sons Yraenor and Vaegon.
The battle was over…
As Aurion ordered the wounded Vhagar to limp through the air towards the dragonpit, he looked for any sign of his brother Vaeron, who had went down with his dragon Tridax after engaging Moondancer…and to Aurions grief…he saw the bloodied and broken corpse of the small green dragon outside the walls, surrounded by fleeing Essosi sellswords, from this distance he could not make out the shine of his younger brothers distinctive Kingsguard armor….yet the King feared the worst….
Vhagar entire body was sizzling, and smoking the large dragon letting forth roars of pain, and yet there was a strength to the old dragon, as it made its way towards the Dragonpit, a furious will to get itself and its rider to safety….Aurion turned, and saw his sons had broken off their pursuit of the enemy…the old King relieved to see his sons unharmed…he had lost a brother in this battle…but his sons lived.
Finally, the dragon pits came into view, and Aurion ordered the wounded dragon to land outside the massive structure, his son's landing as the ground beneath them shook.
For the first time, Aurion was able to truly breathe and take stock of the situation….they had won…but a heavy cost had been paid, once more, Aurions hand went to the tied Hightower cloth upon his arm, his body yearning for Alicents touch.
Aurion made move to dismount and join his sons who awaited him outside the dragonpit, and yet….Vhagar stubbornly refused, shaking its wounded, bloodied and smoking body, refusing to let him off….a strange occurrence to be sure, as Vhagar was always far too willing to be rid of Aurion after their flights, eager for the unwanted exercise to be ended…and yet, something was different this time.
‘’aōha ōdria kessa giēñagon’’ The King said gently, running a hand on the old dragons scales Your wounds shall heal.
Once again he made move to dismount, but once again Vhagar stubbornly refused to let him dismount, letting forth a long and almost somber deep roar.
‘’sir iksis se jēda naejot rest. īlva vīlībāzma iksis gaomagon Vhagar’’ Aurion repeated once again Now is the time to rest, our battle is done Vhagar.
Finally, Vhagar relented, but not before letting a mournful roar to the heavens.
The King groaned in exhaustion as he climbed from the dragon, relieved to feel solid ground beneath him.
‘’Are you well father?’’ His son Vaegon asked, taking him by the shoulder, checking him for wounds and burns.
‘’I am……my brother Vaeron though…..’’ Aurion said sadly, his body tired.
‘’We saw him go down….at least he went down fighting…like a true Targaryen.’’ Yraenor said.
‘’I'll send men to recover his body….lets get you back to the Red Keep.’’ Vaegon said gently.
Aurion nodded, and took a step, before suddenly his tired legs buckled and he fell to his knees.
‘’Are you alright?’’ Vaegon asked, helping him to his feet.
‘’A bit too much excitement for one night eh Father?’’ Yraenor teased.
Aurion nodded, a wry tired slight smile on his face ‘’Yes….I shall be glad to rest.’’
Once again he took a few more steps, and then……he collapsed, a sharp pain in his chest.
He clutched his heart, which had turned cold as ice as he fell to the ground, his blurred vision making out the cobbled streets rising to meet him.
‘’FATHER.’’ The muffled voice of Vaegon cried out as his son knelt beside him, Yraenor bellowing for a Maester.
Aurion Targaryen held Alicents cloth close to his chest, his breaths ragged and his vision blurred as a great white light consumed his sight….a light as bright and warm as Alicents hair.
The Aftermath of the Dance of Kings Landing
And so it was that King Aurion Targaryen, First of his name, would collapse in front of the Dragonpit upon Rhaenys Hill, falling dead after defeating Monford Velaryon and Moondancer, the old King's heart quite literally giving out.
It is now dear reader, that I must share that in this chronicle is recorded the true version of events regarding the death of King Aurion, known only to a select few. It is widely believed throughout the Seven Kingdoms that King Aurion perished due to mortal wounds sustained in his fight with Monford Velaryon and Moondancer, the citizens of Kings Landing quickly assuming that their beloved King had sacrificed his life to defend the city against an invading dragonrider, and King Maelyx Targaryen, Aurions son and heir, perhaps shrewdly made no move to dispel these rumors, prompting further reveration of the Targaryens, and ensuring that King Aurion would widely be remembered as the most beloved and popular King to sit the throne, becoming known to many in the realm as King Aurion the Dragon, or simply ‘’The Dragon King’’.
As for the battle of King's Landing….the fight would last just over an hour, and yet Monford Velaryons attack would leave hundreds dead, many of them roasted in dragonfire, with the Lyseni sellswords losing some two thousand men to a few hundred Targaryen men, including some 23 knights, who had perished while slaying out in the north of the city.
The Essosi who attacked the southern gates of the city were able to flee back to their ships upon the Blackwater rush and escape during the confusion which followed the Kings death, however those that had attacked from the north were stranded, and after the initial shock of the Kings death, Princes Vaegon and Yraenor assembled a force which would attack in the morning and destroy this force…yet these plans were complicated by the fact that the desperate sellswords would produce a prisoner…Vaeron Targaryen, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, who had been assumed dead, had actually survived the battle and guided the dying Tridax to the ground, yet had the misfortune to do so right in the midst of a fleeing Essosi column who swiftly took him prisoner.
Knowing that an attack would mean the death of their Uncle, Yraenor and Vaegon quickly sent word of the situation and their fathers death across the Narrow Sea to their brother Maelyx, now the new King who had sailed to Dragonstone upon the Narrow Sea, and Maelyx, making his first kingly decision, gave orders to let the Essosi sellswords in the north retreat to their ships in exchange for the release of Vaeron and the return of Dark Sister.
Thus began the reign of King Maelyx Targaryen, first of his name.
-To All: It really did happen like this in the game, almost immediatly after the defeat of Monford Velaryons attack on Kings Landing, King Aurion keeled over...right as I had been thinking what perfect timing/ending if he were to die at that moment
King Aurion has given everything for the good his people. May he rest in peace. And Vhagar may follow him soon, the beast is wounded and old.
I wonder if Maelyx will have time to leave as big of a mark on Westeros as his father did. On the one hand, great stats. On the other, stress and drinking problems may dull his mind or cut his life short.
And Lomas has a potential to play some very pivotal role in the future, or he may be not even a footnote in the chronicles. Time will tell.
Thank you for the update. Fare Well King Aurion. Long live King Maelyx. The death screen messages about Aurion and Maelyx is some of the best that I have read. Often they are very inappropriate. Has Princess Shaelle been freed? I picture her as having taken control of Driftmark castle and awaiting transport home. Vaeron has more lives than a cat. How many dragonriders exist and how many unmatched dragons? Will Maelyx uncles and brothers accept his rule? Is he going to put industrial strength duct tape across the mouth of the crown prince?
Wow, wow, wow. What a chapter. Easily in the running for one of the best and strongest chapters in the AAR! Huge kudos to you. Obviously the juiciest meat is in the second half but I’ll try to take things from the top lol.
“And when the time came to take his leave, he found his trousers were much more eager to take theirs than his legs…”
This is a wonderfully witty bit of wordplay, I love it. Vaeron’s life continues to be a series of bad decisions and self-inflicted shame, and now there’s another Targ bastard out there in the wild. Curious to find out what destiny has in store for little Lomas. If history is any indication then safest bet might be to run off and live with his Trendfyre relatives in Braavos.
The Small Council scene, which was great btw, really drove home just how much the Council has gradually become quite the family affair under Aurion. The House of the Dragons makes its decisions internally, and the Lords of the Realm aren’t given much of a meaningful say at all. Taegar at least managed to win some brownie points this time for being so fiercely loyal to family, but there’s no denying that his character sheet pales in comparison to his younger brother Valaenor. And of course the talented spare just happens to be ambitious too… Uncle Aelor would be proud, though at least Valaeron is just and charitable.
The battle of King’s Landing was thrilling and tightly written. Vaeron faced death and found his courage for once, but in the end his dragon paid the price while he once again limped away unscathed. I’m guessing his brief burst of bravery won’t outlive Tridax by long. Sad though it is to lose Moondancer like this, I will freely confess that Vhagar is my beloved lol, and she honestly might live up to the “hoary old bitch” nickname even more in this AAR than in canon. Every time it seems like she’s gotten too old, fat, and sluggish to win… and every time she bounces back and comes alive when given the chance to show some draconic whippersnapper why she’s still the best killing machine in the skies. I’m curious if she will follow her latest master to the grave, or if the old girl still has some atrocities left in her lol.
I admit you managed to fake me out with respect to Aurion, cause I definitely felt like he had a few death flags raised going into it, and was bracing myself for him to die, but then he survived the dragon duel unscathed and I figured we were in the clear… only for him to drop dead right after. A climactic end for a King who could easily be regarded as the most towering figure in Targaryen history since the Conqueror. And dying like this, before he had the chance to grow frail and decrepit, can really only help his memory. I was honestly surprised that Aurion was only 56 when he passed, even if it’s not a huge surprise given his numerous ailments. He took the throne at such a young age, and we’ve been following his story for so long that it feels like he’s been around for ages and ages.
It’s really quite sad to see him go, but it was clearly his time, even Vhagar could sense it, and with his death it feels like we’ve closed the book on another major “act” of this story. And the one that comes next is shaping up to be far more grueling for the Targaryen dynasty. Long reigns tend to be followed by brief ones, and though Maelyx is very skilled his health is already failing in several ways. He has plenty of heirs and spares, too many if anything, but his immediate heir is rather pathetic. Even more concerning is that, based on the distribution of forces in this chapter, it seems neither Maelyx or Taegar have a battle-worthy dragon to their name, which combined with the (temporary?) loss of Vhagar immediately makes the regime far more fragile, unless one of them gets very lucky and tames her like Aurion did. Maybe Maelyx will at least have a new crown commissioned to cover his bald spot.
To round off, I do have one question; what was the megawar situation looking like during this rebellion? I’m assuming none of the Paramounts sided with Velaryon, we probably woulda heard about that, and they were all too far away to actually influence the fighting at King’s Landing anyway, but did most of them at least rally to Aurion’s side or did they mostly choose to sit this one out?
