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I get a terrible feeling. This family does not play nice. Ever.
 
Chapter 86: Leaving a Bad Taste
CHAPTER 86: LEAVING A BAD TASTE
ELAERYS: September 12nd, 110 AC, Braavos-Pentos border
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“Let’s begin.” Elaerys declared.

“Why is he leading this?” the Sealord of Braavos asked.

“I agree.” High Magister Mero of the Three Daughters added. “He’s a simple lord, and a pirate at that. I can tolerate a pirate king at the table, but a simple lord? Someone else should lead these negotiations.”


“My brother is a Targaryen Prince of Westeros and the Master of Ships of the Stepstones.” Daemon objected. “You will show him respect.”

“Nobody is…” but Vaeron was cut off before he could finish.

“So you plan on using him to lead the negotiations?” High Magister Mero accused him. “We need a man more qualified. Surely I can call the Magister of Myr.”


“I’ll be in the burning in the Seven Hells before I let the Crabbfeeder take my place.” Elaerys objected.

“This is my war!” the Magister of Pentos intervened. “I should lead the negotiations!”

“ENOUGH!” Daemon hit his fist on the table. “We don’t have time for this! We sign this peace today, and Elaerys is the only non-leader present. Unless you want me to bring Laegor to lead the discussions?”

Lord Mero immediately backed off. It was obvious that Laegor would make sure that his former owner gets nothing out of this treaty. Elaerys knew that compared to his younger brother, he was the perfect mediator.

“No… Lord Elaerys will do just fine…”

Elaerys grimaced at the notion of Lord. It seemed that even now the leader of the Three Whores continued to insult him, now by refusing to acknowledge his status as prince.

“Good, then let’s first introduce everyone present.” Elaerys declared.


“Is that necessary?” Sealord Denyo wondered.

Vaeron shrugged. “Protocol.”


“Are you all finished?” Elaerys angrily asked the leaders in the tent. Silence was his only answer. “Good. Then let’s begin! First and foremost, there’s King Daemon of the Stepstones, my brother.”

Daemon nodded. The fact that he had named his brother first seemed to annoy many in the tent, but he didn’t care. Honestly, both Daemon and he would have continued the war, but the rest of the coalition was ready to open peace talks with Braavos. Plus there was this surprisingly strong worded letter from Laenara, insisting that they should consider peace and release the Sealord’s family. Daemon had found the letter amusing.
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“Then there’s High Magister Mero of the Three Whores.”

The man looked as if he was about to reply to the insult, so Elaerys gave him a nasty look that shut off. A year ago they were negotiating their own peace deal with him, ending their long conquest of the Stepstones. Now they stood as “allies”, although this word had been forced upon them due to circumstances. Elaerys had no love for the High Magister, even more now that he had seen how pathetic a commander he was. He couldn’t wait to be over with this war and end the charade that was this alliance.
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“Triarch Vaeron of Volantis.”

As expected, Vaeron stayed silent. His brother had been of little help during the war, making sure to never take big risks like they had done. Still, he could at least respect that Vaeron had taken command of his mercenaries during a few skirmishes. The rest of the war, though… Let just say that Vaeron should keep to his books and leave the battlefield to Elaerys and Daemon.
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“Magister Narbo of Pentos.”

The old man smiled. It wasn’t the same Magister that had welcomed them at the beginning of the war. That old man had finally succumbed to his disease, leaving a rival to take control of the Free City. This had complicated things. The previous Magister had been more than happy to let the members of the alliance do their own thing. Magister Narbo, on the other hand, had expected to be leading the others since his city was the one being attacked. Needless to say, pretty much everyone chose to ignore him.
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“And Sealord Denyo of Braavos.”

Their enemy did not seem happy to be here. He especially seemed annoyed to even be in the same room as the Targaryen brothers. Probably something to do with the fact that his family was being held prisoner by them.
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“I, Prince Elaerys of the Iron Throne, Lord of the Northern Stepstones, Master of Ships of the Stepstones, welcomes you all to this meeting.”

“I still can believe that so many people came to the aid of those monsters.” the Sealord complained.

“Are you talking about me?” Magister Narbo retorted.

“I’m talking about all of you Pentosis! I was trying to free the slaves, to stop this immoral abomination that is slavery. Yet everyone joined them! I understand that the Three Whores wouldn’t let that pass, but what about your Valyrians? You come from a realm that forbid slavery a long time ago.”

“I serve Volantis.” Vaeron pointed out. “And… I… it’s interests will be protected… by me.”

Elaerys rolled his eyes. Even now that he was leading the oldest Free City, Vaeron still had difficulties finding his words when speaking in public.

“We do what we have to do to assert our place.” Daemon answered.

“So you’re just an immoral sellsword who will switch side when it benefits you.” High Magister Mero said.

Elaerys put his hand on his sword handle. He really hoped there would be no more insults like that, as he wasn’t sure if he could tolerate them. He did his best to calm himself, though, as this was a peace meeting. If he drew out Poison, things would quickly go south and no peace would be achieved.

“What do I have to give to get you out of my sight?” the Sealord asked.

Magister Narbo smiled. “Three trade posts and one city should do the trick.”


“No.” Vaeron immediately opposed.

“What? Why not? I won the war.”

“I agree with the Valyrian.” High Magister Mero said. “We fought this war to stop Bravoosi expansion, not so Pentos could dominate the Narrow Sea.”

“We were trying to free the slaves!” Sealord Denyo reminded them.

“So nothing for Pentos, then!” Elaersy shouted, ending the debate. “What about the rest of us?”

“Volantis was promised trading privileges.” Vaeron said.

“I never agreed to this!” the Magister of Pentos objected.

“The Three Daughters are owed too.” High Magister Mero told the Pentosi. “Weapons and goods.”


“How many?”

The High Magister handed a piece of paper for to the Pentosi. Elaerys exchanged a look with Daemon, neither having failed to notice that the High Magister had requested weapons as payment. It might be possible that this was the first step toward a reconquest of the Stepstones.

“This amount is for each of the Daughters, individually.”

“That will ruin us!”

“The slaves you got from the war will pay for everything you owe us.” Daemon declared.

“How is that fair to me?” Magister Narbo

“You wouldn’t have any slaves to sell if it wasn’t for us.” Elaerys responded. “And beside, Braavos paid you enough to compensate for everything.”


“The weapons should be removed of the deal.” Daemon suggested. “To alleviate the charges.”

“You have no right to interfere with our payment.” the High Magister objected.

“It’s a peace negotiation. We negotiate.” Daemon pointed out.


“Everyone is good with this?” Elaerys asked.

Both the Magister of Pentos and the Sealord saw no objection. Vaeron simply shrugged, having absolutely no stakes in this change. Only the High Magister objected, but he backed off when he realized that he was alone.

“Then it’s agreed. No payment of weapons. Volantis gets its trade rights, the Three Whores their goods and the Stepstones the gold promised for the help.”

“What about my family?” the Sealord asked.

“If you pay a reduce ransom, we’ll release them.” Daemon said.

“You bastards! Fine! But I’m not made of gold, so I’m only paying for my family!”

“What about the other Braavosis?” Elaerys asked.

“Have their families pay for it, I don’t care.”

Well, it seemed that the many servants captured would remain in their cells. Too bad for them.

“So this is how it goes.” Elaerys began. “Braavos recognize Pentos’s right to slavery and pay retributions for the war. Pentos pays us gold, give trade rights to Volantis and gives goods to the Myr, Tyrosh and Lys. You’re all good with that?”

Everyone nodded, although it took a few seconds before High Magister Mero decided to do it.


“Then someone fetch us a scribe to write this treaty.” Elaerys declared, happy that he could now sit back and stop playing the diplomat.
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______________________________________________________________________

MAEGON: September 17th, 110 AC, Dragonstone
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“Father! Again!” Alyssa asked.

The little girl was looking at him with sparkling eyes, awaiting a positive answer from him. Maegon had decided to take his daughter on her first flight, taking the sky on Vermithor’s back. Others in Dragonstone had been worried about the child’s safety, or that it could traumatize her. Maegon brushed them off. She was his daughter. No daughter of his would be that much of a coward. Seeing how she wanted to go for another ride, he was proven right, as always.

He patted Alyssa’s head. The girl reminded him of her mother when she was her age. Before Laenara betrayed him and left him to raise their daughter alone. She brought joy in his life, and he would do anything to keep her protected. Still, it didn’t mean that he wasn’t going to be firm with her. If his father had been as firm as his mother, scums like Rhaenys, Laenara and Laegor wouldn’t have happened. He could do better, though. He would do better.

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“We’re done for today.” he declared.

“But, but, father!”

“Ask Valerion or Rhaenyra if you want another ride, but I have things to do.”

The girl crossed her arms. “Uncle’s always busy! And Rhaenyra scares me.”


“Scares you?”

He didn’t understand what could be so scary about Rhaenyra. She was doing what was necessary for Dragonstone. Even better, he was finally getting her to accept that the end justified the means. His niece was growing into a strong and powerful princess that could protect her family. What was scary about that? Then again, Laenara and Valena were a bit scared of Rhaenys when they were Alyssa’s age, so maybe it was just a woman’s thing.

“You need to return to your room now.”

“But father!”

“That is not negotiable.”

The gaze he gave her shut off any new complain she might have had. She needed to learn to respect her father. She was young, so he was willing to forgive these slights, but at some point she would have to learn to never speak back at him like that.

He brought her with him, searching for a maid or a servant that could escort his daughter back to her room. He finally found one, a young looking girl cleaning up one of the rooms. She seemed a bit shocked to see him approached her, although she clearly eased up when she noticed Alyssa by his side.

“Your Highness… I…”

“Drop what you’re doing.” Maegon ordered her. I need you to get my daughter back to her room safely.”

“But… I was told by to clean this room.”

“I don’t care. Do as I ask.”

His tone left no place for discussion. The woman simply nodded, taking the little girl’s hand and guiding her out of the room. Maegon took this opportunity to slap her bottom. She didn’t look at him or showed any response to it, only looking shamefully at the ground as she hastened her away from him. Maegon groaned. She should feel honored that she had caught his eye. He had allowed her in his bed once. She slept with a prince, and yet she looked as if it wasn’t the greatest thing that could have happened to her.

He wondered around the castle, searching for something to do. He could have gone on another flight with his daughter. He just hadn’t wanted to. Seeing the maid put him in the mood for some fun. With some luck, he would stumble upon a cute little lady and bring her to his bed. Sadly, he instead stumbled on one of the frequent disputes between his squire and his sister-in-law.

“Give me back that gold!” Laena insisted.

“I needed it more.” Myles replied.

“You stole it from my room! I’m sure of it!”

“Shut up! Who cares about you?”

The two noticed Maegon and turned to him, hoping for support. The prince looked at his squire with a bit of disgust. He didn’t like the look he was getting. It reminded him of Jaelyx, which disgusted him. He might need to beat it out of the boy, if he had time for it. There were many things Maegon didn’t like in Myles Wylde. He had turned into an arrogant brat always shouting and complaining that things didn’t go his way. If Myles hadn’t turned out to be an excellent fighter, Maegon would have called him a waste of time.

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“What did you do again?” he asked his squire.

“She’s just being a baby!”

“The brat stole some of my coins!” Laena explained.

“He did that?” Maegon was looking accusingly at Myles.

“I’m sure he took it.”

“Shut up!” Myles shouted. “You’re just a stupid woman who doesn’t understand things.”

Maegon grabbed his squire and threw him at the ground.


“You’re bringing back that purse.” he declared.

“But it’s mine!” Myles objected.

“You prefer that I got get it after turning you into a bloody mess?”

“Come on!” Myles complained.

Still, the boy did as he was told, leaving the room while mumbling complains.

“What a pain in the ass.” Laena said. “I never understood how you could tolerate him.”

Maegon shrugged. “I kick him when he annoys me. That usually works.”


“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Maegon looked at his sister-in-law. Laena was young and beautiful. They had spent almost a year together, fighting the northern rebels side by side. He understood why his brother loved her so much. Unlike Laenara, she was a fighter that had jumped at the first opportunity to fight a war. It was sad that Valerion couldn’t satisfy her. He knew that his brother had little interest lovemaking, which must be infuriating for Laena. Thankfully, he was here to help if she ever asked. And maybe they could help each other that way… Yes…

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“Thanks you again for siding with me.” she told him.

He looked at her body. “There’s a price for it.”


“I don’t get why you’d want some of my coins. You’re a pri…” she stopped when Maegon grabbed her arm. “Maegon, that’s not funny.”

“I disagree.”

She struggled to get free of his grip, to no avail. Maegon smiled. He usually didn’t like the girls that played hard to get, but he was willing to make an exception for her.


“Unhand me!” she ordered him.

“I’m just helping, you know?” he told her with a casual tone to his voice.

He grabbed her other arm, making it impossible for her to get away. He then pinned her to the wall. She was struggling, but he didn’t release her. He held his grip, looking her right in her eyes. She was looking at him in what he guessed to be a seductive gaze. She opened her mouth to shout, but he rapidly moved in for a kiss. He could hear her gasp of surprise when his lips touched hers. He quickly released the kiss. Her face was red, probably of shyness. After all, why would she be angry? She just kissed the best Targaryen.


“I know Valerion isn’t satisfying you.” he whispered as he kissed her neck. “Come on, we both want this.”

“Stop. Stop right now.” She begged him.

“Don’t you want to have some fun? Come on… UGGH!”

Maegon screamed as her knee made contact with his groin. He immediately dropped to the ground, his hands reaching between his legs to protect himself from another hit. The pain was unbearable. Laena move away from him the second she was free. Maegon looked at her, his angry eyes gazing at her.

His face was crisped in pain. “You… You cunt!”

She answered with rage in her voice. “Don’t you ever get close to me, do you hear me? I don’t want to see you near me!”


As she walked away, he screamed. “You’ll regret it! I’ll make you pay! No one mess with Maegon Targaryen!”


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Essos is increasingly resembling a Targaryen family squabble-ground.
 
Essos is increasingly resembling a Targaryen family squabble-ground.

Yeah. The Free Cities really don't like each other. And Daemon's kingdom isn't helping...
 
Chapter 87: Wives and Brothers
CHAPTER 87: WIVES AND BROTHERS
VAERON: October 10th, 110 AC, Volantis
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He looked from atop his chair, still held by slaves so he wouldn’t touch the floor. There was a crowd awaiting him in the harbor. He had guessed that the victory in Pentos would have made him popular with the people. The war offered him the surge of popularity he needed to get out of his isolation. It had been good enough that he had been re-elected Triarch in his absence. The Valyrian landholders were cheering as his slaves brought him off his ship.


“Long live Volantis!” many shouted.

“All hail the Triarch.” others said.

He shyly waved at them as some of his mercenaries pushed a way through the crowd. He never liked being the center of attention. While he knew that this was good for his career, he just wished to get out of here as soon as possible. Some of his mercenaries came face to face with slave soldiers wearing the sigil of House Maegyr. All of his hopes to get out fast disappeared as his father-in-law approached him. Triarch Benerro Maegyr was riding a horse, escorted by some of his bodyguards. By sides were a few of his family members, including Vaeron’s aunt Saera. Benerro immediately ordered everyone to stop, blocking Vaeron’s exit.

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“Here is the hero of the day!” Benerro shouted.

“Thank you?”

Vaeron wasn’t sure how to respond to Benerro. When he left, the Triarch had been an ally of convenience at best, still infuriated by his betrayal. Yet ne now seemed joyful and genuinely happy to see him.

“You did your part damn well, just like I made sure to support the war effort at home.” Benerro boasted.

Vaeron was confused. He had barely been supplied during the war, being forced to buy from the local Pentosis to make sure his troops didn’t lack rations or weapons. Which had been a pain, as he was already paying for said mercenary troops. He looked at his aunt in confusion. Saera quietly approached him, and under the guise of a hug to her beloved nephew began whispering into his ears.

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“Followers of Rh’llors rebelled in the countryside during your absence. Aenar crushed them.”

Vaeron nodded. It must have been a small scale rebellion if he hadn’t been told about it while in Pentos. He was worried that it would still cause problems, however. While he didn’t care much about religion, he knew that most people did. The elite of Volantis were Valyrians praying to the Gods of Old Valyria. Meanwhile, most Volantenes were local Essosis following R’hllor. What worried him was that there were a lot more Volantenes than Valyrians, especially outside of the city.

He took a moment to look at Aenar. The Stormbringer of Volantis looked as unpleased as usual to see him. He also looked wounded to the arm; probably something he got fighting the rebels. Obviously Benerro hadn’t been the one leading the war effort like he claimed. The slave raid in the Summer Isles had showed Vaeron that his father-in-law would do anything to evade combat.

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“And the gold that we’ll gain out of this trade deal with Pentos!” Benerro continued, almost salivating. “You did us all a favor, Vaeron.”

Vaeron stayed silent. The crowd around them was still making him nervous.


“He only used this to betray us to his fellow heathen brothers.” Aenar accused him.

“Nonsense! His brothers have nothing to do with this!”

“Yes... My brothers had, hum, nothing to do with this.”

Honestly, his brothers had proven to be quite the headache to deal with. The surprise of seeing Laegor alive was quickly replaced by annoyance, as Laegor took the time to criticize everything he proposed. Elaerys had gotten far angrier with time, preferring a direct assault to any more subtle strategy. Daemon didn’t even want to cooperate, doing his own thing and never taking his “allies” into account. So no, he did not use his time in Pentos to plot with his brothers.


“And you believe him?” Aenar retorted.

“Father, give him a break.” Moqorro told Aenar. “I am sure that Vaeron had Volantis’s best intentions while up north.”

Vaeron was once more thankful that Moqorro didn’t share his father zealotry. It was thanks to him that he had been able to meet the other triarchs in the first place. Moqorro had been willing to put his trust in him, and Vaeron had proven that was a good choice. With some luck, Aenar would die before Benerro and House Maegyr would pass to Moqorro. Things would be so easier that way.

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“Where is the other…”

Saena seemed to guess what her nephew wanted to ask, cutting him off before he could even finish.

“The old Triarch Aenar died in your absence. A new one was elected at the last election.” she told him.

“What party?”

“Tiger.” Moqorro said.

That was bad news for Vaeron. He was now the only Elephant among the triarchs. He had hoped that he could keep Volantis satisfied with the gain made during this war so they could refocus their efforts on internal policies. But with two Tigers there was the possibility that this went to their head and that they would try to launch another war.


“Bah, who cares about that?” Benerro shrugged off. “It doesn’t matter anyway, because Vaeron understand what’s good for Volantis now!”

“Hum…” Vaeron mumbled, having no idea what he meant.

“He saw how much war helped us. Clearly Vaeron sees that the Elephants are morons and that only the Tigers can rule Volantis!”

“Actually…”

“He’s a Tiger, just like us.”

No, he wasn’t. He had no plan of abandoning the Elephants. The tigers were far too dangerous, their bloodlust disrupting trade each time they wanted a war.

“I’m still a…”

“I’m a Tiger, he’s a Tiger, and one day his son will join us among the Tigers.” Benerro declared.

Vaeron froze. “My son?”


“Your wife gave birth five days ago.” Saera told him.

A feeling of sadness filled his body. He had missed his child’s birth. He had hoped that he could come back hope fast enough, which was why he had agreed so readily to the peace treaty, barely arguing with the other leaders.


“I need to go home.” he said out loud.

He didn’t wait for a response, ordering his men to bring him out of the crowd. Benerro might not be happy that Vaeron had just left while he was talking. Vaeron didn’t care choosing to deal with the fallout later. Right now he just wanted to go home and see his wife. His slaves rushed to his mansion. They were stopped at the Black Wall, were the garrison under his command came to salute him. He rapidly dismissed them and ordered them to open the gate. As soon as he arrived on his front door he jumped out of his seat, unwilling to endure the slow and awkward passage of his chair through the rooms. He walked through the house in a hurry, searching for his wife. He finally found her lying in their bed. She seemed almost terrified when he barged into the room, although her expression changed once she realized who it was.

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“Vaeron?” she mumbled. “You’re back? When did you get back?”

“Today.” he answered.

“That’s… That’s great news! Things are going to go back to normal.”

He noticed that she looked nervous and tense, although he did not comment on it. His mind was focused on his son.

“Our child?” he asked.


“Do you want to meet him?” she asked.

He nodded. Nyessa got out of bed and began leading him through the rooms. They finally stopped in front of a small one, a windowless room that Vaeron never paid attention to before. It was dark, but he could see the forms of a crib in the middle. He approached it, both nervous and excited at the same time. In the crib was a small baby with white hairs, sleeping.

“It’s easier for him to sleep when there are no windows to let the light in.” she told him.

“You’re taking care of him?”

“I don’t trust the slaves with him.”

It didn’t surprise him. She had a hard time trusting anyone.

“What… what’s his name?”

“Laenor.” she whispered.
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“Laenor…” he repeated.

“I remember from our time in Westeros that some members of your family have health issues. But I had him checked many times. Our boy is perfectly healthy.”

Vaeron pushed a sigh of relief. He heard the problems that Aemon faced with his daughters, how one of them was dead and the other always sick. He also remembered how their mother had them watch over Valerion when she couldn’t, afraid that his momentary sicknesses would get worst. His son wasn’t having any of this. He was a healthy child. What a relief.


“I’m sorry.” he told Nyessa. “I… I wanted to be there, but I didn’t make it. I left you alone.”

“I... wasn’t alone. Someone else was here to watch over Laenor…”

The way she spoke of it made it clear that she felt uncomfortable about something.

“I tried to support her as best I could, brother. I just couldn’t abandon my nephew like that.” said a voice behind him.

All joy he felt before vanished when he recognized the voice. Standing behind them was his younger brother Aegon. Vaeron had a good idea why his brother was here, and he didn’t like it one bit.

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“Aegon.” he simply answered.

“He came two days before I gave birth.” Nyessa explained. “Father insisted that he be housed with us, since he’s your brother.”


“I came on official business to see you, brother. But seeing that you weren’t here and that your son’s arrival was close, I chose to stay for a time.”

“How kind of you.” the sarcasm in his voice was obvious.

“Can we talk elsewhere?” Aegon asked. “In private.”

Vaeron was unsure if he wanted to have this discussion with Aegon. Right now he only wanted to spend time with his family. Nyessa herself seemed nervous about the idea of leaving Vaeron alone with his brother. He guessed that she must have been pretty nervous with the humourless Aegon standing at her side all day, looking at her every move.


“Once this business is concluded I’ll leave Volantis.” he explained. “I also have things to do back home.”

Vaeron looked at his wife, who nodded in silence. It seemed she was just as willing to get rid of Aegon as he was. He led his brother in the luxurious room they used to receive guessed. Aegon chose to keep standing up.

“You thought me that triarchs aren’t supposed to touch the floor.” Aegon remarked, pointing at Vaeron’s feet.

“I was in a hurry.”

“Then let get right down to business. I’m here to collect the debt you owe the Iron Throne.”

“What debt?” Vaeron answered, choosing to play dumb.

“Viserys lent you money for your election two years ago. I opposed it back then, but I relented once you agreed to pay it back. Now is the time to pay it back.”

Vaeron sighed. He knew this would be the reason of his brother’s presence the second he saw Aegon. Sadly for Aegon, he had no desire to pay up. First of all, he didn’t have the money, having spent a good part of his fortune on supplying the mercenaries during the war. He’d need to wait for the gains he’d receive from the trade deal with Pentos. Of course, he could easily borrow money through the banks of Volantis to pay up, but there was one issue. Vaeron didn’t want to pay up.


“Can’t it wait?” he asked. “I just met my son.”

“Family is always there for you.” Aegon replied. “That is probably the most enduring lesson I learned from Viserys. Your debt, on the other hand, is a pressing matter that cannot wait.”

“Why do you need the gold now?”

“It doesn’t matter for you. All that matter is that you pay up, brother. As agreed.”

Vaeron waited for a moment, then finally pronounced one word.

“No.”

“No you can’t pay or no you won’t?” Aegon asked.

Might as well be honest, Vaeron thought. “Both.”

Aegon frowned. “You owe the Iron Throne money.”


“A gift from Viserys.” Vaeron replied.

“This isn’t up for negotiation.” Aegon insisted. “The realm needs this gold, now.”

“I thought you were a more patient than that.”

“It was a luxury I could allow myself before I became Hand.”

Vaeron stayed firm. “I won’t pay.”


“You wouldn’t even be a triarch if it wasn’t for us.” Aegon reminded him.

“I got here because I deserved it. I won every other election by myself.”

“Yet you wouldn’t have won the first one alone.”

The two stared at one another for an intense moment. Neither wanted to back off, but Aegon had to be realizing that he was at a disadvantage. In the end, it was the younger brother who broke up the silence.

“If you simply could not pay right now, I would have simply come back in a month or two. But you don’t want to pay? Do you even care about us? About your home.”

“My home is here, and you are not welcomed anymore.” Vaeron countered.

Aegon wasn’t stupid. He could see when things were not going his way. It was a waste of time to try to convince Vaeron. So the younger brother began walking away. He stopped to give his goodbyes to Nyessa, thankfully not mention the dispute they just had. She already had enough on her plate with the baby. Before he left, however, Aegon turned to his brother.

“That triarch… Benerro Maegyr, was it? He married his daughter to you so to improve relationships with the Iron Throne. How do you think he’ll react when he realized you broke your relationship with us?”

Vaeron sighed once more, knowing that this was another discussion he hoped never came.

______________________________________________________________________

VALERION: October 20th, 110 AC, Dragonstone
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This last month had proven difficult. Laena had been nervous at night, and during the day she seemed miserable. While he wasn’t the most sharp when it came to catching body language or hidden intentions, Valerion could still notice his wife dealing with something. He tried one day to talk to her, to convince her that she should tell him what was going on. She didn’t, bravely insisting that she had to deal with it herself. She could be proud when she wanted to, no matter how much her problems were bothering her.

Valerion had tried his best to find out what was bothering his wife so much. He even went as far as ask his brother. Laena and Maegon had fought together for a year, so maybe he knew what was going on. Maegon had agreed to go talk to her, but he returned empty handed, claiming that she had been violent to him for absolutely no reason and that she probably had “women problems or something”. Maegon probably lacked his usual tact when he asked her, because in the week that followed the simply mention of his name enraged Laena, which puzzled Valerion even more.

He had also noticed that her relationship with Myles Wylde, which had always been terrible, just got worst over the months. Myles stole from her, ruined her clothes and just made her life miserable. He confronted Maegon about it, who told him he would see to it that his squire got in line. Yet Myles continued. Valerion thought that this was the issue and asked his wife about it, but she angrily replied:

“If only it was that simple. Then I could break his nose and be done with it.”

So he went on with his day, frustrated but unable to help his wife deal with… whatever she was dealing with. To get his mind off of it, Valerion chose to focus his attention on helping with the management of Dragonstone. The regent Aurion was always happy to have his help.

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“Her Highness has been asking again why we can’t help the Lord Hand.” Aurion mentioned.


“We are helping Aegon.” Valerion said, his eyes remaining on the letter in his hand. “In our own way.”

“I think that the princess wants to play a more active role in the government.”

“Unless asked directly by Viserys or Aegon, we can’t do little but make sure that things runs smoothly on the island.”

Aurion nodded. “Well your brother isn’t helping.”

Valerion didn’t like that tone. He knew that Aurion and Maegon didn’t get along. Maegon taught of Aurion as a lowborn unworthy of his position as regent, and Aurion saw Maegon as nothing but a dangerous influence on the future Queen of the Iron Throne. Still, they didn’t have to show it each time they talked about the other.

“My brother is doing his best to ready our niece for the throne.”

“He’s putting dangerous ideas in her mind, you mean.” Aurion replied. “She wants to act too much. He should be teaching her how to rely on her advisors, not to jump first hand into battle.”

Valerion raised an eyebrow. That sounded a lot like Aurion was worried about his future. It was true that with Maegon around, there was little chance that Rhaenyra would keep her regent in her service once she reached adulthood.

“Well, you know, there is…”

“Valerion, I need to speak with you.”

Valerion turned and see his wife standing in the doorframe. She was dressed with the clothes she usually wore when she went out, reminding him of what Valena wore during her outings. He noticed that she seemed to have been lacking sleep. He himself had a bad night due to a cough, so he hoped that it wasn’t his fault.

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“Of course.” he told her.

“In private.”

Aurion caught her meaning and offered his leave, simply asking to be recalled once they had finished with their business. He noticed own determined and stern she looked, which didn’t inspire him confidence. She walked around the room a bit, as if she was searching for her words.

“Are you alright?” Valerion asked. “If you want to tell me something, anything, you know you can. I’ll always listen to what you have to say.”


“We should go.” she declared.

“We should go?” he repeated, unsure of her meaning.

“We go away, just the two of us.” she explained.

“For a trip? If you want… You’d have to be more specific, however. I’m not sure that I can handle the harsh northern climate or the heat of Dorne.”

“No, not a trip. We leave Dragonstone, permanently.”

Valerion’s eyes widened. “What?”


“I don’t want to stay anymore. We should just leave and go. Daemon offered us a place with him, so we should take it!”

What was she thinking? Leaving Dragonstone? That was insane!

“What has gotten into you?” he exclaimed. “Dragonstone is my home. I can’t just leave like that! I have responsibilities and...”

She tried to grab his hand but he was so shocked by what she was proposing that he pulled out. The expression she had from it made him regret his abrupt movement. He tried his best to calm himself, although in attempting to catch his breath he found himself coughing.

“Does this…” he stopped, coughing once more before continuing. “Is this because of that problem you’ve been dealing with.”


“That’s not important.” Laena answered.

“Then why won’t you tell me? It’s important enough that you want to move away.”

“What make you think it’s related?”

“I know you. If it was just the need for adventure, you would have left when Daemon offered us to go with him. Something is on your mind.”

“It’s mine to deal with!” she declared.

“Clearly not when you just suggest we leave everything behind.”

She looked at the window. “I don’t want to bother you with it.”


“You’re my wife! I love you enough that nothing you tell me will bother me. So just tell me!”

“It’s Maegon!” she spat.

“Maegon? What about him?”

“Yes, what about me?”

Valerion felt his brother hand land on his shoulder. He turned his head to see Maegon smiling at him. He must have heard their discussion from the hallway and come in to check on them. For some reason, Laena seemed even tenser than before.

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“By all means, continue.” Maegon told them. “I’m just here if my brother needs me.”

Valerion turned back to his wife. “So what were you going to say.”

She was clearly frustrated. “I doesn’t matter.”


“This again!” Valerion exclaimed. “I just want to know what’s on your mind! What is so wrong about that?”

“Can’t you just trust me?” she asked him.

“Can’t you just obey him for once?” Maegon replied in a joyful tone.

She pointed her finger at Maegon “You shut up!”


“Calm down! My brother has nothing to do with this!”

“HE HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH THIS!”

Valerion was confused, turning to Maegon. His brother simply shook his head, proclaiming his innocence.

“All I did was tending to the needs of my family.” he declared. “If that wrong with her then she’s just as bad as Laenara.”


“Don’t talk of her that way, you piece of shit! She understood what kind of monster you were and abandoned you. And instead of fixing your mistakes, you just stole her daughter like a coward!”

Maegon was clearly infuriated by her words. “You want to see what kind of monster I am, huh? YOU WANT TO SEE?”

Maegon had taken out his sword.

“HEY! YOU TWO STOP! RIGHT NOW OR…”

Vaeron was struck by another cough, which thankfully caught their attention long enough for them to talk. Maegon helped support him so he stayed up. He thought he noticed Laena also making a hesitant move toward him, but stopping midway. Once he had recover his breath, he turned to his wife.

“Please stay. I don’t want to see you go!”

“What?” Maegon shouted in surprise. “She wants to abandon us?”

Laena fustigated Maegon with her eyes before turning to Valerion, almost pleading to him.

“Then come with me! We can be together! A new life for both of us!”

“She’s a coward.” Maegon warned him. “Can you really abandon your family like that?”

“I told you to shup up!”

“No, he’s right! I can’t just leave! I’ve live my whole life in Dragonstone! It is my home! I can’t abandon everything!”

“Do it for me!”

“I can’t!” he finally said. “I just… I can’t leave Dragonstone. My life is here.”

“With his family.” Maegon added.

Valerion looked at his wife. She had tears in her eyes.


“Fine!” she screamed as she stormed off.

He chose to not follow in hope that some time alone would clear her head. Instead he simply sat in a chair and brooded, wondering what he had done wrong. Later in the day, he chose to go to their room, hoping to talk things out with her. He found her things missing and panicked. He ran as fast as he could to the dragonpit. He fell on his knees crying when he noticed Vhagar’s absence. She left, leaving him behind. The realization broke him, and he passed the walk back to the castle mumbling, his thoughts confused and his eyes red because of the tears. He didn’t even notice Maegon until his brother stopped him with his hand.

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“What happened?” Maegon asked him.

“She… She just… left...” he managed to say.

He wasn’t sure if Maegon’s mouth was forming a saddened smile or a devious grin.

“I understand, brother. I do. You can’t trust women to be there for you. They’ll inevitably betray you if you give them your heart.”

Maegon took his brother into a hug. Valerion didn’t resist.

“But it’s okay, Valerion. It’s okay. I’m here. You can always count on me.”
______________________________________________________________________
 
I wonder what on earth Maegon has done to be the cause of that particular scene.

And as for Vaeron, a reckoning has been due for some time now.
 
Chapter 88: Back in the Family
CHAPTER 88: BACK IN THE FAMILY
VAELYX: November 14th, 110 AC, King’s Landing
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Almost every knight of the Kingsguard was present for this feast. The only absentee was Criston Cole, who was still in Dragonstone with Princess Rhaenyra. They had all decline their invitation to the feast, including young Rhaenyra, which was a surprise. Everyone expected her to come see her father at such occasion. The queen was pregnant with a child, probably to be born next month. Vaelyx knew however that if his niece played it smart she would instead be present for the birth itself, to remind everyone that she was the heir and not the newborn child. Of course, this won’t be needed if the child is a girl. Vaelyx hoped that it would be the case. It would enrage Rhaenys.

He made his way through the crowd, evading the lords and ladies that drank, ate and talked all over the hall. He finally spotted his fellow kingsguard Ser Sumner Estren, guarding the main door. He was telling two drunken guards a piece of his mind when he noticed Vaelyx approaching. The two knights exchanged a nod as they began walking next to one another, watching over the guests to make sure that everything was fine.

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“Another night watching over overweight noblemen and drunk ladies.” Ser Sumner joked. Truly the reason why I joined the Kingsguard.”

Vaelyx allowed himself a small laugh. “Please. You like these events as much as them.”


“The food served at a royal feast will always be better than whatever we eat in the White Tower.”

“Fair point.” Vaelyx agreed. “But at least you keep your duties in mind.”

He nodded in the direction of the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. Ser Randyll Shett was joyfully seated beside the Queen, boasting about some feat of arms. Vaelyx didn’t like that. It was clear that his sister was using him like she had used Ser Harrold Westerling. He only hoped that she didn’t soil another knight of the Kingsguard.

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“You still haven’t warmed to him, have you?” Ser Sumner asked him.

“I warmed up to you.” Vaelyx answered.

“We’ve known each other since we were squires. That doesn’t count.”

“What about Ser Hugo or Ser Brynden?”

“One protected your sister’s honor and the other literally put himself in front of your mother, your sister and your sisters-in-law to protect them from assassins.” Ser Sumner summarized. “Hard to hold a grudge at them after that. No, I think you still have a beef over the fact that he became Lord Commander over you.”

Vaelyx rolled his eyes. “I’ve come to peace with it, especially as he at least proved to be able to serve as Lord Commander. My problem is how much he has gotten friendly with the Queen.”

Ser Sumner nodded. The former squire of Ser Harrold Westerling remembered quite well what had happened to his mentor, leaving a bad taste in his mouth. If push came to shove, Vaelyx knew that Ser Sumner would oppose Rhaenys and support Aegon and their faction. He had also hopes that Ser Hugo and Ser Brynden Hightower would prove potential allies too, although it was more doubtful.

Vaelyx continued discussing with Ser Sumner, although it didn’t evade his eyes that a servant was announcing the arrival of important noble. He didn’t hear exactly who through the crowd. He definitively noticed when people began gathering around the newcomers. It caused enough of a commotion that Viserys ordered him to go see what this was all about. As he approached the crowd, he noticed Laenara also trying to make her way through.

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“Any idea who arrived?” he asked.

“I thought I heard that it was a king of some sort?” his sister tentatively answered.

A king? Vaelyx wasn’t even sure there was any king other than Viserys. He began pushing people asides, using Laenara’s presence as an excuse to force a path through the guests. As he approached, he began to realize who was the center of all this attention. All clothed in red and with a small crown on his head, Daemon stood like a thumb among the guests. He had an escort following him, probably his bodyguards or his own courtiers. Vaelyx couldn’t believe it. Had Viserys invited him? As he approached, Vaelyx wondered how he should approach the situation. They hadn’t seen each other in four years, and they had never been that close to begin with. Vaelyx was so focus on his first words that he allowed Daemon to take the lead.

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“Vaelyx.” Daemon saluted him. “Still a simple kingsguard, I see.”

“It is an oath for life.” he responded.

“With the old guard gone, I would have expected you to be Lord Commander.”

“Daemon?” Laenara said out loud as she looked at her brother.

Daemon offered her a simply nod, although Vaelyx noticed that he seemed to eye Laenara a little too much. Daemon always had too much of a taste for good looking women.

“How was your trip to King’s Landing?” she nervously asked him. “I’m sorry. It’s been so long that I barely know what to ask first. How are you?”


“I’m doing quite well, although I’m planning to do even better in the near future.”

That was… ominous.

“Is Elaerys here?” Laenara asked. “I thought you two were never far from each other.”

Daemon simply pointed at their brother, who was already seated at a table drinking. It seemed that it had been a while since Elaerys participated in such a celebration. Vaelyx would have guessed that Elaerys would have found his place feasting with pirates, but it seemed that good wine was still missing from the new kingdom of the Stepstones.

“Why are you here?” Vaelyx asked. “Did Viserys invite you?”


“I’m having business in the Seven Kingdoms.” Daemon told him.

“You could have warned us of your arrival.”

It was not Daemon who answered. “So you could all jump on me the second I set foot in the city? Fat chance!”

Vaelyx’s eyes grew wide of shock as Laegor appeared in front of him, coming out of Daemon’s entourage. He could hear Laenara scream of shock. He had a hard time believing his eyes. Laegor was dead. He had drowned in the Narrow Sea trying to escape his fate. Yet here he was, standing alive in the great hall of King’s Landing.
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“How?” Laenara mumbled.

Vaelyx had no idea how to react, no idea what to do. His hand was firmly on his sword.

“You’re… you’re dead. You’re supposed to be dead.”

“Why does everyone keep saying that?” Laegor fumed. “Do I look fucking dead to you?”

Daemon seemed to have noticed how Vaelyx held his hand on his sword. “Don’t. No matter his crimes in the Seven Kingdoms, he came here as a guest under my protection.”


“You’re protecting him?” Vaelyx asked, genuinely surprised.

“I don’t plan on becoming a kinslayer.” Daemon simply answered.

Vaelyx was about to say something when Laenara ran at Laegor, putting her arms around him before anyone could do anything about it.

“You’re alive!” she said, clearly overjoyed. “I thought you were dead!”


“Get off me! I hate hugs!”

“I know.” she told him, not releasing him one bit.

Vaelyx stood still as his sister hugged their now clearly alive brother. Unlike him, who passed his youth battling with Maegon, Laenara had grown up alongside Laegor and Valena. While no one in the family could ever say that they “liked” Laegor, she must have felt relief at the fact that he was still alive. Five years ago, she had been one of the few who had asked that Laegor be sent to the Night’s Watch instead of being executed. Their younger brother did seem as happy to see her, however, as he finally got out of the hug and pushed her away.

“Enough with this crap!”

“Is that… Laegor?”

Vaelyx turned to see their mother standing behind him. By her side were Valena and Aegon, both just as dumbfounded. Alyssa had dropped her cup as her eyes had set on her lost son. Daemon by then had decided to retreat back. It didn’t escape Vaelyx that his older brother abandoned them to go speak with Lord Tymond Lannister. As for Laegor, he seemed more interested in Aegon’s surprised expression.

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“Well look at that. Aegon has feelings. That’s new.”

Alyssa didn’t let him continue, instead striking him with the back of her hand.

“You little…” she didn’t finish her sentence. “You were alive? And you didn’t tell me?”


“How was I supposed to?” Laegor protested.

“You could have sent a bloody raven!”

“No I couldn’t!”

“You still should have!”

“Your just as fucking annoying as I remembered…” Laegor complained. “You still bitch about everything. You sound like Rhaenys!”

She struck him again. “Don’t talk to your mother that way!”

Valena raised her hands, trying to calm them down. “Maybe we should sit down and…”


“Oh, can’t you just stop trying to be better than everyone else for once?” Laegor shouted at her. “I thought you’d be over this shit by now.”

Vaelyx could see the burning rage in Aegon’s eyes. He slowly approached his brother and put a hand on his shoulder.


“Daemon said that Laegor was under his protection.” he whispered. “We can’t do anything about it.”

“I am not stupid enough to break the laws of hospitalities.” Aegon replied.

Vaelyx sighed, thinking that he had averted a crisis. Sadly, another appeared as Rhaenys joined them, probably curious about the little family meeting they were having. Her eyes fell on Laegor. To her credit, she kept her composure as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Laegor frowned at the sight of his older sister.


“Whore.” he said.

“Brat.” she replied.

And then she was on her way. Everyone else was dumbfounded, having expected the two of them to scream at one another. Vaelyx guessed that these two had just learned to ignore the other as much as possible.

“That was… not what I expected.” Laenara admitted.


“She’s still a bitch.” Laegor commented. “Now can I get some fuckin…”

Laegor was cut off by Elaerys’s fist connecting with his jaw, sending him down cold.


“Thank you.” Alyssa said.

“No problems, mother.” he then turned to Aegon. “You’re the Hand now, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then get me some wine. I emptied the one at my table.”

Aegon gave a brief look at the unconscious Laegor on the ground. “Of course. You do deserve a reward.”

______________________________________________________________________

LAEGOR: November 27th, 110 AC, Casterly Rock
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“Welcome to my humble home.” Lord Tymund proudly boasted.

Laegor looked around. Casterly Rock could rival the Red Keep in its size and appearance. Heck, it was probably bigger if you counted that giant cliff it was on. There was nothing humble about this castle.


“Jackass.” he mumbled.

This drew him the hire of Daemon, who chastised him with a threatening gaze. Laegor grumbled some insult in his beard, which warranted him a slam at the back of the head by Elaerys. He really hated how they treated him, like he was some good to nothing loser that needed to be watched constantly. He wanted some freedom! But then again, where the heck would he go? If he left, any good will Daemon had toward him would surely disappear, and chances were that it would only be a matter of times before Elaerys tried to track him down. He was stuck with them, no matter how annoying they were. Well, at least the beds were comfortable.

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“I already had rooms prepared for the three of you.” Lord Tymond told them.

“Including one for the betroth?” Daemon asked.

“I am not doing it!” Laegor declared

“No, they will sleep separately.” Lord Tymond said.

Laegor pushed a sigh of relief.

“The marriage will take place in a few days. Most of my bannermen should have arrived by then.”

“Don’t I have a word in this?” Laegor asked.

“No.” Elaerys said.

“Hey! I don’t want to marry a fucking kid!”

Daemon grabbed him by the troath and pushed him against the wall.

“Your opinion doesn’t matter here.” His voice was calm, yet infinitely threatening. “This is a good match for you, a marriage you probably doesn’t deserve. So I don’t want to hear your cry about how unfair this is. I’m married to a bronze bitch in the Vale. You’re marrying a Lannister. This union will allow us great things. So shut up and accept this.”

Laegor was about to replied when Daemon shoved him once more into the wall, forcing him to regain his breath. His brother used this opportunity to drop him, letting him fall to his knees. Daemon looked down on him with either disappointment or disgust. Laegor couldn’t help but feel that his brother enjoyed looking at him from mighty high, as if he was some god over him.

Lord Tymond didn’t seem to care that his guests were brutalizing one another. In fact, he seemed quite happy that Daemon had shut Laegor down. That bastard really didn’t seem to care much about his soon to be son-in-law.

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“Can we meet her?” Elaerys asked, more out of courtesy than interest.

“Of course! She’s playing in the garden with her brothers.”

Lord Tymond led them through the hallways of Casterly rock, ending in an open garden right under a tower. As they approached the two children in it, something fell from the sky. Blood splashed everywhere as it hit the ground.


“You missed again!” screamed the boy in the garden.

“Was that a cat?” Elaerys asked.

“Not my fault!” shouted someone in the tower. “They struggle!”

“Poor kitty…” the girl said. “Why didn’t he just fly away?”

“What the…” Laegor was cut off by an angry Lord Tymond.

“TYLAND! TYRIANNE! WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING?”

The girl and her brother came running to their father. The boy was actually quite old now that Laegor had a better look at him, probably approaching adulthood. The girl however was just that; a young girl. Probably not even ten. Laegor shrieked at the idea that by the end of the week he would call her his wife.

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“Father!” Tyrianne joyfully greeted Lord Tymond.

“By the Seven, what are you doing? And where is your brother?”

Both pointed atop the tower, where Laegor and his brothers noticed a blond haired teenager almost identical to the one that stood in front of them. Daemon did mention something about twins. The boy atop the tower was cowardly trying to hide from sight with terrible results.

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“JASON! I CAN SEE YOU! COME DOWN! RIGHT NOW!”

“No…” the boy meekly replied.

“COME DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!”

It seemed that the boy seemed to have surrendered to his father’s will as he appeared down a few minutes later, a fearful look on his face. It was during that time that Laegor noticed the numerous red spots on the ground of the garden. From the disgusted look of his brothers, they too had noticed that this wasn’t the first cat that the Lannister kids threw off a tower today.

“What were you three doing? And did you throw a cat of a tower? What is wrong with you?”

The three children looked at one another, as if they were trying to decide how to answer their father. In the end, it was Tyland (or at least, the one Laegor thought was Tyland) that answered.

“We were teaching our sister about cats.”

“Why would you even do that?”

“I was curious about them.” she revealed.

The other brother continued. “So then I began wondering. Why do cats have nine lives if there’s only seven Gods? Hum?”

The adults looked at the kids, dumbfounded.


“What the heck is wrong with these three?” Elaerys whispered.

Laegor wasn’t as discreet. “I’m marrying into a family of nutjobs… Fucking great.”

It warranted him an elbow from Daemon, although Lord Tymond surprisingly agreed.

“No, he’s right. These three are… not living in the same world as us?”

Laegor laughed at this. No matter what the Lord of the Westerlands tried, it was impossible to phrase it in a nice way. These kids were insane. They might as well be deaf too, as Jason ignored what the adults were saying and happily continued his explanation.

“So if the Sevens are only Seven, yet the cats have nine lives, doesn’t it mean that the cats are superior to the Seven? Or are they a new aspect of the divine? Hum?”

Laegor found it hilarious that the teenager was actually proud of his explanation.


“And what does it have anything to do with throwing cats off a tower?” Lord Tymond asked.

“We had to see their souls to check our theories.”

There was a silence. Lord Tymond was growing angrier and angrier. Elaerys and Daemon were exchanging worried looks. Laegor didn’t care much. Jason and Tyland were growing incredibly nervous at the sight of their father turning red.

“I thought kittens could fly!” Tyrianne proudly declared.


“What?” Laegor exclaimed.

“Dragon can fly, so why not kittens?”

Daemon sighed. “Lord Tymond, we should speed this up.”


“I agree.” he then turned to his sons. “Go to your rooms and await your punishment for this blasphemy! NOW!”

The twins didn’t argue and ran away, probably worried of their father’s reaction if they stayed. Too bad. Laegor wanted to see how bad this could get.


“Now, Tyrianne.” Lord Tymond grabbed his daughter by the arm, dragging her in front of the three princes. “In a few days, you will be marrying this prince.”

“What happened to Aegon?” she asked.

“Wait, what does she means by that?” Laegor asked.

“Oh, nothing…”

Laegor didn’t like the lord’s shifty eyes, although it took him a minute to figure out what the girl meant.

“Wait… I’m getting Aegon’s handouts?”

“Shut up, Laegor.” Elaerys warned him.

“No, fuck that? Aegon can get out of marrying a insane brat and I have to pick up the pieces?” he turned to Daemon. “Can you believe that?”


“I arranged this betrothal.” Daemon told him.

“So you knew about it? Aegon didn’t want it, but it’s okay because you’ll push it on Laegor.”

Daemon kicked Laegor in the stomach, after which he threw him to the ground.

“I thought I warned you not complain anymore. This marriage is happening, and that is final. As for you, Lord Tymond, I was hoping to speak of our other business.”

From the ground, Laegor could see the Lannister smile. “Of course. You’ll need gold to raise a new army.”

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______________________________________________________________________

PS: Sorry for the delay. I actually had the chapter written by last monday, but stuffs kept coming in the way and actually posting the chapter left my mind.
 
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Oh I had to laugh at Laegar going home. That was just marvellous on a number of different levels.
 
The Lannister children are... Woaw.

Yeah, I doubt we'll compare them to Jaime, Cersei and Tyrion anytime soon.

Oh I had to laugh at Laegar going home. That was just marvellous on a number of different levels.

I'm happy you liked it! :) At first it was only supposed to be a small part of the chapter, but I had so much fun writing it that it became the focus.
 
Chapter 89: New Stakes
CHAPTER 89: NEW STAKES
RHAENYS: December 5nd, 110 AC, King’s Landing
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Rhaenys got off of Viserys. The sex had been terrible. He had been crying during the whole thing. Morghil was far better at it. She lay next to him, a bit tired. She had to do all the work, which she didn’t enjoy as much as she used to. Not when she had to do it why Viserys, at least. His fat body disgusted her. If she had to choose one of her brothers to sleep with, Viserys wouldn’t even be in her top five. But he was the king, and so he was the one who shared her bed. When Morghil wasn’t in it.

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Viserys cried again, making her grunt of annoyance. It had been three days already. Three days since she had given birth. She had to admit, this one had been easier than the first one. But when the child came out, it turned out to be a girl instead of a boy, putting her as far away of succession as possible. Even worst, the girl died within an hour, ruining any hope Rhaenys had of using her for political gains. Nine months of pregnancy and hours of pushing for nothing.

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While she had been infuriated at the early death of her daughter, Viserys had been destroyed. She still remembered how he reacted when his first son died within a day. He had cried and cried for months. Even now it seemed to weight on his mind as he had the most beautiful woman in the world riding him. She couldn’t allow him to remain in mourning for months, not until she had the son she wanted. She had to push him quite a bit for him to agree to sleep with her, using the excuse that she just wanted a child of her own, obviously omitting the bastard girl. It was true, even. She did want a son. So Viserys reluctantly agreed to continue trying to produce offspring with her, even if he was clearly not in the mood for it.


“Can you be more quiet?” she asked, bothered by the sniffing of her husband. “It was already distraction while we were doing it, but now I’d like to sleep.”

“I’m sorry…” he answered. I just… I thought that I would never have to live this again.”

She rolled her eyes. “It’s okay, Viserys. We can try again.”


“Well… you’re right.” he took her hand, his teary eyes looking right at her. “At least you’re still here.”

He was getting sentimental. Yuck. She smiled at him, although she really wanted to stop holding his hand. But she had to play the loving wife from time to time, just for a bit. And hey, she never showed him disgust, so that was that too. He should be thankful to have such a beautiful wife, better than the two idiots girl that preceded her. After two minutes, she decided that she had enough of this, pulling away.

“I think you need some time alone.”

“Can’t you stay?” he asked, his eyes pleading.

He really wanted company, like a wounded puppy. She wanted to have company too. Just not his.


“You need time with yourself, dear.” she gave him a small kiss on the forehead.

She put her nightgown and made her way out of the room. She thought that she heard Viserys cry again when she opened the door. Two guards were waiting at the door, saluting her as she exited the royal bedchamber. It seemed that all the kingsguards were asleep. Good. She didn’t want them snooping around. She made her way to her separate room. When she married Viserys, she still decided to keep her own room for herself, refusing that it be given to anyone else. The official excuse is that she had a special attachment to the room and wanted it in case Viserys needed time alone. Truly, she just wanted a place to have discrete meeting, either with her allies or just to have a good time.

“Rhaenys.”

Talking of good times. She turned to see Morghil standing in the hallway right behind her. While he wasn’t wearing any armor, he still had that ugly golden cape of his. It seemed that he felt some sort of pride by wearing it. When Daemon introduced it a few years ago, she didn’t get the appeal. She still didn’t.

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“Ha. Ser Morghil.” she said. “Is there a reason why you do not address me as required?”

She pointed with her heard toward a guard standing in the hallway, hoping that Morghil would get it. He did, proving that he was not completely hopeless when it comes to subtlety. Maybe he was decent enough to be Master of Whisperers after all.

“Of course, your Grace.” he corrected. “I’d appreciate it if we could speak in private?”

She smiled. Maybe she had enough energy for another round.

“Please follow me.”

She made her way to her room, making sure that the two of them weren’t followed. As soon as they arrived, she locked the door behind them. She then immediately kissed him, which seemed to take him by surprised. She began to undress his shirt when he pushed her back.


“No!” he said.

“Come on, let’s get to it already!” she insisted.

“No, I’m not here for that!”

She grunted, realizing that he probably just wanted to talk. “What is it?”


“How is our child?” he asked.

“Our child?”

“You told me it was mine. Don’t you remember?”

Oh right. She might have said something along those lines, although it was probably only to please him. It was possible that the girl had been his, of course, but she doubted it.

“The girl’s dead. What a waste.”

Morghil looked distraught. “What a waste? Don’t you care?”


“Of course I care. Do you know how annoying it is to carry a child for nine months for nothing? It’s a pain.”

“I lost my daughter.” Morghil murmured.

“Don’t ever say that again if you want to keep your place in this city.” she warned him. “Now get in the bed.”

“I… No.”

“No?”

“No, we shouldn’t be doing this anymore.”

She could feel the anger building in her body. “What?”


“I’ve been thinking about it, and it’s not right.” Morghil declared.

“Since when do you have a problem with this? You never complained when we had fun before.”

“That was before you got married, to the King no less!” he responded. “I’ve been thinking about it for a while. Our affair was alright when you were still a maiden, but now? You’re the Queen! You need to keep your focus with him if you want to help him. You can’t be distracted by rumors of infidelity. You need to be there for the King, just like I need to be there for my newborn son and my wife.”

No, no, no, no, no, no. She didn’t want it to go that way.

“So what? You just want to end this? You wouldn’t even be a knight if it wasn’t for me! YOU OWE ME!”

“I know, and I’ll always support you, no matter what. I know you want what’s best for the Seven Kingdoms. I’ll help you, and I’ll keep supporting you. I owe you that and much more.”

“You can’t just end this!” she declared.

“I love you, but we can’t continue this.”

She slapped him. “GET OUT!”

He looked at her, saddened. He opened the door, giving her one last look before walking away. She looked at the open door, closing it slowly. As soon as it was done, she screamed at the top of her lungs, letting all of her anger out. How dare he? She was the Queen! She was a dragonrider! She was a damn Targaryen! And that lowborn thought he could just break up with her? He wouldn’t even have anything if it wasn’t for her! How dared he? Rhaenys raged as she jumped in her bed, thinking about a way to punish him. She quickly realized that it wasn’t a good idea, though. He was still willing to be her pawn, which was a least that. But she couldn’t get rid of that frustration. Three days ago, she lost what would have been a useful child, and now she lost her lover.

She then heard a knock on the door. She noticed that Morghil had forgotten his golden cloak in the room. She pushed it by the side, ready to hide it until he offered her something in exchange. He had just broken up with her and now he was coming back to get his cape? She was going to make him work for it.

But to her surprise, it wasn’t Morghil that stood in the doorframe. It was another man. She frowned, recognizing him as a member of Aegon’s inner circle.


“What do you want?” she spat.

He leaned on the doorframe. “I heard that this was the place where ambition becomes reality.”

Rhaenys raised an eyebrow, curious. “What about Aegon?”


“Fuck him.”

She smiled, opening the door wide. “Then by all means, come in.”

______________________________________________________________________

ELAERYS: December 11th, 110 AC, Skull Islands
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Elaerys easily dodged the food she threw at him. The servants had warned him that she was hard to deal with at times, but still. He walked to her and grabbed her wrist, forcing her to drop the chicken leg she was holding in her hand.


“Hey!” she complained.

“I’m sick of you acting like this!” he warned her. “I’ve been kind enough to let you have your own room, but I could just as well send you in the oubliettes if you continue to cause problems!”

He could see the fear in her eyes. She might have been strong, but she wasn’t much of a fighter. She immediately submitted, nodded rapidly.


“I’ll behave.” she promised.

“You better.”

Elaerys dropped her, walking around the room. When the war with Braavos ended, no one came forward to pay her ransom. She could have left her in the cells with the rest of the prisoners, but she had caught her eyes, her beautiful traits and figures making him lust for her. He had already remarked how beautiful she was when he had captured her in the Sealord’s palace months ago, and even now he still believes her to be quite good looking. He had put her on house arrest in his castle, hoping that this good gesture would entice her to share his bed. Either she hadn’t picked up on the clues or wasn’t interested. While it was frustrating, Elaerys had no desire to force himself on a prisoner.

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“You should be thankful that I allow you to stay here.”

“I am.” she answered. “But I’m still a prisoner.”

Good. She understood her position. While he found her attractive, this would only let her go so far.

“I’ll have you shipped back to Braavos the second one of your relatives pay up for your ransom.” he told her.


“And in the meantime I’ll be stuck here.” she guessed.

He nodded. He had made sure that there was always a guard at her door so she would not escape until a ransom came through. He had also made sure that the guard was a mercenary, as he didn’t trust the local pirates to guard her without “enjoying” her.


“Your Highness.” said a voice behind him.

He turned to see his bannerman standing in the doorframe. Lord Osmund Buckshorn was the only one of his subordinates to receive an island of his own, becoming Lord of the Skulls after their victory. The Kingslander had since served as his Castellan and main advisor, helping him run the Northern Stepstones and keep the pirates in line. The man was both competent and highly loyal, which made him perfect for the task.

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“What is it?”

“Excuse me, your Highness, but we have received a missive from Bloodstone.”

Elaerys raised an eyebrow. What did Daemon want from him? He took the piece of paper that Lord Osmund was offering him and read it. The message simply ordered him to come to Bloodstone without giving him a reason for it. This was frustrating, but he guessed that as Master of Ships he had to be present for… well, for whatever Daemon had in mind.


“Have a ship prepared.” He ordered.

“Of course, your Highness.”

“You’re leaving?” the prisoner asked.

“I’ll have a maid sent to you to keep you company in my absence.”

“You can do whatever you want. After all, I’m a prisoner here.”

Elaerys rolled his eyes, trying to ignore the spite in her voice. He followed Lord Osmund out of the room and waited for his ship to be ready. It didn’t take long, and within a few hours he was already sailing through the dangerous Stepstones. Thankfully, his position as Master of Ships allowed him to surround himself with the best navigators of the Narrow Sea, so the trip to Bloodstone was an easy one. When he arrived, he took quick notice of the fleet amassed around the island. He had a guess of the reason why, but he would have to confirm with Daemon.

“Elaerys, I’m guessing?”

Awaiting him at the castle’s gate was a white haired woman, probably not older than twenty. She was clearly a Valyrian, and a beautiful one at that. Clearly she hadn’t been present last time he came to Bloodstone, as he would have never forgotten a beauty like that.


“Lady, I don’t think that we’ve met.” he charmingly said.

“Technically, we have, although I was younger. I myself barely remember you, since you were gone shortly after I moved to Dragonstone.”

Dragonstone?

“Who are you again?”

“I’m Laena Velaryon.” she answered. “Now come in. Daemon and my father are waiting for you.”
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Laena Velaryon? Wasn’t she married to Valerion? He heard that the couple was happy and in love, so why was she here? As they walked through the hallways, he noticed that she looked saddened, somewhat.


“What are you doing here?” he asked.

She seemed taken aback by the question, probably expecting him to remain silent.


“I… I just needed to leave.”

“And you left Valerion behind?”

“I asked him to come, okay? But he refused!”

“So you left without him?” Elaerys was a bit pissed that she abandoned his brother like that.

“It’s all Maegon’s fault.” she told him. “He made my life a living hell. I just… I couldn’t take it anymore.”

“That piece of shit.”

Any hard feelings he had for her were immediately thrown at Maegon. He understood why she wouldn’t stay with him. That traitor had slept with his own wife, and now he had made the life of his sister-in-law a living hell. His gritted his teeth, wondering if one day he would have a chance at revenge against the humiliation his brother put him through. With some luck, he would one day break Maegon’s teeth with his fist. That would feel so good…

Finally the two of them reached the Council’s room, where Daemon usually met and decided his policies. Just as she had said, Daemon was waiting inside, seated right next to Lord Corlys Velaryon. As they entered, even Elaerys could notice the awkwardness between father and daughter. It seemed that the Seasnake did not approve of his daughter leaving Dragonstone.

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“Finally.” Daemon declared. “I could barely wait for you.”

“Then it must be quite the news if you’re that impatient.”

“Lord Corlys came to me with a suggestion.” The king declared, nodding at the Seasnake to continue.

“Your Majesty, your Highness. As you know, your control of most of the Stepstones has helped to safeguard the merchants and to boost trade.”

From Daemon’s expression, the fact that some Ironborns still held an island of the Stepstones still bugged him off. It was humiliating, not holding his full kingdom. Still, both brothers had agreed that it would be a costly campaign should they try to unify the Stepstones. Better to let it slide, especially with the Three Whores still breathing down their neck.


“However, the Kingdom of the Three Daughters still holds a lot of the trade power in the Narrow Sea. Even more, they inder our trade out of spite.”

“So what do you suggest?” Laena asked.

Daemon drew Dark Sister, pointing it at a map on the table. “We invade the Three Whores.”

Elaerys didn’t flinch. He had been aware of his brother’s desire to attack the Three Daughters for a while, although he wouldn’t have bet that it would be so soon. The money from the Lannisters had yet to arrive, so raising a new mercenary army would be difficult.


“I’m guessing that you have a plan?” Elaerys asked.

“I’ll will support your campaign, both militarily and financially.” Lord Corlys said.

“And what do you get in return, father?”

“Trade privileges for the Iron Throne.” the old man answered.

“And we gain control of Myr, Lys and Tyrosh.” Daemon added. “I’ve already summoned the fleet. With Laena by our side, we now have two dragons to send against them. Victory is assured.”

“So when do we begin?” Elaerys asked.

Daemon smiled. “I started it this morning, Elaerys. Now go prepare your men.”

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______________________________________________________________________

PS: So that was it for 110. This year, I'm going to pick Aegon as my favorite character. It was just a great year for him: marrying his beloved Valena and becoming Hand, forming "The League of Sane People" as @GangsterSynod called them. So yeah, good year for Aegon!
PPS: So it's probably been obvious by my current shcedule, but I have a lot of things to deal with IRL and it slows me down when it comes to working on Dragon Kin. I'll try my best to post as much as I can, but as always don't expect me to be consistent in my posts.
 
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I'm liking the pace, to be honest. The updates are long and high-quality. I have no problems. Also, it looks like my prediction that everyone in the League would die horrible deaths is about to come true. That's Westeros for you, I guess.
 
Rhaenys remains as "charming" as ever, I see
 
I'm liking the pace, to be honest. The updates are long and high-quality. I have no problems. Also, it looks like my prediction that everyone in the League would die horrible deaths is about to come true. That's Westeros for you, I guess.

Ok, well then you probably won't mind that I take a few days to actually plasy the game. So far I've played up to 118, and I want to have at least a decade forward played so I know how to manoeuver the story.

Rhaenys remains as "charming" as ever, I see

With that personality, it's a wonder men keep throwing themselves at her feet, isn't it?

2 years ! And Viserys is having troubles to have some more children. Already two stillborn, from two different wives.
Daemon is fairy daring though. Are the Three Daughters this weak ?

That you'll have to see. Daemon wrecked them pretty abd during their war, but now we'll see if one year to rebuild themselves was enough.
 
Chapter 90: The Unhealty Ones
CHAPTER 90: THE UNHEALTY ONES
AEMON: January 1st, 111 AC, King’s Landing
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“Mommy…” the girl managed to say between her coughs.

“I’m here, I’m here!” Alys answered, a bit of panic transpiring in her voice.

Alys immediately got up her chair and came to their daughter’s bed side. Calla had been stuck in bed since this morning, her health failing her once more. Aemon could see how much this worried Alys, and he understood too. After losing their first child, what kind of parents would they be if they lost their second one? Calla was only two, yet Aemon felt as if it had been a lifetime of fears and worries. It might have something to do with the fact that he had to deal with this for his entire life, although in the form of Valerion. His daughter reminded him of his brother, who was born with such a weak body that he spent most of his youth on the verge of death, bedridden. While he got better with time, Aemon was deeply afraid that his daughter would not make it to adulthood.

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He knew that Alys was also worried about Calla. She had become obsessed with the health of their daughter, having a hard time leaving the girl out of her sight. For a while, Aemon had been too worried about his own failures as a father. While he still was, he had also noticed that his wife had taken everything just as hard as he did, although she was far better than him at managing it, or at least hiding it. Coupled with the help she was giving it in managing the Dragon Gate and he was surprised that he was the only one to have had a nervous breakdown.

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“I’m sorry.” Aemon excused himself.

“She needs her parent.” Lord Lyonel calmed him, understanding their situation.

Aemon nodded appreciatively.


“Are you alright?” the old man asked.

Aemon shrugged. “I’m not sure.”


“Hum…”

“I just… I have a lot to deal with.”

Lord Lyonel did not push, which Aemon was thankful for. Both of them were not men of many words, and the lord of Harrenhal had always been understanding of Aemon’s desire to keep things to himself. This was in part why Aemon considered him a true friend, one that would always have his back.

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“Can we talk about you instead?” Aemon asked.

Lord Lyonel shrugged. “The Hand is giving me work. A lot.”

It seemed that Aegon was really settling into his position as Hand of the King. Aemon had heard that his brother was beginning to move things in the capital, although outside of some cuts to the guard’s budget he had yet to be affected by it.

“Grandfather!” screamed Calla, which was followed by a series of hard coughs.

Alys came running behind the girl. “You stay in your damn bed!”


“I can handle her.” Lord Lyonel offered.

The Master of Coins got up his chair and walked to his granddaughter, who was supporting herself by leaning on the wall. It hurt Aemon to see her like that and know that there was nothing to do. He remembered how it had anguished his own mother to see Valerion like that, and now he understood. Lord Lyonel got next to Calla and grabbed her, before putting the surprised little girl back into her bed. She was about to complain but instead puked all over her grandfather.


“By the Seven, Calla!” Alys shouted.

Aemon wasn’t sure if Alys was reprimanding their daughter or if she was worried about her. Whatever the case, her desire to go check on the little girl was rewarded by puke on her dress.


“My dress smells like shit!” Alys complained.

“I’ll need to go change clothes.” Lord Lyonel added.

Calla was on the verge of tears. “I’m sorrrrrry!”


“It’s not your fault, Calla, it’s not your fault.” Alys hugged their daughter. “Aemon, come give me a hand.”

Aemon was getting up when they heard a series of knocks on their door.


“Bloody hells, can’t we have a fucking break?” she shouted.

Aemon looked at his father-in-law, who nodded to him, silently indicating that he could handle Calla and Alys. Knowing that Lord Lyonel would do a better job than him, Aemon made his way to the door. He opened it to see his sister Laenara standing there.

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“Laenara?”

“Can I get in?”

“Of… Of course. You’re always welcomed in my home.” Aemon told her.

She offered him a smile as she walked in. As she entered she noticed Alys on the floor, cleaning the puke next to Calla’s bed.


“Alys, what happened to your dress?” Laenara asked. “And what is that smell?”

“Shut up, Laeanara.” Alys ordered. “I can’t deal with you right now.”

“Alys…” Lord Lyonel mumbled.

“Aemon, what happened to that damn maid?” she continued. “I thought she was supposed to come give us a bloody hand.”


“If you’re talking about Flora, she’s sick right now.” Laenara told her.

“Damnit.” Alys grunted.

Aemon put a hand on his wife’s shoulder, trying to comfort her. I didn’t help, especially as he was himself depressed by this whole situation.

“Father, who’s… cough… who’s there?” Calla asked.


“Your aunt Laenara is visiting us.” he told his other.

He signalled to his sister to approach, which she did. Laenara approached them, passing her hand through the little girl’s hairs.

“Hey, Calla, it’s me.”

“Aunt Laenara?”

The girl seemed confused, which made Aemon realize that he wasn’t sure if Calla had even met Laenara before. Maybe when she was too young to remember it, but recently? She had spent so much time either in her bed or with Gramd Maester Runciter that she barely had the time to meet the rest of her family. She had heard of them, but she probably never really talked to them. Chances are she probably never even saw Viserys, as Alys avoided bringing their daughter to such crowded environment as court.


“Hey Calla.” Laenara said. “How are you feeling today?”

“Great.” she answered, obviously lying.

“You just rest, alright?” Laenara told her. “I’m sure that you’ll get through this.”

Calla offered her aunt a smile, although it quickly disappeared as she began coughing. Laenara took Aemon away for a moment, although her eyes stayed on Calla.


“Poor girl.” she whispered. “I hope that things will improve for her.”

Aemon sadly doubted it, or maybe it was just that he had a hard time to hope.

“Aemon, I didn’t come just to visit.” Laenara revealed. “I actually wanted your help with something.”

He immediately had a bad feeling about this.

“I need you to come with me and help Viserys get back on track. Evers since he lost his daughter, he has been distant and in grief.”

Aemon still remembered how Viserys felt when he lost his son. No, how he himself felt when he lost his daughter. It was still affecting him, almost four years later.

“And what do you want to do?”

“I know that you’ve suffered a similar loss, so if you come and talk to him…”

“No.”

“No?”

She seemed surprised. She shouldn’t be. He was in no state to go talk someone out of his grief. He had failed on that front with himself, and now his mind was filled with worries for Calla.

“I’m not the right person to talk to him about this.”

“No, you’re the perfect person to talk to him about this.” she responded. “You’re the only one of us who understands what he’s going through.”

“And I advise patience. He’ll come back.”

“And has it worked for you?” she asked.

He didn’t respond.

Viserys needs you, right now. He needs all the support we can give him.” Laenara insisted.


“I…”

“Just go help your brother.” Alys intervened. “The King needs you right now.”

“What? But…”

“Aemon, I can take care of Calla in your absence.” his wife insisted. “So go, and bring back a maid with you to help when you return.”

Aemon sighed. Alys had taken a decision, and he was going to go with it. “Alright.”

Laenara was clearly pleased by this. “Calla, your father and I are going to leave for a bit.”


“Ok.”

He could see that his daughter was a bit saddened by his departure.


“I’ll watch them.” Lord Lyonel told him, trying to be reassuring.

“Bye bye…” Calla told them, her voice weakened by the coughing.

The two siblings then departed the living quarters Aemon had lived in since becoming Commander of the Dragon Gate. He noted two guards waiting outside, probably Laenara’s escort through the streets.


“You’re lucky to have such a nice daughter by your side.” Laenara told him.

Aemon noted a touch of jealousy in her voice. She probably wished that she could be with her own daughter. He chose not to mention it, though, his mind being focused on Viserys. He was afraid of meeting him. What was he going to say? How could he help his brother? What would happen when he inevitably failed? As they made their way through the streets, some of his thoughts also went to his family, fearing that something bad would happen in his absence. He wouldn’t be able to bear it.

As they arrived at the Red Keep, Laneara asked a group of guards where to find Viserys. Once they informed the two siblings that the King was in the royal sept, Laenara and Aemon made their way there. Waiting at the door of the small private step was Ser Hugo, the tall knight of the Kingsguard. He smiled at Laenara once he saw her, and she smiled right back.

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“Your Highnesses.” he welcomed them. “Can I do anything for you?”

“Hello, Ser Hugo.” Laenara answered back. “I heard that my brother is currently in the sept.”

The knight allowed himself a small friendly laughter. “You heard correct, princess. His Majesty has been praying, and mourning, for an hour now.”


“Is the Queen with him?”

“Her Grace isn’t there, no.”

“Great! Then we’d like to enter please.” she declared.

“I’m sorry, but the King asked to be left alone.”

“You know just as much as us how much he suffered right now.” she told him.

The knight nodded.


“… we’re here to help.” Aemon finally said.

Ser Hugo seemed to be considering for a moment, but in the end stepped aside and allowed them access to the door. It seemed that the knight was ready to disobey an order if it meant helping the king.


“He needs his family right now.” Ser Hugo conceded. “Go by his side.”

“Thank you, Hugo.” Laenara told him, grabbing his hands in the process.

The knight opened the door, allowing the two siblings in. Inside the small sept was Viserys, on his knees. His hands were place together, praying at the front of the room in front of statues of the Seven. Viserys turned when he heard the door close, realizing that he wasn’t alone.

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“Aemon? Laenara?” he asked, surprised. “I thought I asked not to be disturbed.”

“We just came to see you.” Laenara said.

“What’s so important that it requires my immediate attention? Just bring it to Aegon, he’ll know how to deal with it.”

“No, you don’t understand. We came to see you.” she repeated. “We came to see how you were doing.”

“I’m doing fine.” he said, although his red eyes seemed to indicate the contrary.

From experience, Aemon knew how it felt to lose a child. And he knew that Viserys was anything but fine. Unlike him, hwoever, Viserys was probably too proud to admit it.


“You’re in pain.” Aemon told him.

“Look, I appreciate you two coming here. I understand what you’re trying to do. I just… I just need time to be alone.”

“It doesn’t work that way.” Laenara objected. “You need your family to be there for you.”

“I have Rhaenys.” he tentatively answered.

“And where is she?” she asked.

Viserys did not seem to have an answer for that. Aemon asked himself that same question. Where was Rhaenys? When he lost Daenerys, Alys did her best to be by his side at all times, even when he tried to push her away. But Rhaenys was nowhere to be seen. He had been aware that she had been clashing with Aegon recently, but was it that much important to her than being with her husband after such a loss?

Laenara walked to her brother, kneeling next to him and putting a hand on his shoulder.

“It’s okay Viserys. You have the right to be sad, to cry. We’re here if you need us.”

Aemon chose to follow his younger sister and pparoached to, keeling on the other side of Viserys. Their brother looked at the two of them before finally breaking into tears, his façade of roughness finally fading. Laenara took him in a hug, trying to console him.


“It’s okay, Viserys. It’s okay. Let it all out.” Laenara whispered.

“It’s just… when I lost Baelon… at least I had the anger against Daemon…” Viserys cried. “But this time…. This time… I have nothing… I just have the feeling of losing my daughter!”


“That’s why we’re here.” she continued. “You’re not alone.”

Viserys did his best to stop his tears before turning to Aemon.


“How did you do it? How did you survive it?” he asked.

“I… It’s a long process.” he simply said. “But you’re strong. Stronger than me...”

“And if you need any of us, we’ll always be there for you. I’m sure Vaelyx, Jaelyx, Aegon and Valena would agree.”

“And mother?” Viserys asked.

“She’d shake you up a lot.” Aemon said.

This made Viserys laughed.


“Yes, she would.” he agreed.

Aemon put a hand on his brother’s back. “You’re going to be alright.”

Viserys smiled a bit. “Thanks.”


“Don’t mention it.” Laenara told him.

Viserys stood up and took a deep breath. “Well I’m starving! Let’s go eat something.”

______________________________________________________________________

VALERION: January 8th, 111 AC, Dragonstone
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He had a hard time sleeping these days. Once again he had hoped that it had all been a dream, that he would wake up with his wife by his side, smiling. But like each morning, he could see that he was alone. Laena was gone, having fled to wherever and abandoning him. It only made him more frustrated. He wanted to know why she had leaved, where she had gone. His guess was the Stepstones, but he had a feeling that he would not be welcomed there. This only infuriated him more, and so he chose to leave and go to the dragonpit.


Surely flying would take this off his mind. It had been a while since he took Dreamfyre for a flight, so the dragon would probably be unruly during the flight. This should keep him focused on the flight and make his stop thinking about Laena. But after a while all he could think of what how lonely it felt, how he missed flying by her side and talking to her. He quickly decided to land back, frustrated that once again he could not get her and her betrayal out of his head. Dreamfyre seemed angry to land, but he was trained enough to obey his directives.
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When he landed, he made his way through Dragonstone, trying to find something to do. His mind was drifting, and he was not paying attention to his surroundings. Which was how he ended up colliding with Myles Wylde, Maegon’s squire. The young man was coming out of a room running and ran into Valerion, sending him to the ground.

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“Couldn’t you get out of the bloody way?” the squire complained.

Valerion was pissed. He was about to berate the young man for his insolence when he noticed his face. His face was bloodied, with an eye too swollen to open. It still didn’t stop him from crying, though. Valerion got up, baffled at the sight. His gaze seemed to annoy Myles, who looked back at him with disdain and frustration.


“What are you looking at?” he spat.

“How did that happen?”

“Like you fucking care.” Myles mumbled as he pushed him aside and went his way.

Valerion looked at the young man walking away on the verge of tears. Wondering what had happened, he chose to enter the room from which Myles came. He entered the room in haste, which surprised his occupants. Maegon was sitting at a table with his daughter on his knee. Alyssa was gleefully singing some childish song when they heard the door open.

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“Valerion?” Maegon asked, clearly confused.

Valerion had entered with such haste that he took a moment to take his breath, walking slowly to the table and sitting in a chair. It took him a minute or so before he was able to speak, once again a cause of his bad health. While it wasn’t as bad as it used to be, he still had to suffer from his weak body.


“Why is he not speaking?” Alyssa asked.

“Shush, girl.” Maegon chastised her. “No everyone has my body. No stay silent and let your uncle time to speak.”

Alyssa seemed frustrated, but obeyed her father never the less.


“What…” a few coughs cut him off. “Myles… I saw him come out…”

“Oh, him.” Maegon seemed to get angrier all the sudden. “I had to teach him some sense.”

“What did… he do to… deserve this?”

“He mouth-mouth father!” Alyssa exclaimed in a laugher.

Maegon hit the table with his fist, silencing his daughter almost immediately.

“What?”

“We have enough of this shit with Jaelyx. I won’t have my own squire act in such shameful way!”

“Ah…”

Now things fell into place. Why the young man was in tears, why Maegon got so angry, why Maegon often compared Myles to Jaelyx… It was true that the squire had always looked up at his brother, but Valerion had always thought that it was simply admiration.

“You did the right thing.” Valerion admitted. “It’s not because father and mother tolerate it with Jaelyx that you have to encourage it.”

Maegon nodded in agreement. “I hope he learned his lesson and won’t entertain these idiocies again.”


“Uncle Vaeron…” Alyssa began.

“That’s not my name.” Valerion replied, annoyed that she was still making mistakes with his name.

“Uncle Vaeron?”

“It’s Valerion.” he insisted.

“I’m pretty sure it’s Vaeron.” she replied.

“What do you want?” he angrily replied to her.

“Uncle Vaeron, when is aunt Laena coming back?”

“My name if Valerion, by the Seven!” and angrily shouted. “AND SHE NOT COMING BACK!”

“But…”

“Alyssa!” Maegon chastised her. “She betrayed our family! Never speak of her again, Alyssa! Do you hear me? She’s just a coward that couldn’t do what was necessary to keep this family happy! She just…”

“ENOUGH!” Valerion interrupted him. “Stop, alright? I might be angry at her, but I still love her!”

“You should forget about her.” Maegon advised.

“What’s love?” Alyssa asked.

“Something stupid.” Maegon told her.

“I don’t know, it has its charm.”

Valerion recognized the voice of Ser Criston Cole. The knight was standing behind them, wearing his usual white cloak. As always, Maegon got tense the second he saw him. The two still had this idiotic rivalry, hating the other because they thought of themselves as “the best”. By now, Valerion had accepted that this hatred they had for one another would probably never be resolved.

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“Cousin’s knight!” Alyssa exclaimed.

“Isn’t she a smart little girl.” Ser Criston praised the girl.

“Obviously.” Maegon answered with spite. “After all, I’m the one raison her.”

“Then I hope that she finds a better role model. We already saw how your squire turned out.”

This seemed to pissed off Maegon. “Do you just came to get my fist in your face or do you have something important to do here?”


“I’m here for Prince Valerion.” The knight told them. “Her Highness wants to speak with you.”

“My niece is summoning me? Did I do something to displease her, or is it because she needs something out of me?” Valerion asked. “I never quite know with her, to be honest.”

“More of the later.” Ser Criston revealed.

So Rhaenyra needed him for something. Well that was interesting.


“Alright then.” Valerion said as he got up. “With some luck, this will prove to be a good enough distraction from my current thoughts.”

“Bye uncle Vaeron!” Alyssa gleefully said as she waved him goodbye.

“For the last time, my name is Valerion!” he shouted. “Maegon, she better be able to say my name right next time I see her, or I swear to the Seven I’ll…”

He didn’t finish his sentence, seeing the gaze his brother was giving him. Better not antagonize the only brother he had around. He simply took a deep breath and walked away from the two of them, following Ser Criston out of the room. The knight led him to the library, which is where he usual found Rhaenyra. Her love for books had been surprising, to say the least. She did not pick that habit from Maegon, that was for sure. Valerion coughed a bit, which caught his niece’s attention. The teenage girl closed her book and stood up.

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“Uncle, thank you for coming.”


“It is my duty to come when summoned, your Highness.” he said. “I also wanted to say how sorry I was for you to lose another sibling.”

“My father took it hard.” she responded. “I just hope that my aunt took it harder.”

Valerion nodded. When Viserys married Alicent Hightower, Rhaenyra had at least showed the decency of acting as if she accepted her new mother-in-law. With Rhaenys, she didn’t even hide her disdain for her father’s new wife. Weirdly enough, this had caused the girl to grow more supportive of her younger brother Aenys, as he stood as the wall between her and any boy born from the new royal couple. It was funny, in a way. Her biggest rival for the throne had become her shield against Rhaenys’s possible ambitions.

“I’m guessing you called me for a reason?”

“It’s a matter of high importance.” she said. “Lord Corlys Velaryon has once again left his functions in Dragonstone to go help my uncle on some wild campaign in Essos.”

This was news to Valerion. He remembered when Lord Corlys had left for the Stepstones, but he would have thought that passing years in a jail cell would have discouraged him from doing it again. It also made him wonder. Was Laena with him? Was she fighting there too?

“As expected, the old lords are already beginning to make noise.” his niece continued. “Can’t even have a month of piece with them around.”


“Unworthy of serving you, the whole lot of them.” Ser Criston interjected. “I’d never act like those vermin.”

“Thank you, Ser.”

The smile she gave him was warm, but different than what it used to be. Did her infatuation with the knight finally pass?

“So Lord Corlys left once more.” Valerion repeated.

“Which is why I need you to assume his duties in his absence, like you did last time.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Last time I only helped Aurion. I didn’t take the functions of acting castellan.”


“Aurion is just a commoner. He’ll never have what it take to act in my name, and that’s not even mentioning the lack of respect everyone is giving him. But look, if you think that he’ll do just fine, then of course I’ll let him do his job!”

The sarcasm in her voice was annoying.

“Do you want me to take these duties?” he asked.

“I’m not asking, uncle. I’m ordering.”

“Then I’ll happily serve you to the best of my capacities.” Valerion said as he bent the knee in front of Rhaenyra.

“Good.” she whispered, pleased of herself. “I’d appreciate it if you could deal with the lords before they get any idea.”


“I’ll see up a meeting.” Valerion informed her.

“Please do so.”

As Valerion was walking away, Rhaenyra raised her hand, telling him to stop.

Oh uncle?”

“Yes?”

“If any of them give you trouble, just send them uncle Maegon. I won’t have their arrogance tolerated.”

Valerion nodded and went his way. Truly, she had grown up under the tutelage of Maegon. The question was if this was for the better.

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Maegon remains the soul of .. ahh .. courtesy.
 
ONE YEAR!

Hey! It's been a year since I started Dragon Kin! I wanted to post a chapter for this occasion, but I'm right in the middle of exams week, so I don't really have the time. Still, I wanted to post something to celebrate the occasion. So yeah, one year and 90 chapters in so far, with 4 years cleared. I thought that I would have been further by now, but a lot came in the way and I wasn't really productive this summer... Still, I had a lot of fun writing this, more than I would have thought. It was also a harder job than I would have thought, switching from a History Book style AAR to a Narrative AAR. Juggling between all characters and giving them all screen time has been hard, especially when it comes to secondary characters. But hey, I'm having fun doing it, and I don't plan to stop anytime soon!

Once again I'd like to thank you guys for providing me with the siblings. The story wouldn't have been what it is without them, and I'm really thankful you guys participated in the character creation. If anyone has any question about the AAR or my plans for it, then please ask! I won't spoil the story, but other than that I'll be happy to answer.

Thank again for the support and hope that we'll be able to have this same discussion next year!