So many brotherly siblings and with rebellion and the urge to usurp in their blood, I fear a Blackfyre squabble to come. Excellent chapter, looking forward to seeing how Daemon secures his reign in the chapters to come!
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A History of the Iron Throne II - The Black Dragons
- Thread starter AxolotlKnight
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The brothers better watch out!
Indeed, the Targaryens may be down but they're not out. Many escaped to Essos, whilst Bloodraven and Baelor Breakspear's children are unaccounted for.
When (or if) Aegon becomes king after his father, he will have to deal with his many brothers, many of which will be craving some to carve out a name for themselves. The possibility of fratricide is there.
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Chapter 7
Chapter VII - The Miracle of Marriage
The dawn of 196 AC would usher in the first year of the rule of House Blackfyre. Already the fires of war had faded to such a point that most had moved on and were beginning to focus on the day-to-day comings and goings of life. As is the case after the end of war, marriages were aplenty across the Seven Kingdoms as old alliances were maintained and new ones established. It was said that 196 AC was the most successful year for King’s Landing brothels since the end of the Dance of the Dragons, as men and women alike partook in the simple pleasures of the flesh, and the Red Keep was no different. Ser Tommard Ridgely, the Captain of the King’s Household Guard, wrote of his busy schedule “in the early morning I’m busy with Lady Alysanne Bywater, then around noon, I have to entertain one of Queen Rohanne’s Tyroshi maids. Then at night, I have an invitation to one of Lord and Lady Stokeworth’s orgies in their manse. Gods I would have dreamt of fucking this much a year ago, and yet I feel as if my cock is going to fall off.” The royal family was not exempt from such frivolities, for Prince Aegon had already begun to visit some of the more upmarket brothels on the Street of Silk, often with his brother Aemon in tow. Though disapproving of his heir’s actions, Daemon relented when his wife reminded him that “now he will know how to perform on his wedding night.”
Weddings were high on Daemon’s mind in 196 AC, for marriages meant alliances in Westeros. Aside from Rohanne’s family in Tyrosh, Daemon had no ties with any noble families, let alone ones in Westeros. Many had backed his claim for the Iron Throne, but not of them were tied by marriage or by blood to the young House of Blackfyre. Naturally, the idea of a marriage alliance between one of Daemon’s children and a loyal House began to be brought up in the Small Council meetings, and often it was followed through by an offer of betrothal. The Master of Laws, Lord Donnel Cressy, offered his sister as an option, whilst Lord Rance Hayford proposed that his twelve-year-old daughter be betrothed to Prince Aegon. In Daemon’s mind, he wished for his eldest son to be betrothed to a house that had fought for the Black Dragon during the rebellion, not to those that had been cowed in defeat. Naturally, houses such as House Hightower, Reyne, Peake, and Baratheon all came to mind as good candidates as blood allies. To decide who would be chosen, Daemon summoned the lords of all those loyal houses to come to King’s Landing with their daughters for him to choose who would be his daughter in law. “The cattle market” as Ser Tommard wrote went on for more than a week as potential brides were presented to the King and Queen. Each lady had their own champions and detractors in the Small Council, and each, in turn, would be shot down. Ellyn Baratheon had a few too many moles that alienated the Queen, Alys Hightower was beautiful but had already lost her maidenhead, whilst Alicent Reyne was a decade older than any of Daemon’s children. One of the final candidates was introduced by not one lord, but two. Flanking the little lady was Lord Harys Bracken and Lord Aegor Bittersteel, who held each of the girl’s hands as they walked her down the Grand Hall of the Red Keep. The girl was Barba Bracken, the eldest daughter of Lord Harys Bracken and one of the most sought-after maidens in the Riverlands. Described as “comely in an ordinary way, slender, delicate, and polite.” Whilst the King and Queen were not certain, they were convinced by the words of Lord Aegor, who listed Barba’s virtues in great length and detail. Barba and Aegon were betrothed, much to the delight of Lord Harys, whose house was now to be linked by marriage to Daemon.
With Prince Aegon’s future marriage in order, Daemon’s attention turned to the younger of the twins, Prince Aemon. While a further political alliance would have been beneficial, Daemon also wanted to please his remaining loyal siblings. After the defeat of Daeron II, much of the Targaryen fled across the Narrow Sea with him, leaving a scant few behind on Dragonstone. One such person was Shiera Seastar, one of the Great Bastards and a woman considered to be the most beautiful in the realm. With Lord Velaryon, Shiera had made her way to King’s Landing to bend the knee to Daemon, but shortly after disembarking she was arrested and placed under house arrest. The reason for her arrest was twofold, her true loyalties were under question, and it was hoped it would draw Bloodraven out. The plan, which was formulated by Bittersteel, failed, and after a year of waiting the King gave up on any hope that Bloodraven would try to save his sister from captivity. Despite failing as bait, Shiera still had a use for Daemon and the Blackfyres. Only fifteen, she had many years of childbearing left, many of which could be used by House Blackfyre as a way of securing their legacy. When, after a year, Daemon finally met Shiera in her ‘cell’, which was an apartment in Maegor’s Holdfast, he laid out a proposition. “I will free you sister on one condition. You marry one of my sons.” Shiera accepted and so was allowed to wander the Red Keep freely, although always with guards in tow. Her new betrothed, Prince Aemon, quickly became besotted with her, though the Seastar always played coy with the young boy.
As 196 AC came to a close the realm was rocked by scandal and horror. In the dark streets of King’s Landing death is as common as the streams of effluence that flow down into Blackwater Bay. Every day beggars, whores, and street urchins succumb to illnesses or fall victim to the many lowlifes that call the Capital home. Thousands of bodies are fished out of the Blackwater every year, many of which are burned and forgotten, for that is the life of the smallfolk. Sometimes men and women of some repute also face their end in the streets and winesinks of King’s Landing too, often at the hands of thieves desperate for a large score. Merchants tend to be the most at risk of this, with many hiring personal guards to chaperone them across the city. Now and then a knight would perish, often in a fight, they had considered as easy, only for them to realise that a longsword is as good as useless in the cramped alleys of Flea Bottom. It was incredibly rare for someone of the rank of a lord or lady to die in the streets, and when they did it often gained the attention of the Red Keep.
It was around midnight when the King was roused from his sleep by Maester Gerold, who led Daemon down the Red Keep’s yard. Waiting for him was Ser Jammos Chambers, Commander of the City Watch, with five Goldcloaks at his side and wagon with a covered-up body on it. Still in his nightclothes, Daemon was told of a small riot in Flea Bottom, a riot that claimed the lives of around three-hundred people, including a lord. When Ser Jammos threw off the cloth covering the body it revealed the mangled corpse of Lord Harys Bracken. When the shocked King demanded to know what had happened, Ser Jammos revealed that the Lord had been frequenting a certain whore named Sally ‘Soft-Slit’, who had recently ensnared Lord Harys with her charms. It just so happened that Sally was also a paramour of one of the local gang leaders, Ben Steeler, who had no intention of sharing the whore with anyone else. Ben and his gang attempted to jump Lord Harys as he journeyed back from Sally’s house, but that he and his gang members were cut down by Lord Harys’ guards. This angered the locals, who saw Ben Steeler as their protector and saw Lord Harys as a highborn interloper. The crowd, armed with rocks, knives, sticks, and broken pots, charged the Bracken men, and despite being cut down by the hundreds, managed to beat Lord Harys and his men to death. While Maester Gerold cautioned that Daemon let the matter go, Bittersteel demanded vengeance for his fallen cousin. Knowing better than to stop his half-brother from such a course, Daemon gave his consent to Bittersteel’s plan. The next day Bittersteel and Ser Jammos led a force of two-thousand Goldcloaks into Flea Bottom, where he systematically slaughtered roughly one-tenth of the population of the slum. Most who died were known gang members who the Goldcloaks had tolerated before but now saw an opportunity to depose of. The bodies were piled up outside the city and burned, save for the gang leaders, whose bodies were impaled on spikes atop the city walls. For Sally ‘Soft-Slit’ her luck increased even more, for when Bittersteel came to execute her for leading Lord Harys astray, he was quickly captivated by Sally’s immense beauty. She quickly became his paramour, and by the end of the month was living in a manse in the rich district of King’s Landing.
In 197 AC King Daemon undertook the first royal progress of his new realm. His tour would be focussed on the Stormlands and the Reach, where the royal convoy visited Storm’s End, Blackhaven, Estermont, Nightsong, Starpike, Highgarden, Horn Hill, and Oldtown. On his way back to King’s Landing, the royal convoy camped in around the ruins of the keep of Blackheart, the former seat of House Toyne. The Toynes were a proud and old house who had ruled the area for thousands of years, only to be cast down when they fell afoul of King Aegon IV and paid the price. Lord Toyne and his sons were executed, their castle cast down and the survivors driven across the Narrow Sea. “A fate that could have befallen us” the King was reported to have said while conversing with Maester Gerold on the history of the Toynes “a fate that has befallen my cousins.” The King would stay a few days longer than planned at Blackheart, taking time to walk the surrounding countryside whilst ordering Maester Gerold to note down all the details that he had noticed. Upon his return to the Red Keep, King Daemon announced his new project to the Small Council. Summerhall is what he would call a new holdfast that was to be built on and around the ruins of Blackheart Keep. This new castle would be both a fortification and pleasure palace, a place the Royal Family could enjoy time away from the day-to-day stresses of King’s Landing and be less than a week’s ride away in case of emergencies. Its location between the Stormlands, Reach, and Dorne also meant that travellers from the south could easily visit. “It will be a new home” Daemon declared “a second capital.”
Hi guys!
Sorry for the the radio silence the last few weeks. I have had very little time to write as of late due to the birth of my daughter a few weeks ago, which as you would imagine took priorty over everything else. Now that she is at home and settled I am hoping I will have some more time to write in-between nappy changes
. I am already writing the next chapter which, fingers crossed, will be out within the week.
Finally I would like to thank all of you guys who have taken the time to read my little story. It means a lot to know that people actually enjoy something you have created.
Cheers
Sorry for the the radio silence the last few weeks. I have had very little time to write as of late due to the birth of my daughter a few weeks ago, which as you would imagine took priorty over everything else. Now that she is at home and settled I am hoping I will have some more time to write in-between nappy changes
. I am already writing the next chapter which, fingers crossed, will be out within the week.Finally I would like to thank all of you guys who have taken the time to read my little story. It means a lot to know that people actually enjoy something you have created.
Cheers
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Congrats on the birth of the Princess! May she fly high on a dragon's back and share Pooh's honeypot without spoiling too many nappies!
Congratulations on your newborn, hope she is settling in and healthy as can be. As per the new chapter, well done! Despite the Braken riot, Daemon looks to be settling the woes of the war, and a few mingling marriages with the dragon blood may even help offset anger of the his former enemies. Looking forward to the next update!
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Thanks guys!
Honestly that was my first thought too
Marriage and mercy are Daemon's plans. Lets hope a certain Bitter man doesn't rile things up...
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