Dragon Kin (a Targaryen AAR)

[Zamarak500]

I received the green light from Moderator Qorten for this AAR. Just putting it up there as he asked me to.

CHARACTER CREATION OVER (NO NEW CHARACTER WILL BE ACCEPTED)

So, hi. This is my second AAR, the first one ending recently after a year and a half. For those that read it, I should warn them that I plan to do this a bit differently, focused more on characters and the weeks instead of going over whole reigns in a few posts. So welcome to Dragon Kin, a special little AGOT AAR of mine, focusing on a group of Targaryen siblings!


The year is 106 AC. The old King Jaehaerys died three years ago, replaced by the young king Viserys, who rules the Iron Throne with the help of his Hand, Otto Hightower. For the first time, a young girl stands as the heir to the throne, as the exceptional Princess Rhaenyra was declared heir to the throne the previous year. Meanwhile, Viserys’s brother Damon is preparing an expedition against the Three Daughters, with plans to conquer the Stepstones for himself. And then, there is the other Targaryen siblings…


So for those who know their GoT lore, you’re probably asking yourself “What other Targaryen siblings?” And you would be right, there is only Viserys and Daemon (they had a brother, Aerion, but he is dead by that time). Those Targaryen siblings are in fact character that I will let you guys create. You will decide who those Targaryen are. This interactive aspect is why I needed the green light from a moderator.

So here a little bit of context to how I got this idea. My friends and I often self-insert ourselves in a game, and then I play it and tell them the tale later. I tried it at that exact same start date and it produced a really interesting story. So I was thinking “Why not do it as an AAR?” This could be extremely interesting. And I’m hoping it will be.

Spoiler: Summary of the story with friends

Since my save from that game was erased with everything else when my computer crashed a few weeks ago, I can’t recall the names of the characters. So let’s call them J, L, M, A and V. All of them were dragon riders, none of them were married and they were all men.

As 106 started, each brother followed his own path. A joined the Kingsguard, an offer Viserys had already made to both M and V, but which was refused by both. M, for his part, was a warrior at heart, like Daemon, and did not feel at home in peaceful King’s Landing. He surrendered all responsibilities he had in the capital and joined his brother in his conquest of the Stepstones. To thank him for his help, Daemon would later make him his Hand and give him an island of his own, although M resigned from his position as Hand sometimes during the following years. J and L both got married, J marrying a noblewoman from the Reach and L ending up with their own mother, Princess Alyssa. Finally, V demanded to join the Night’s Watch, Viserys hesitantly giving him his blessing to do so.

Otto Hightower died mysteriously two years later, and this led to a power struggle between J and L, who were respectively Master of Laws and Master of Coins. In the end, L made a more convincing case and was made Hand.

The years continued, and few changed happened. J and L eventually made peace with each other in order to better serve their brother, although L grew closer to the Queen and those that supported the claim of her son, Baelon, while J gave his full support to Rhaenyra. It was also during his tenure as Hand that L somehow insulted Lord Follard, a mistake he would later pay dearly. V continued to rise among the ranks of the Night’s Watch, eventually becoming the Commander of Shadow Tower. Daemon, unsatisfied with ruling the Stepstones, launched an invasion of Essos. Daemon and M managed to conquer Tyros, Lys and Volantis, creating their own little empire on the coast. For his services, M was made a High Lord. As for A, he became the tutor of young Prince Baelon, which was the beginning of a great friendship between the two.

Now almost 20 years into the story, two events shifted the fragile balance of power in the two kingdoms. First, Daemon was killed in his attempt to conquer Myr. This leaved his empire in the hands of his 2 years old son, who was quickly surrounded by corrupt regents who made sure to use the toddler as their puppet. M, who was previously the second-in-command of the Stepstones, found himself on the out. His career would began to die from that point on, although he would still do a thing or two before giving up. The second thing was the sudden death of Viserys a few years later. When he died, J expected Rhaenyra to ascend to the throne, and since he was her favorite uncle, hoped to become the new Hand. Instead, a group of nobles, including L, A and the Queen, put young Baelon on the throne.

Many made a case for Rhaenyra’s claim, but when she died of greyscale in the ensuing months, they all accepted Baelon as their rightful king. J would find himself out of the Council, and after two years lingering around without purpose, he chose to follow M’s example, leaving King’s Landing for the Stepstones. When he arrived, he quickly joined the fray and fought for the right of regency over his young nephew, which he was able to achieve… for 7 months, after which he was removed. Still, he managed to secure an island for himself during his time as regent, allowing him to live as comfortable life as a local lord.

The Stepstones had bigger problems to deal with than the regency crisis, however. In Essos, the local population had begun to rise up against their overlords, and the young king was on the verge of losing his continental possessions. M was recalled as commander, as he and J were the only Dragon Riders in the Stepstones (the son of Daemon had failed to tame his own dragon, ending up infirm in the attempt). This would allow them to suppress some of the revolts, but over the years the rebellions would continue to pile up, ending with the creation of new smaller republics replacing the conquered territories in the following decades.

In Westeros, young Baelon finally reached adult age, and would eventually be knighted by his uncle A. One of the first decisions of his reign was to name his uncle A Captain of the Kingsguard. He also named the son of L Captain of the Golden Cloaks. However, the young man proved to be insanely violent, and Baelon was forced to remove his cousin from the position after a month. Then, insane news arrived to him. His uncle L, the Hand, had been imprisoned for a crime (I seriously have no idea why, I just got a message that he was in my jail at one point without having knwing how or why). On the advice of A, Baelon banished his uncle to the Wall. The following year, the Commander of the Night’s Watch died, and L was appointed as his successor, in spite of V’s years of service to the Watch.

The Stepstones felt into chaos as the son of Daemon reached adulthood. The first thing the new king did was to imprison and execute his uncle M. At the time, M had been fighting a war with his own sons, who had rebelled against his rule. The death of M rid the Stepstones of their last great warrior, as although J was a Dragon Rider, he was a cowardly man who preferred the shadows to the battlefield. J would live for 12 more years, he passed them brooding in his island, without any possibility to rejoin the political arena. When the son of Daemon died, the Stepstones felt into a series of civil wars that doomed it, allowing pirates to take back their islands and destroying this Targaryen kingdom.

Two years after L became Commander of the Night’s Watch, King Baelon received disturbing news from the Wall. L had taken a Wildling as his wife and declared himself King of the Wall. He exile had clearly made his uncle mad. The mad son of L quickly joined his father up north to assume his position as heir, bringing another dragon to the Wall. Many in the Night’s Watch refuse to submit to the mad king, but not V. Although grudgingly, V did bend the knee to his brother, mostly in order to keep his command over Shadow Tower. Baelon himself rode his dragon to go meet his uncle in battle, but the mad king remained on his wall. It was instead his cousin who he met in battle, and after a lengthy fight, Baelon emerged victorious. An army, led by A, then besieged the Wall and captured the mad L, who was given to the Night’s Watch to do as they pleased.

Since it was V who was elected as the new Commander, he chose to be merciful with his brother, leaving him in a jail. L would remain in his cell for four more years, until he was murdered over a forgotten offense. When his body was found lifeless, V ordered an investigation, which led to Lord Follard, who L had offended decades ago. This issue lingered for years, and when the wife of Baelon passed away 6 years later, V made the trip to King’s Landing to demand justice for his brother. To everyone’s surprise, A also demanded justice for L, and Baelon relented to the demands of his uncles and had Follard thrown in jail.

The rest of the story was a peaceful one. V would serve as Commander of the Night’s Watch for 23 years, pushing back three Kings Beyond the Wall who attempted to seize the Wall, which is a testament to both his skills and the number of powerful wildlings during the period. A for his part, lived well into his 70’s, and even lived long enough to see his nephew King Baelon die, leaving his own son Aerion to inherit the throne. Just like Baelon, Aerion was put into the care of A, who also acted as Hand for his great-nephew. During this regency, he had to face a civil war as one of M’s son attempted to claim the Iron Throne. When the pretender was fed to A’s dragon, the lords paramount returned into the fold. A died only a week after the birth of Jaehaerys, the heir to the Iron Throne and son of Aerion I.


So this was a summary of the story that inspired this AAR. Of course, the AAR will be much more detailed, with dialogues and more times on the characters.

So I leave it to you to provide me with the main characters of this AAR! In this story, Prince Baelon and Princess Alyssa had more children than in cannon. I don’t know how much people will participate, but I’ve calculated that there is enough spots for 12 new siblings, assuming they had one child each year (although I have no idea how many people will participate).

Down will be explanations on how to create a character for this AAR. The age of each will be determined by the order of arrival, so first one will be 27, second one 26, third 25, fourth 24, etc. Viserys is 29 at the start of the AAR, and I’ll move Daemon to 28 so that the lore remains mostly unchaged about the crisis of succession. There is also five free dragons at this point in time, so I will distribute them randomly between the characters. I’ll leave a week for the character creation period and for people to join. In a week, I’ll make a post presenting the new Targaryen siblings, with a paragraph giving them some backstory and how they ended up where they are.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I hope you like the idea as much as I do, and I hope to see you around! FIRE AND BLOOD!

​

CHARACTER CREATION

Name
So, your character need a Valyrian name. It can be hard to think of something original. Viserys and Daemon are the only one already taken among the siblings. If you want to take more common names like Aegon or Alyssa, feel free to do so. For those that want more unique name, I found this list on reddit here. which give basically any name possibility for a Valyrian name, with more unique name like Aukar and Valaera.


Gender
That part is easy. Say if your character is a man or a woman. Simple as that.


Attributes
You have the following values for your attributes (2/4/5/6/8). You apply each value to one of the five attributes (Diplomacy, Martial, Stewardship, Intrigue and Learning). Don’t add the bonus that come from the traits, we’ll let the game deal with that.


Traits
I'll be refering to the attributes by their first three letters for short. So for example, Stewardship will be written as "Ste".

1- You can take any Education Trait of your choice, no restriction here. If you want your Targaryen to be a paragon of intrigue, it’s your choice, just like you can also make him/her a failure of a soldier by giving the first martial education trait.

Spoiler: AGOT Education Traits

Diplomacy
Naive Appeaser: Dip +1

Gruff Diplomat: Dip +3, Int +1

Charismatic Negotiator: Dip +4, Int +2, Monthly Prestige +0.05

Grey Eminence: Dip +6, Int +2, Monthly Prestige +0.10

Martial
Incompetent Commander: Mar +2

Dutiful Commander: Mar +4, 1 Leadership Trait

Skilled Commander: Mar +6, 2 Leadership Traits, Monthly Prestige +0.05

Brilliant Commander: Mar +8, 3 Leadership Traits, Monthly Prestige +0.10

Stewardship
Incompetent Steward: Ste +2, Tax Modifier -0.01

Competent Steward: Ste +4

Skilled Steward: Ste +6, Tax Modifier +0.05, Monthly Prestige +0.05

Brillant Steward: Ste +6, Tax Modifier +0.10, Monthly Prestige +0.10

Intrigue
Amateurish Plotter: Int +1

Flamboyant Schemer: Int +3, Dip +1

Intricate Webweaver: Int +4, Dip +2, Monthly Prestige +0.05

Elusive Shadow: Int +6, Dip +2, Monthly Prestige +0.10

Learning
Incompetent Scientist: Lea +3, Mar -1

Dutiful Academic: Lea +4, Ste +1, Mar -1

Expert Scientist: Lea +6, Ste +1, Mar -1, Monthly Prestige +0.05

Mastermind Scholar: Lea +8, Ste +1, Mar -1, Monthly Prestige +0.10

2- You can take a combat trait, if you want, although it’s not mandatory. Really depend of how good a fighter you want your character to be.

Spoiler: AGOT Combat Traits

Poor Fighter: Mar +1, Combat Rating +20

Trained Fighter: Mar +2, Combat Rating +40

Skilled Fighter: Mar +3, Monthly Prestige +0.05, Combat Rating +60

Formidable Fighter: Mar +4, Monthly Prestige +0.10, Combat Rating +80, health +1.5, vassal opinion +5, sex appeal +5.

3- You can pick ONE of the following traits, although you can also just skip this step if you feel your character doesn’t need any of those. A character doesn’t need to be a genius or a dwarf to be interesting.

Spoiler: AGOT Genetic Traits

Positive Genetic Traits
Attractive: Dip +1, Sex Appeal +30

Genius: All Attributes +5, Combat Rating +20, Dragon Hatching Chance +100%, Dragon Taming Chance +200%, Vassal Opinion +5

Quick: All Attributes +3, Combat Rating +10, Dragon Hatching Chance +25%, Dragon Taming Chance +50%

Strong: Dip +1, Mar +2, Health +1, Fertility +10%, Sex Appeal +10, Vassal Opinion +5

Giant: Mar +2, Int -1, Combat Rating +30, Sex Appeal +5

Negative Genetic Traits
Clubfooted: Mar -1, Sex Appeal -10, Combat Rating -40

Harelip: Dip -1, Sex Appeal -10

Hunchback: Mar -1, Sex Appeal -30, Vassal Opinion -5, Combat Rating -40

Lisp: Dip -1, Sex Appeal -5

Stutter: Dip -1

Ugly: Dip -1, Sex Appeal -20

Dwarf: Mar -1, Sex Appeal -20, General Opinion -5, Combat Rating -40

Slow: All Attributes -3, Combat Rating -10, Dragon Hatching Chance -25%, Dragon Taming Chances -100%

Imbecile: All Attributes -8, Combat Rating -20, Dragon Hatching Chance -25%, Dragon Taming Chances -200%, Vassal Opinion -10

Inbred: All Attributes -5, Health -.15, Fertility -30%, Combat Rating -20, Vassal Opinion -10

Weak: Mar -1, Health -1, Fertility -5%, Combat Rating -20, Dragon Taming Chance -100%, Sex Appeal -10, Vassal Opinion -5

Non-Inheritable Traits
Brawny: Mar+2, Dip +1, Health +1, Combat Rating +20, Dragon Taming Chance +100%, Sex Appeal +5, Vassal Opinion +5

Frail: Mar -1, Combat Rating -20, Dragon Taming Chance -100%, Sex Appeal -5, Vassal Opinion -5

Shrewd: All Attributes +2, Combat Rating +10, Dragon Hatching Chance +25%, Dragon Taming Chance +50%

Dull: All Attributes -2, Combat Rating -10, Dragon Hatching Chance -25%, Dragon Taming Chance -100%

4- Now, if you want, pick a Lifestyle if you want, although you can simply skip this part. Still, having you character be a professional hunter, a competent gardener or a famous torturer can give some personality to him/her, in my opinion.

Spoiler: AGOT Lifestyle Traits

Hedonist: Dip +2, Int +1, Fertility +20%, Church Opinion -5, Monthly Piety -0.5

Celibate: Fertility -1000%, Church Opinion +5, Monthly Piety +1

Socializer: Dip +3, Sex Appeal +10

Game Master: Dip +2, Mar +1

Poet: Dip +1

Falconer: Dip +1

Duelist: Mar +1

Hunter: Mar +1, Dip +1

Strategist: Mar +2, Ste +1

Gardener: Ste +2, Lea +1, Drowned God Opinion -2, Iron Isles Culture Opinion -2

Administrator: Ste +3

Architect: Ste +2, Mar +1

Torturer: Int +2, Lea +1, Fear +20

Seducer: Int +2, Dip +1, Sex Appeal +50

Seductress: Int +2, Dip +1, Sex Appeal +50

Master Schemer: Int +3

Scholar: Lea +3, Dragon Hatching Chance +25%

Mystic: Int +1,

Theologian: Lea +2, Int +1

5- And now we finally arrive to the personality traits. You pick four traits here. You can pick as many positive and/or negative traits, as long as the total is 4 traits. Of course, in my opinion a character is always better when he/she has at least one flaw, but if you want one with only positives, than I won’t stop you.

Spoiler: AGOT Personality Traits

Positive Traits
Chaste: Lea +1, Fertility -15%, Church Opinion +5

Temperate: Ste +2, Church Opinion +5

Charitable: Dip +3, Chirch Opinion +5, Drowned God Opinion -5

Diligent: All Attributes +1, Vassal Opinion +5

Patient: Dip +1, Int +1, Ste +1, Lea +1, Fear -10

Kind: Dip +2, Int -2, Vassal Opinion +5, Fear -20

Humble: Monthly Piety +1

Honest: Dip +2, Int -2, Combat Rating -5

Brave: Mar +2, Vassal Opinion +5, Drowned God Opinion +2, Iron Isles Culture Opinion +2

Gregarious: Dip +2, Sex Appeal +5, Vassal Opinion +5

Ambitious: All Attributes +2, Drowned God Opinion +2, Iron Isles Culture +2

Just: Ste +2, Lea +1, Vassal Opinion +5

Honorable: Int -1, Monthly Piety +1, General Opinion +10, Liege Opinion +25, Fear -20

Family Person: Dynasty Member Opinion +5, Spouse Opinion +5

Authoritative: Mar+1, Dip+1, Fear +10, Dragon Taming Chance +100%

Fashionable: Dip +1, Sex Appeal +10, Spouse +5, Monthly Prestige +0.01

Zealous: Mar +2, Church Opinion +5, Infidel Opinion -25, Monthly Piety +1

Trusting: Dip +1, Int -2

Erudite: Lea+2, Church Opinion +5

Negative Traits
Lustful: Int +1, Fertility +20%, Church Opinion -5, Monthly Piety -0.25

Gluttonous: Ste -2, Sex Appeal -15, Church Opinion -5

Greedy: Dip -1, Tax Modifier +0.10

Slothful: All Attributes -1, Vassal Opinion -5

Wroth: Mar +1, Dip -1, Int -1, Fear+10, Dragon Hatching Chance -25%

Envious: Int +2, Dip -1, Liege Opinion -15

Proud: Monthly Prestige +0.5

Deceitful: Int +3, Dip -2, Combat Rating +5

Craven: Mar -2, Vassal Opinion -5, Drowned God Opinion -2, Iron Isles Culture Opinion -2

Shy: Dip -2

Content: Int -1, Liege Opinion +25, Drowned God Opinion -2, Iron Isles Culture Opinion -2, Monthly Piety +0.5

Arbitrary: Ste -2, Lea -1, Vassal Opinion -5

Cynical: Int +2, Church Opinion -5, Monthly Piety -0.2

Paranoid: Int +2, Dip -1

Cruel: Int +1, Dip -1, General Opinion -5, Vassal Opinion -5, Sex Appeal -5, Drowned God Opinion +2, Iron Isles Culture Opinion +2, Fear +20

Stubborn: Ste +1, Dip -1, Vassal Opinion -5

Rude: Dip -1, Spouse Opinion -5, Sex Appeal -5, General Opinion -5

Selfish: Ste +1, Spouse Opinion -5, Dynasty Member Opinion -5

Ruthless: Int +2, Monthly Piety -1, General Opinion -10, Drowned God Opinion +2, Iron Isles Culture Opinion +2, Fear +20

6- If your character is a man, you can take one of the following traits: Knight, Septon or Maester. Whenever you took one of those three jobs or not, you can also take Black Brother and be a member of the Nightswatch. A knight can also be part of the Kingsguard if his Combat Rating is of at least 60. Obviously, with the exception of knight, this mean that you’re character won’t be married (see later options).

Spoiler: AGOT Jobs Traits (Men only)

Knight: Monthly Prestige +0.1, Sex Appeal +5, Church Opinion +10, Andal Opinion +2, Dornish Opinion +2, The Seven Opinion +2

Septon: Dip +2, Monthly Piety +0.5, Church Opinion +5, Same Religion Opinion +5

Maester: Dip +1, Ste +1, Int +1, Lea +4, Liege Opinion +20, Iron Isles Culture Opinion -10

Black Brother: Monthly Piety +0.2, First Men Opinion +5, Andal Opinion +5, Dornish Opinion +5, Free Folk Opinion -50, Dynasty Member Opinion +5

Kingsguard: Dip +1, Monthly Prestige +2, Monthly Piety +0.1, Liege Opinion +15

7- And finally if your character had a martial education to have leadership traits, here is the point where you selected them.

Spoiler: AGOT Leadership Traits

Light Foot Leader: +20% light foot troops

Heavy Infantry Leader: +20% heavy foot troops

Cavalry Leader: +20% mounted troops

Inspiring Leader: +15% morale damage and defense

Trickster: +20% experimentality

Organizer: +20% movement speed, +10% retreat speed

Defender: +25% Defence, -10% damage

Direct Leader: +20% leader the center

Flanker: +20% leading flank

Aggressive Leader: +25% in pursuit, +10% damage, -10% defence

Siege Leader: +40% siege

Flat Terrain Expert: +20% plains, farmlands and steppes

Rough Terrain Expert: +20% forests and kills

Mountain Terrain Expert: +20% mountains

Desert Expert: +20% desert

Holy Warrior: +30% damages against religious enemies

Unyielding: +20% morale defence, +10% defence

Battlefield Terrain Master: +50% narrow flank

Winter Soldier: +50% winter combat

Leads from the rear: +20% defence, -10% morale damage

Relationship
Here, you tell me if you want your character to be married or not at the beginning of the story. If you chose to be married, you can specified the culture of the spouse, although I will decide myself who your character is married to. I’ll try to find someone already existing of this culture, but if not I’ll create a character to fill the role.
If on the other hand, you don’t start married, it doesn’t mean that your character will remain alone for the entirety of the story. Viserys is trying to keep peace at all cost, so if a marriage can bring peace to Westeros, he will make sure it happens.
There is also a third option, which is to ask to be married to a brother/sister of yours. That option depend heavily on the possibility that someone else create a character of the opposite gender and also ask to be married to a sibling. If this no sibling can be found, then I'll simply make your character single.


Starting Location
Now, since I’ll be playing as Viserys, it means that the center of the AAR will be King’s Landing. However, depending on the number of Targaryen siblings, this can lead to a lot of people in the same place, which means little room for the characters to act. So if you wish to star the story elsewhere, you are free to do so, as long as it is either on Westeros or in the Free Cities (anywhere farther would be problematic). Here are a couple of ideas where a character could be:

• Dragonstone: Princess Rhaenyra is only 9, yet she still rule over Dragonstone. Being in the entourage of the heiress instead of the King could provide a different setting of Targaryen, one where the goal is to get as close as possible to the one everyone expect to ascend to the throne one day.
• Sunspear: At the start of the story, Dorne is still independent, making it an interesting region of the Westeros, especially for a member of the Targaryen Royal Family.
• Oldtown: The home of the Citadel and the Starry Sept, the current home of the High Septon, Oldtown is perfect for any Targaryen in search of knowledge.

CHARACTER EXAMPLES
Here are two examples of characters, to give you an idea of the kind of characters that can be created (among the MANY possibilities).

Laekar (M)
Diplomacy: 6 Martial: 8 Stewardship: 4 Intrigue: 5 Learning: 2

Traits:

• Flamboyant Schemer
• Skilled Fighter
• Duelist
• Fashionable, Lustful, Brave, Cynical
• Knight

Relationship: Married (Lysene)
Starting Location: Pentos


Jacaena (F)
Diplomacy: 6 Martial: 2 Stewardship: 5 Intrigue: 4 Learning: 8

Traits:

• Grey Eminence
• Frail
• Gardener
• Erudite, Content, Selfish, Honest

Relationship: Single
Starting Location: King’s Landing

 

[Zamarak500]

INTRODUCTION: THE TARGARYEN SIBLINGS

​

King Viserys I

Birth Year: 77 A
Nameday: January 8th
​

Viserys Targaryen was always described as sympathetic and gentle, even as a child. This is why many are surprised that at the young age of 13, Viserys managed to tame the great dragon Balerion, becoming its last rider as the Black Dread died four years later. In 92, his uncle Aemon died, leaving the succession open. His father, Prince Baelon “the Brave”, was chosen as heir by King Jaehaerys, passing over Aemon’s daughter, Princess Rhaenys (who was married to Corlys Velaryon, the Sea Snake). It was during this period that Viserys, who served as squire for his father, became a knight of his own, although he never found much interest in the martial ways. Shortly after, he married Lady Aemma Arryn, who would be his spouse for the next 12 years. In 97, Aemma gave birth to a daughter, Rhaenyra Targaryen. Yet, no son appeared at the horizon. This became a more pressing matter over the following years.

In 100 AC, Prince Baelon became the Hand of the King, but a year later he “felt a stitch in his side” and died within days from a burst belly, leaving the succession uncertain. To answer the question, a great council of lords was called to settle the matter of succession, the first of his kind, known as the Great Council of 101 AC. The Great Council took place at Harrenhal. Two main candidates stood for the throne: Viserys Targaryen, the son of Prince Baelon, and Laenor Velaryon, the son of Princess Rhaenys, daughter of Prince Aemon. What mattered the most to many lords was to see the male line take precedence over the female line. However, Laenor had many supporters, including Lord Boremund Barathon, Lord Ellard Stark and Laenor’s own father, Corlys Velaryon, the wealthiest man in Westeros. Meanwhile, Lord Grover Tully and Lord Tymond Lannister, among others, were firmly in favor of Viserys. In the end, Viserys won, although it is rumored that he only did by a margin ranging from twenty to one vote only. King Jaehaerys I subsequently named him Prince of Dragonstone.

Spoiler: Targaryen Family Tree

When the old king died two years later, Viserys inherited a peaceful and prosperous kingdom. The new king made it his duty to maintain what his grandfather had accomplished. At the time, he also made his daughter Rhaenyra the royal cupbearer, meaning she was always at her father’s side. She was beloved by everyone, many calling her “the realm’s delight”. However, family issues were looming. Daemon considered himself the rightful heir of Viserys and coveted the position of Prince of Dragonstone, Rhaenys (his sister) was causing scandals after scandals as she took lovers, and the sexuality of his brother Jaelyx turned from a close secret to an open one, making waves at court. In an attempt to calm the first problem, Viserys appointed his brother Daemon on the Small Council. However, Daemon quickly developed a rivalry with the Hand, Otto Hightower, who had replaced their father in 101 AC. The situation grew so tense that Viserys appointed his brother Commander of the City Watch in order to remove him.

At the time, Otto Hightower tried many times to convince Viserys to make Rhaenyra the heir, but he was confident that his wife would give him a son. In 105 AC, he got his wish. Aemma died in labor giving birth to a boy, whom Viserys named Baelon after his late father. The prince died the following day, leaving Viserys destroyed. While mourning, he heard that during one of their drunken outings, Daemon joked with Elaerys about the “heir for a day”. Viserys was enraged at his brothers when he heard of this, angry at Daemon especially. After the mourning period was over, he made Rhaenyra the Princess of Dragonstone in response. This broke with the precedent of 92, when Rhaenys was passed over in favor of Baelon, and the Great Council of 101, which determined that the male line prevailed. Soon after, he was urged by his entourage to remarry. Many suggested Laena Velaryon to heal the rift between House Targaryen and House Velaryon after the Great Council of 101, an idea supported by his brother Aegon. Instead, he was convinced by Otto Hightower to marry the Hand’s daughter, Alicent Hightower, to the shock of many. As a compromise, Viserys did arrange the marriage of his brother Valerion to young Laena, but this still leaves the Iron Throne in an embarrassing situation as they all enter the year 106 AC.


Prince Daemon

Birth Year: 78 AC
Nameday: October 8th

The second son born of the marriage between Prince Baelon “the Brave” and his sister-wife Princess Alyssa, Daemon was quite the adventurous child. He quickly got acquainted with every thief, whore and gambler in Flea Bottom, often leaving the Red Keep to go into the streets. In those adventures, he was often followed by his younger brother Elaerys, with who he shared a strong friendship. He was also somewhat close to his older brother Viserys, although their relationship would grow tainted with the years. When he became a knight at the age of 16, his grandfather King Jaehaerys I “the Wise” gave him Dark Sister, one of the two Valyrian Swords of House Targaryen. Soon after, he took his younger brother Maegon as his squire, his less than noble values playing a great part in the development of the young boy. He also managed to tame the dragon Caraxes shortly after being knighted. During the Great Council of 101 AC, Daemon gave his full support to his brother Viserys. When he heard that Corlys Velaryon might be raising a fleet to defend the right of his son, Daemon gathered a small army in favor of Viserys,

However, the good relations between Viserys and Daemon took a turn for the worst. By the time Viserys ascended to the throne, Daemon was already married to Lady Rhea Royce of Runestone, who he disliked extremely, calling her “the Bronze Bitch”. Daemon asked his brother to set his marriage aside, but Viserys refused. Daemon also believed that he was the rightful heir to the throne, and as such campaigned heavily to be named Prince of Dragonstone. In 103, he was made Master of Coin, a position he served until 104, when he was replaced by his brother Vaeron. He then served for 6 other months as Master of Laws. Daemon quickly grew bored with governance and administration. Also, his growing rivalry with the Hand, Ser Otto Hightower, made the atmosphere at the Small Council unbearable. Viserys then appointed him Commander of the City’s Watch, where Daemon changed their uniforms and modernized their equipment, turning them into the Gold Cloaks. It was during that time that he met a lyseni prostitute named Mysaria, who became his eyes and ears in the streets of Flea Bottom. Many Gold Cloaks were personally loyal to him, and he was often referred as “Lord Flea Bottom” by the population.

After the death of his nephew Prince Baelon, Daemon was observed making drunken japes in a brothel about the “heir for a day” alongside his brother Elaerys, who was equally drunk. Following this, Viserys named Rhaenyra as the Princess of Dragonstone and heir to the throne. Furious, Daemon leaved the capital and went with Mysaria to live in Dragonstone, where his brother Valerion was already residing. There, Mysaria became pregnant with his child. Daemon wanted to give a dragon egg to his lover as a gift for the child, but this was reported to Viserys, who forced him to return the egg and send Mysaria back to Lys. The ship she was on sailed through a storm and Mysaria lost their child on during the trip. This made Daemon resentful of Viserys and Valerion, accusing the later of reporting him to the former. This is when he was contacted by Lord Corlys Velaryon, the Sea Snake, who proposed him to invade the Stepstones to free it from the Kingdom of the Three Daughters. Daemon jumped at the idea, with the firm intention of carving himself a kingdom of his own.


Prince Vaeron

Birth Year: 79 AC
Nameday: July 19th

If Viserys was the kind naïve and Daemon the violent glory hound, then Vaeron was the shy realist. From a young age, Vaeron preferred the comfort of a library to the social life of the court. He especially loved learning about everything related to his Valyrian heritage. Showing to be a smarter kid than his older brothers, he understood the affairs of the state at a young age, in part due to the help of his grandfather, King Jaehaerys I, who took a liking to the young boy. When Viserys ascended to the throne, Vaeron knew that Otto Hightower would try to remove Daemon from the succession somehow, and so held the hope that he would inherit the throne one day. He replaced Daemon as Master of Coin when the later became Master of Law in 104, but opposition in the Small Council forced him out by the end of the year.

In early 105, when it became rumored that Rhaenyra would declared heir, which would make him third in the line of succession, Vaeron realized that there was little future for him in the capital, especially with his younger siblings also wanting to gain power for themselves. After much debating, he chose to leave Westeros and made his way to Volantis, hoping to find both new knowledge on his Valyrian heritage and a place for himself. News of the prince’s arrival quickly spread, and Triarch Benerro Maegyr was quick to invite him in inside the Black Walls. Seeing an opportunity in the young man, Benerro gave him the hand of his only daughter Nyessa in marriage, hoping to cement better relations with the Iron Throne. Since the marriage, Vaeron remains in Volantis, hoping to fulfill here the dreams he failed to achieve in King’s Landing.


Princess Rhaenys

Birthdate: 80 AC
Nameday: May 23rd

The fourth child of Prince Baelor, everyone hoped that the newborn girl would prove to be an angel, her zeal only surpassed by her kindness. Instead, she was brat, crying or hitting her siblings every time she wanted one of their toys. Although the hitting part stopped as her brothers got older (and stronger), she continued to believe that only she was deserving of the best things. So when she reached adulthood, her family was ready to see her get married, and more importantly, go away. She was betroth to Ser Cleos Darry, heir to Castle Darry. During the marriage celebrations, however, she seduced Cleos’s brother Oren and bedded him. Just as planned, they were found out, and in his anger Lord Lucias Darry cancelled the whole ceremony. The scandal made House Targaryen look terrible, but more importantly, it convinced them to leave Rhaenys alone.

Over the years that followed, she would take many lovers, and behind her back some called her a whore, while other hoped to be the next interest of the beautiful woman. Rumors say that she once even slept with one of her brothers, although the identity of the sibling remains unknown, with many theories spawning over the years. Theses love stories left many to wonder how she had not conceived a bastard yet. For her part, she laugh at seeing all those idiots do her biding just for a night with her. She also made many of her siblings jealous when in 100, she tamed the she-dragon Tissarion, who she nicknamed “the Blue Queen”. When 105 came, two things changed her life. First was the declaration of her niece Rhaenerys as heir to the throne. This now meant that women had a chance at the throne, equally to men, making her the fourth in the line of succession. Then, the fact that Viserys’s wife had died in childbirth. Rhaenerys began to fancy the idea of marrying her brother, a position she was convinced she deserved. But the damn Hand instead convinced the king to marry his daughter Alicent Hightower, leaving Rhaenys with only hatred for the woman who stole her place. Since then, Viserys has to deal with the continued complains that Alicent and Rhaenys share for each other.


Prince Jaelyx

Birth Year: 81 AC
Nameday: March 12th

Jaelyx was the fifth child of Prince Baelon and Princess Alyssa. This meant that they had to deal with Rhaenys, who required all their attentions to deal with. Because of this, he would receive less tutoring from his father, which also meant that as he grew up he was never made the squire of a knight, instead learning from the courtiers of the Red Keep. Already a good looking child, this made him the mascot of any social even, where everyone just loved to have the young white haired boy around. This included Queen Alysanne, his grandmother, who found him joyful in his youth. However, this lack of involvement from his parents also left him plenty of time to slack off doing nothing, lacking the motivation his older brothers had. Instead, he found interest in poetry and fashion, which made him even more popular at court than he already was.

As he began to frequent all sorts of social circles growing up, he also realized his personal attraction for men. This quickly became an open secret among the Targaryens siblings, each of them having a different opinion on the subject, ranging from silent acceptance (Vaelyx) to total denial (Aegon) of their brother’s sexuality. This was not helped by the fact that Jaelyx entertained many lovers over the years, although nowhere near the amount Rhaenys had. Sadly, the prince was never able to have anything other than fleeting love affairs that lasted a couple of months. During those formative years as a young adult, Jaelyx began to want more, wanting to take a place alongside his brother Viserys and participate in the affairs of state. Yet his older siblings always seemed to be prioritized, as both Daemon and Vaeron served on the Small Council while he was left out. In the span of a year however, the two men voluntarily chose to leave the capital, now finally leaving a chance for Jaelyx to show everyone what he is capable of.


Prince Elaerys

Birth Year: 82 AC
Nameday: January 19th

Like all his older siblings, Elaerys was born in the Red Keep, where he lived the majority of his youth. Even at a young age, he was known to wander in the lavish gardens of the citadel, enjoying long talks about plants with the gardeners. Years later, he would recall one of his fondest memories as when his father brought him to High Garden for the first time, which he refers to as “an oasis of greenery”. However, the most formative influence during his childhood was his older brother Daemon, four years his elder. Most could remember how Daemon was always followed by little Elaerys, wherever he went. If he trained, his little brother would be trying to emulate him. When Daemon spoke, Elaerys would answer with the same strong voice. Not that Daemon disliked it, to the contrary. It stroke his ego to see his little brother follow in his footsteps.

As they grew up, their friendship turned to friendly rivalry as they strived to prove their superiority over the other. The pure strength and skill of Elaerys faced the quick mind and reflexes of Daemon. In 101, Prince Baelon, who was the Hand at the time, wanted to appease relations with Dorne, so je arranged a marriage between one of his sons and a lady of Dorne. The duty felt on Elaerys after Vaeron and Jaelyx both weaseled their way out of it. Although he was not too pleased with the idea, the young man did not have the heart to call it off, as their father died only a few weeks before his marriage with Obella Fowler. His new marital status did not stop him from hitting the whore houses with Daemon, however, something they both enjoyed thoroughly. Shortly after his marriage, he managed to tame the she-dragon Silverwing, which once belonged to his grandmother Queen Alysanne. When his older brother was made Captain of the City Watch, Elaerys readily joined him in patrolling the streets, thus becoming one of the first Gold Cloaks as Daemon introduced the new uniform. Yet, the life in King’s Landing left him unfulfilled, as he was convinced he could achieve so much more if only given the chance. So when news spread of Daemon plans to liberate the Stepstones from the Three Daughters, it surprised no one that Elaerys volunteered to join him, ready to fulfill his personal ambitions alongside his brother.


Prince Aegon

Birth Year: 93 AC
Nameday: September 9th

Aegon was born on the 9th of September, the day that Aegon the Conqueror died. Because of it, his father Baelon chose to name the boy after the great Targaryen, hoping it would bring him luck. For everyone else, this was a nice name for the kid. For the kid himself, this was living up to an unachievable dream. As he grew up, Aegon realized how much he had to live up to. Before him, two men had previously held the name of Aegon. The first was Aegon the Conqueror, first king of the Iron Throne. The simple mention of his name ushered weight on Aegon’s shoulders, as he feared that he would sully this glorious name he held. And then, there was the second Aegon, Prince Aegon of Dragonstone, first son of King Aenys and brother of his grandfather, King Jaehaerys. Although he died and never claimed the throne, he died fighting the tyrant Maegor, and the old king still talked fondly of his brother’s talents.

So while his siblings either fought in tourneys or cajoled with courtiers, Aegon studies, learned and practiced. He strove to be the best among his siblings, but unlike his brothers, it was less because of some self-centered ambition than the fear of failing to live up to his name. Because of this, Aegon gained a reputation for being a patient and hardworking individual, known as one of the best public speakers of King’s Landing. His only fault, according to many, was his lack of faith, although the young Targaryen claimed that one did not shine in life if he believed in fantasies. He was also known for his love of games, which he often played with his siblings, believing it “helped sharpen the skills”. In an effort to live up to the name of Aegon, the young prince managed to tame the dragon Sunfyre, which never had a rider before him. With the departure of Vaeron and both Daemon and Elaerys, the doors of power finally open themselves to him. The stage is finally set for Aegon, who is ready to help his brother preserve the kingdom they inherited from their grandfather.


Prince Maegon

Birth Year: 84 AC
Nameday: June 11th

A letter off from Maegor, but according to some, far too close to the mad king. Yet, as a child, few believed that he could turn into the vigorous (and cruel) young man that he became. As a child, he was known for his short size, even as he entered adolescence, leaving him with the nickname of “Little Maegon” among his sibling, a nickname he grew to hate more than everything. He was also known for being a loving young boy, always standing by his siblings and taking care of his family as best as a 5 years old could do. It took Vaelyx beginning his own training to get him away from his mother, and from there things went south. Fighting with the then better Vaelyx was infuriating to the young Maegon, yet he always stood up to fight. He also developed a tendency to challenge his brother to races in dangerous areas, which led him to the Red Keep’s dungeons for the first time, a place he would grow to call his second home.

It was not until he became squire for his newly knighted brother Daemon that his size and violent tendencies truly changed. In Runestone, Daemon left his little brother go will, leaving many sheep and more than a few peasants to die in unpleasant ways. To everyone’s surprise, Maegon also grew close with Vaeron, his bookish older brother. This was due to their mutual interest in their Valyrian heritage and in Volantis, although for vastly different reasons, Maegon admiring the torture techniques of Volantis. And so the brutal Maegon returned to King’s Landing in 100 AC, having fully grown into the cruel and ruthless man he would become known as. When Viserys ascended to the throne, he offered his brother the position of King’s Justice, a decision he would go back on a few months later after seeing the cruelty of Maegon. On many occasions, Maegon tried to “court” his sister Rhaenys, but she declined the many marriage proposals he offered her. Tired of this, he instead focused his time on dragons, and managed the feat of taming Vermithor, the dragon of his late grandfather. Now a dragon rider, he proposed to his younger sister Laenara, who surprised everyone by accepting. The newly married couple then joined Princess Rhaenyra as she made her way to Dragonstone, ready to start their new life.


Prince Vaelyx

Birth Year: 85 AC
Nameday: April 5th

Since his birth, Vaelyx admired knights and heroes of his bedtime stories. Those stories would have a profound impact young boy, who came to idolize those famous warriors. As a young boy, he played with swords and often fought with fellow children, although he was always smart enough to never fight them head on, like his brother Maegon tended to do. Talking of Maegon, he ended up being the usual sparring partner of Vaelyx, as Daemon felt too old to play with little Vaelyx and Elaerys preferred the company of Daemon. In those formative years, he often ended up victorious over “Little Maegon”, a feat that would become harder to achieve as the years went on. Seeing how his son showed interest in knights and martial affairs, Baelon used a favor to have him serve under the tutelage of Ryam Redwyne, the legendary Commander of the King’s Guard. Because of this, Vaelyx served as squire for Redwyne during the famous tourney of King’s Landing when Redwyne and Clement Crabb broke 30 lances, forcing King Jaehaerys to declare them co-champions.

Some say that this was during these years that he got the idea of joining the King’s Guard, although other rumors claim he only considered the idea after being rejected by one of his sisters. To his own surprise, being the squire of Ryam Redwyne taught him far more than combat. When his tutor became the Hand in 99 AC, the young Targaryen saw firsthand the lack of political talents his mentor had, leaving him with a respect for the art of deception and intrigue. After being made knight, he worked diligently to become a knight worthy of House Targaryen, although he did spread a few lies to bolster his exploits. Notably, he won a tourney in the Riverlands in 103 which was far smaller than he claimed it to be. In 104 AC, Viserys offered a place to his brother among the King’s Guard, making Vaelyx the first Targaryen to join the prestigious order. Sadly, his achievement was be overshadowed the following year as Criston Cole, the famous knight, joined the King’s Guard as replacement for the deceased Ryam Redwyne.


Prince Aemon

Birth Year: 86 AC
Nameday: March 26th

Aemon Targaryen, 8th child of Prince Baelon and Princess Alyssa. By the time of his birth, both Viserys and Daemon were almost squires, so young Aemon had little interaction with them. Unlike many of his siblings, Aemon suffered early on from his shyness, crippling most of his attempts at making friends. Because of this, he turned to books as a pastime during his youth. His brother Vaeron proved to be quite the mentor in that department, finding in his younger sibling a reflection of himself. Both were shy, both found enjoyment out of reading and both got along well with the other. But as he approached his tenth nameday, it was decided that he would serve as squire for Lord Lyonel Strong of Harrenhal. To his own surprise, Aemon discovered that he liked warfare. Under the tutelage of the lord, he learned how to fight and how to produce decent strategies on the battlefield. Although he would never prove to be as good of a fighter as some of his brothers, he proved to be a decent commander.

The patient and quiet nature of Lyonel Strong helped both of them build a quiet friendship which would survive the end of Aemon’s time as squire. The prince would return to King’s Landing as a patient warrior, where he was welcomed back by his family. His grandfather died shortly after his return from Harrenhal and Viserys became King of the Iron Throne. Unlike many of his siblings, who dreamed of power and fame, Aemon was pleased with the simple life of a younger prince. He had no personal ambition of his own, instead choosing to simply serve his brother to the best of his capacities, which he currently does as the Master-at-Arms of the Red Keep.


Prince Valerion

Birth Year: 87 AC
Nameday: February 4th

Valerion came to the world on the verge of death. For a full day, everyone doubted that he would survive, and it was only thanks to the help of the Grand Maester of the Red Keep that he lived. Even so, he remained sick for most of his first year, with his health issues causing so much worry to his mother that Baelon was himself afraid that her stress would be a risk for her new pregnancy (which would result in the birth of Laenara). As he grew, his parents did not allow him to go out much, which caused him to bottle up his frustration over the year, resulting in a bad temper as he got older. Even as he grew up, he was always weak and often bedridden. Like with King Aenys I, first son of Aegon the Conqueror, many wondered if this weakling was truly the son of Baelon “the Brave”, who was always so healthy and physically active. Just like with Aenys, any doubts about his true parentage dissipated when he tamed his own dragon, the great Dreamfyre, an old dragon that first hatched during the reign of Aegon I. Surprisingly, the move to Dragonstone did improve his condition, and although he would remain fragile for most of his life, he felt strong enough to take walks around the island. He was even able to take lessons from the Master-at-Arms, learning how to use a sword. Still, his father never allowed him to become a squire, feeling it was too risky to let Valerion travel the Seven Kingdoms alone.

When their father died and Viserys became the heir to the throne, Valerion continued to live in Dragonstone alongside his older brother. Even after Viserys ascended to the throne, he chose remain on the barren island, only occasionally flying to King’s Landing in order to attend important events or family affairs (like the arrest of Laegor). Each time he came to the capital, however, the prince made quite an impression. He was an excellent speaker, eloquent in his speeches and simply a great addition to any discussion. However, what left a lasting impression in the mind of others was his furious sense of justice. He always approved of just and fair decisions, but he also argued that ruthlessness was of the essence when it came to righting wrongs. Viserys thought he would have made a good King’s Justice, if it wasn’t for his anger issues and his weak body. Since the coronation of Viserys, he had been the only Targaryen in Dragonstone, with all the perks it encompassed. That changed rapidly over the course of 105. Rhaenyra was declared Princess of Dragonstone and moved in, and with her came Maegon and Laenara. Then, Daemon also came for a while to live with his mistress Mysaria. Still, the biggest arrival for young Valerion was the one of Laena Velaryon and her legendary dragon Vhaegar. The marriage was arranged by Viserys, who wanted to bring the two family closers. Their marriage just celebrated, Valerion now has to live with his new wife in Dragonstone, now full of siblings.


Princess Laenara

Birth Year: 88 AC
Nameday: May 20th

Just like when they had Rhaenys, Baelon and Alyssa hoped that young Laenara would turn out to be an angel. Unlike Rhaenys, she would prove them right. As a child, she was the sweetest little girl, right out of her parents’ dreams. She was only four years old when her family moved to Dragonstone, leaving her with few childhood memories of the Red Keep. She was always well dressed and proved to be an excellent speaker, making her popular in the court of Dragonstone as well as with some of her older brothers (notably Maegon and Vaelyx). What few knew however was how smart and determined she was in learning everything she would need in life. She learned when it was time to be elegant and when it was better to look simpler. She learned how to talk, how to be diplomatic and how to convince others with her arguments. She was excellent. However, when her older sister Rhaenys was in the room, all eyes always turned to her. Laenara was jealous of her sister, who always made sure to be the focus. The fact that Rhaenys tamed a dragon did nothing to help that feeling.

When her brother Viserys became the new king, the siblings moved back to King’s Landing, with the exception of Valerion, who stayed behind in Dragonstone. In the capital, the populace quickly fell in love with the young and kind Laenara, who unlike most of her siblings truly took the time to be nice with them. She seemed to be the only who spoke in their favor at court, and they loved her for it. Her star was quickly eclipsed by her niece, however, as Rhaenyra grew to be called “the Realm’s Delight” and hugged most of Viserys’s (and everyone’s) attention. Once again, Laenara was relegated to the back in favor of a relative. Her jealousy got a bit worst as Elaerys, Aegon, Maegon and Valerion each tamed their own dragon, leaving her on the dragonless side of the family. She wished she had her own dragon, or that she was as rich as other ladies of the court. Although a princess, her place as the 12th child did not leave much for her. Eventually, she surprised everyone when she accepted a marriage proposal from her older brother Maegon. Few expected her to accept the advances of the brutish prince. Some say she was simply to kind to push away her brother, while others whisper that she only accepted because he was a dragon rider. Shortly after their marriage, Rhaenyra was made Princess of Dragonstone, and Maegon insisted that they follow her to their old home, leaving Laenara with little choice but to follow.


Prince Laegor

Birth Year: 89 AC
Nameday: March 14th

The subject of Laegor has become taboo among the Targaryen siblings, and at least a few of them pledged to kill him on sight should he ever surface again. In their defence, Laegor did little to make himself liked by his brother and sisters. Just like Rhaenys, he was an insufferable brat from a very young age. At the age of three, he made a scene during the funerals of his uncle Prince Aemon, complaining that it was boring and that he wanted his toys. Unlike Rhaenys, who turned into a conniving woman as she matured, Laegor remained a brat through and through. Selfish to the core, always stubborn beyond decency and rudely honest, he was disliked by most of his family, and in return he disliked them back. The only time he showed any likeable personality was while hunting, his favorite pastime. When he finally went to serve as a squire in the Stormlands, everyone sighed in relief. Raining to the art of swordfight, Laegor would turn out to be an excellent fighter, his stubbornness becoming perseverance when it came to training. However, his tutelage came to an alt on his sixteenth nameday, when he requested to be made knight. His mentor refused, saying the young prince still had a lot to learn. In response, Laegor chose to quit and returned to King’s Landing, abandoning the dream of ever becoming a knight.

Then came his infamous arrest. It happened a few months after his return to King’s Landing. While in a tavern, members of the Gold Cloaks led by Elaerys entered and arrested him. Witnesses reports that the older brother forced Laegor on the ground and kicked him multiple times out of anger before dragging him to the Red Keep. To this day, many rumors exist to why he was arrested. Some say that he was responsible for the death of Prince Baelon, Viserys’s son, while other claimed he forced himself on their mother Princess Alyssa, and a few even claim he was the mastermind of a massive slavery black market in Westeros. Whatever his crime, all Targaryens, with the exception of Vaeron, who had already departed to Essos, were present for the audience. It is reported that for the first time, Prince Daemon and Lord Hand Otto Hightower agreed on something, as both demanded death for the young prince. But Viserys could not bring himself to it (in part because it meant becoming a kinslayer), and instead sentenced his little brother to join the Night’s Watch. On his way there, Laegor managed to slip away while at the Crossing and made his way in the Vale, where he stole a boat and fled into the Narrow Sea. Elaerys, who led the pursue of the fugitive, claims that there is no way he survived, and the most common version is that he drowned in the middle of the sea. Yet, some strange rumors persist, claiming that he did survive, washed on the shores of Essos…


Princess Valena

Birth Year: 90 AC
Nameday: January 1st

Once, a master lamented that Valena was not born Valenor, as she would have easily made for one of the greatest knights in the realm, and probably an excellent Hand too. Yet, the last child of Prince Baelon “the Brave” was a girl, a fact she never have any problems with. By the time of her birth, the oldest siblings were already entering their adolescence, leaving her not to interact with Viserys, Daemon and Vaeron, but with Valerion, Laenara and Laegor. As a child, she grew to idolize the great Targaryen women, like Queen Rhaenys and Queen Visenya, the warrior queens who helped Aegon conquer the Seven Kingdoms. She also found a living role model in her grandmother, Queen Alysanne. Like her ancestors, she took an interest into the art of swordfight, which surprised many in her family. Still, she was allowed to train, and she would prove to be an excellent fighter, on par with some of her better brothers.

Her brother Aegon, only 7 years her elder, would prove to be a great influence in her formative years. He would transmit his love of games to her, and it was during one of those games that he grasped just how intelligent his little sister was. Shrewd as he was, he had trouble defeating her as soon as she learned the rules of a game, forcing himself to use less honorable tactics to achieve a victory. Seeing potential in her, Aegon pushed Valena as much as he could. Her diligence would show during those trainings, and even Aegon came up shorty of knowledge for her at some point. Over the years, teachers from King’s Landing came to replace her brother as tutors. Still, she would always remember the patience he had showed her, and would show the same patience from that point on. From a few knights who trained her to the sword, she learned concepts like honor and duty, which she would follow for the rest of her life. When Rhaenyra became the heir, she was probably the only person who saw only the good in the announcement. This meant that women now had a better place in the kingdom, that she could help her brother to her fullest. All she ever wanted was to serve her king to the best of her abilities, and now that she has reached her 16th nameday, she will.

 

[Zamarak500]

CHAPTER 1: GAMES AND ADVENTURES
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AEGON: January 1st, 106 AC, King’s Landing

Aegon moved back his wooden soldiers on the board, retreating them out of his brother's reach. He had no desire to lose any of them to his brother.

“The marriage is finally over, bless the Seven.” Viserys, looking at the pieces. “Any more feasts in my honor and my poor belly would have bursted.”

Aegon gave a quick look to his brother corpulent frame. “If even his Majesty says this, maybe we should diminish the reserves for the next feast.”

“Never! Brother, you know how much I love these events, and not just the food. Celebrations mark a moment of peace in the turbulent times we live in. Lords and ladies can forget their grievances and their feuds. We can all celebrate peace and joy. We exchanges good will, offer gifts…”

“Yes, gifts.” Interrupted Aegon. In a way he truly admired his brother idealistic vision, but he had to guide them to the subject of the day. After all, he did invite his brother for a reason. “And what a marriage gift did our brother gave you. Truly, the greatest gift of them all.”

“I suppose you’re referring to this expedition Daemon's leading?” Viserys asked, raising an eyebrow. The King then subsequently moved his troops forward, following the piece Aegon had just moved. As usual, Viserys missed the trap he was planting for him.

“If only it was just him. But behind him stand the Sea Snake and all his gold.” Aegon said, impassible.

“Lord Corlys is a respectable lord. He only has the good of our trade in mind.” Viserys answered, quickly moving other pieces into the incoming trap.

Aegon could agree with some of it. It was true that since the Stepstones were conquered by the Three Daughters, the cost of passage had become unbearable. It had taken a toll on the Westerosi merchants and trade suffered from it. And this didn’t even take into account the enslaving of travelers. He still remembered how Lord Swann bursted into the throne room after his niece Johanna was enslaved by Lyseni pirates. Still, Aegon could simply not bring himself to thrust the Sea Snake, especially after the Great Council of 101 AC.

“Ten thousand sellswords came to Daemon banner!” said the prince, a touch of spite into his voice.

“Just adventurers. What danger is there?”

“The more he succeeds, the more will join his cause. And then there is the dragons. Elaerys went with him.”

“Are you really surprised?” asked Viserys.

“Of course not, but it still means that three dragons will participate in this unsanctioned campaign.”

“Three?”

“I doubt Rhaenys will stand aside while her husband finance a war. Surely Corlys will let ours cousin take the field on Meleys’s back. A dragon is a beast of war, dear brother.”

Meleys “the Red Queen” was one of the oldest dragons still around, having first hatched 86 years ago. With Caraxes and Silverwing, this represented an unstoppable power, maybe even comparable to what Aegon the Conqueror fielded at the Field of Fire. Meanwhile, what did they have in King’s Landing? Tessarion “the Blue Queen”? Sunfyre? Neither Rhaenys nor his dragon was even 30 years of age, let alone 80. As far as he was concerned, some of the most powerful dragons alive were now operating outside of the Iron Throne’s control, and it made him nervous.

“I rode the Black Dread, Aegon.” Said Viserys. “I know what a dragon is capable of.”

Viserys watched as Aegon began moving his piece in position, ready to strike. A frown formed on the king’s face as he realized what was happening and he tried to figure a play to save his situation. If the subject was lighter, Aegon would have let a smirk show on his face.

“I still believe it is a good idea.” Continued Viserys. “In fact, I believe it would be in the interest of peace to convince Daemon to pursue his campaign with a small donation.”

“You sent him gold?” said Aegon, slightly alarmed at this news. “How much?”

“Oh, half of our coffers…”

“Half of our coffers?” almost screamed Aegon, incredulous. “Brother, you are the king, but will you spare me the right to provide a small advice?”

“Of course.” Answered Viserys, moving his piece and signaling Aegon to speed up his turn.

“You appointed an excellent Master of Coins in Lord Lyonel of Harrenhal, a trustworthy man. Even if I must admit he is somewhat brutish, he understand the task that his duty demand from him in his service to the Iron Throne. So maybe you shall consult with him on those matters, from now on?”

“Oh, I did. His answer was that it was a small price in contract of the alternative.”

“Would you care to explain your words?” said Aegon.

He had a hard time seeing what good reason there would be to throw half of the treasury behind an army of sellswords led by a brother who clearly wished for a crown and a man who tried to have his son sit on the Iron Throne. What good reason could Lyonel Strong have to explain a decision? Such potential for betrayal, such risks for the realm. How could they justify this?

“Would you have preferred that our brother remained in King’s Landing, with us?”

Aegon paused for a second, hand to his chin, thinking. No, having Daemon in the capital would have been disastrous, especially with the tense climate that resulted from the incident with Laegor and the marriage of Viserys. There would be so much risk that something went wrong, that some fight ensued. He had to recognize that allowing Daemon to fight in the Stepstones was the lesser of two evils. In the best of worlds, they would end the toll on trade and gain a powerful ally holding the way between Westeros and Essos.

“Seeing it like that, maybe we can spare the court a few feasts and send a few more gold, just to ensure the success of Daemon.”

“Let us not get ahead of ourselves!” screamed Viserys, clearly unwilling to abandon one of his favorite activities. “Now, little brother, I believe it is your turn, and I do have kingdoms to rule.”

“Very well.” Said Aegon, moving his piece and defeating his brother in an instant. He could see on his brother’s face some frustration, his pride wounded by the defeat, but it was quickly replaced by a simpler laugh. Aegon smiled

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
​

MAEGON: January 1st, 106 AC, Dragonstone

Vermithor was carrying one of the last crates to the few ships that remained in the harbors. Maegon felt that it was beneath him to ride his dragon in order to charge material, but he also insisted on helping Elaerys and Daemon charge their ships with the equipment. He was just infuriated that he actually had to do it himself, and not some servants he could work to their death. What an honor it would have been for them, and what a humiliation it was for him and the Bronze Fury.

“That should do it, brother!” screamed Elaerys.

Maegon could see Silverwing floating over their head, meaning that Elaerys had finish filling up his ships. Both dragonriders led their mounts to the solid ground before stepping on it themselves. Elaerys was no wearing any armor yet, leaving his muscular body clearly visible. Behind the bearded of his older brother, Maegon could see a genuine smile.

“Those where the last ships. With this we should be ready to sail in an hour and join with Daemon and the rest of the fleet.”

“I have to admit,” said Maegon, “this is quite the little army he assembled.”

“Never underestimate the natural charisma of a Targaryen.” Responded Elaerys. “Then again, the Velaryon gold was welcomed.”

“Funny.” smirked Maegon. “The last time our brother assembled an army, it was to stand against the Sea Snake. Now, they both work together for the same goal.”

“Nobody knowns the Narrow Sea better than him. He could even find that retched scum’s corpse if he wanted to.”

Both brothers stopped smiling at the mention of their lost brother. Both swore that they would pass Laegor to the sword when they heard he escaped, but in the end, it was the Narrow Sea who took him. Elaerys, who led the pursuit himself, passed the last few months bottling his frustration over this. Maegon knew his brother always hated himself for failing to capture Laegor. Thankfully, this campaign came around to occupy his mind. Maegon believed, or at least hoped, that the glory of the battlefield would make Elaerys forget his failure and move on.

“Still,” said Maegon, changing the subject. “I simply cannot see how you can work with the Sea Snake after what he tried to do. Do you not remember how he tried to steal the throne from House Targaryen, our throne by right?”

“It was five years ago, brother. He bended the knee, like everyone else. I do not see a grudge to be hold.”

“I see betrayal to our blood. Do you not?”

“All I see is our blood married to him and flowing through his children’s veins.” Answered Elaerys, clearly annoyed by the continuous attacks at one of his allies.

“You talk of working with him on this campaign.” Continued the older brother. “Yet I must ask. Why not join us, Maegon? The fury of battle, the pride of victory, you would feel among your kind at our side. And if I can add, our grandfather fought little since the fall of the Mad King. Vermithor could definitively use an occasion to remind the world why he is named the Bronze Fury.”

Maegon contemplated the idea for a moment. He never had the occasion to truly fight on the battlefield, and the idea itself was thrilling enough. All that carnage Vermithor and he could cause, all those enemies crushed under his heel. All those insolent prisoners that would need to be taught proper manners… Yes, he could definitively see the appeal.

“Sadly, dear Maegon has much obligations in Dragonstone. But your offer is too kind.” Said a voice behind him.

Maegon looked back to see his sister-wife standing behind him. As usual, she was well dressed and, but it was her bright smile that caught his attention. She seemed so gentle, happy to be here, and somewhat sadden to force her husband to stay. Yet for a second, he saw her smile waver, and during the passing of an instant, some weird though crossed his mind. For a moment, he wondered if the real reason why she had shut the idea so quickly was because she did not want to be stuck alone on this barren island, while their brother Valerion was enjoying his new marriage. But no, that didn’t sound like the kind Laenara.

“Yes… obligations.” Said Maegon, his smile at the idea of going on campaign having fade away in favor of a disgruntle grin.

Still, Laenara was right. Their niece Rhaenyra was only 9, so someone had to organize the defence of the island, and clearly that no good regent Aurion was not fit for the job. The idiot actually believes in idiocy like honor and justice. What an imbecile. And since he was clearly not leaving Rhaenyra in the hands of the regent, Maegon had taken upon himself to complete the education of his niece.

“Such a shame.” Pitied Elaerys. “But if the Princess of Dragonstone needs you to such extent, how can I take you from her? It shall only be me and Daemon then.”

“I do hope you find what you search out there. Both of you.” Kindly said Laenara, with her usual smile showing once again.

“Do not worry sister. Battles, conquests and victories we will find. And if I have time, maybe visiting a Lyseni whorehouse will be on my list. I heard they have beautiful women there.”

Maegon heard his sister-wife gasp in surprise and disgust at that last comment. Megon was himself was not thrilled at the idea of Elaerys evading his familial duties to his wife, although he was not nearly surprised. He had been the squire of Daemon, after all, so he had a pretty good idea how libertine both brothers could be.

“Does your wife means nothing to you?” demanded Maegon.

“I’m married, not blind!” quickly answered Elaerys, sending the conversation into uncomfortable territories. Seeing how everyone felt awkward after his last remark, Elaerys decided to end this and began mounting Silverwing, still standing behind him.

“Well, at the very least,” finally said Elaerys as he slightly punched Maegon in the shoulder, “you need something to keep you occupied. Gain a dueling partner, take a squire or find yourself a mistress. Just do something or you’ll go mad, stuck on that island.”

Seeing how Laenara was sending him a furious gaze at the mention of mistress, Elaerys decided that this was his cue and took the sky. As they saw him disappear at the horizon, Maegon wondered about his brother’s advice.

“Take a squire…”

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
​

PS: So I wanted the first chapter to be slow with little happening, just to get a general feel on how I would write this AAR. So far I like writing it like this, with dialogues and characters. I think this will work well, knowing that the first year has its twists and turns. First time I wrote an AAR this way, so I hope it's okay (my previous AAR had a tendency of doing years in a single post)

PPS: I tried using a different font for the dialogues to make them more distinct. Please tell me if it make it easier or harder to read so I can adjust.

 

[Zamarak500]

CHAPTER 2: MARRIAGES IN THE RIVERLANDS
​

JAELYX: January 15th, 106 AC, King’s Landing

It had only been two weeks since Daemon had gone on his expedition, and already new problems were on their doorsteps. Then again, this problem had been around for far longer than Daemon’s little expedition.

“The Red Fork belongs to House Tully, you brute! It has always been under our jurisdiction, and the special status of your own domain doesn’t give you the right to steal it from us.” said Lord Grover Tully, hitting his fist on the table.

“It is Strong land.” simply answered Lords Lyonel Strong, clearly unimpressed by the man facing him.

“Please, lords! We are here to avoid battle, not to start one!”

The lords calmed themselves after hearing the voice of their king. Jaelyx watched as Viserys sat back in his chair, clearly tired of hearing those exchanges. He could understand his brother willingness to end the dispute. After all, the two lords had been at it for months now, ever since Lord Lyonel Strong managed to get his hand on the Red Fork. Since then, every meeting of the Small Council had become an opportunity to see the two bicker over it. They even had to be escorted out of Viserys's marriage a few weeks ago after some servant thought it a good idea to sit them next to one another.

“If our lords would please calm down,” began Jaelyx, “then maybe we can find a compromise that satisfies everyone.”

“Compromise?” answered Lord Glover. “These lands belong to the Riverlands. I do not see the need for a compromise over my lands.”

“My lands, you means?” spat Lord Lyonel.

“See? Your Majesty, your Highness, do you now realize what I was dealing with? Why I had no choice but to act?”

“Yes, about your actions. Do you care to explain why you raised your men?” demanded Viserys, his expression more severe than before.

Ah. The main reason for this meeting. The Small Council had been unable to solve the issue, and the tensions between the two men simply grew. It came to a point when Lord Glover raised his men to march on Harrenhal, prompting Lord Lyonel to do the exact same. Thankfully, Viserys quickly sent messengers to told them to stand down, and the two agreed to a private meeting with the King to find a peaceful solution, although grudgingly. Viserys knew that going in there alone would lead to nothing, however, so he asked one of his brothers to back him up. Aegon obviously wanted to be here, but Jaelyx had been faster on this one. Like he was going to let his little brother stole his chance. Aegon may claim that all he did was “for the good of the realm”, but Jaelyx knew better. Either he was just as ambitious as the other were, which would make sense, or Aegon actually believed himself, which was just sad.

“You would have broken the King’s Peace if I didn’t intervene, Lord Grover.” Said Viserys.

“Your Majesty, I was simply restoring order to the realm. I could not let this pass!” Lord Grover defended himself.

“Peace is such hard work. Harder than war. It takes way more effort to forgive than to kill.” Whispered Jaelyx, still standing next to his brother’s chair.

“Good poem, useless advice.” Simply said Lord Lyonel.

Jaelyx was genuinely surprised that the Lord of Harrenhal took notice of his little poetic sentence. He had always been convinced that the Master of Coin was a simpleton who clearly did not deserve his position, but from time to time there were those gasps of intelligence and refinement coming through his words. This is why he did not appreciate the man. Well, that and the fact that he wanted the position of Master of Coin for himself.

“Is it that hard to make peace?” pleaded Viserys. “If Lord Corlys of Driftmark and I could make peace after the Great Council, can you not find a way to end this squabble peacefully? It is only the Red Fork, after all?”

“Only the Red Fork?” complained Lord Grover. “The Red Fork runs right to Riverrun. He who controls this river can tax everything that goes in and out of my domain, which is exactly what he has done!”

“The royal coffers need this gold.” simply answered Lord Lyonel.

“Oh please. We all know you wish to rebuild Harrenhal to its former glory, so do not use the crown as an excuse.”

“The coffers still need to be filled up.” Conceded Jaelyx.

“And why, may I ask? If you didn’t send half of it with his Highness Prince Daemon, you would have no need for the money of Riverrun!”

“Would you prefer that I recall him, Lord Grover?” swiftly answered Viserys, now clearly annoyed by the attitude of his Lord Paramount.

The face of Lord Glover quickly grew paler and silence felt on the room. Jaelyx had a quick smile, always enjoying seeing the effect of his brother’s rare bouts of anger had on a room. Viserys was usually kind and calm, so everyone knew that when he got angry it was better to shut up. Well, everyone except Daemon, but by now he was somewhere in the Stepstones, with no intention to return whatsoever.

“No, of course not, your Majesty. The Prince is right where he should be.” Mumbled Lord Grover, followed by an agreeing nod from Lord Lyonel.

“So you can agree with each other!” said Viserys, followed by a loud laugh from the king that surprised everyone.

The two lords exchanges a confuse look, but then focused their attention back to the King.

“Your Royal Highness,” began Lord Grover, “you’ve known me for years now. During the Great Council, I was by your side, supporting your rightful claim to the throne. I will always be loyal to the throne. You know me! I am no fighter, I am a reader, content to stay in Riverrun and serve. But I cannot do this if Lord Lyonel chokes the income out of my lands. If I raised men, it was only because I saw no other options. You know that I would never do anything that was unnecessary.”

“The Red Fork is mine, yet you never recognize it. Pressure was needed to make you come to your senses.” Responded Lord Lyonel.

“Well there has to be a way to end this dispute without any bloodshed.” Pleaded the king.

“I will not give up my rightful lands.” Stubbornly said Lord Lyonel.

“Riverrun cannot survive with his hold over the Red Fork!” shouted back Lord Grover.

“A marriage.”

Everyone turned their heads toward Jaelyx. There was many complicated solution to this issue, but he had neither the time nor the desire to go with them. Simply too much work. Instead, Jaelyx proposed the simplest option, the one that always worked in the past.

“Lord Lyonel, you wish to conserve the Red Fork as yours, am I wrong?” demanded Jaelyx.

“Yes.”

“And Lord Grover, you wish that your trade stop being hurt by the control of Lord Lyonel over it?”

“This is my main issue, although I do not see how a marriage can…”

“It can stop you from fighting, at least” said the prince, cutting him off. “Both of you can have what they want. Lord Lyonel keeps the Red Fork on the condition he demands no toll on the trades to and from Riverrun. I heard that your grandson Ser Elmo is looking for a wife, so a marriage between Ser Elmo and Lady Catelyn Strong could be an excellent way to cement the deal.”

“Hum… My grandson does need a wife.” Granted Lord Grover. “I’m still reluctant, but if this allows the trade to flow back in my domain, then I will concede this. If the King approves, of course.”

Jaelyx looked at his brother and was relieve to see him nod. With Viserys backing the marriage, this would be a piece of cake.

“What do I gain out of this?” said Lord Lyonel, clearly unconvinced.

“You get the right to keep your lands.” answered Jaelyx.

“Lands that were already mine. I give my eldest daughter in exchange of nothing.”

Lord Grover threw his hands in the air, discouraged at this, and Jaelyx could understand why. The old Lord Paramount had been ready to agree to those concessions, yet Strong didn’t budge. Jaelyx was never for a moment. This brute was about to ruin everything.

"What about a marriage with the royal family then?” said the king. “I have four siblings still unmarried that should be great candidates for your other children.”

“What about Aemon?” continued Jaelyx, now with an idea of his own. “He served as your squire, if I recall. He already knows your second daughter, so this would be an easy match.”

Something shined in the eyes of the muscular old man at the mention of Aemon. Jaelyx often heard his younger brother praise the Lord of Harrenhal at the dinner table. Although he had no idea what was so great in Lord Lyonel, it was clear that the two of them shared a bond.

“It would be an honor for Alys to marry Prince Aemon.”

“Then it is decided!” concluded Viserys, now in a far happier mood than before. “The marriages should take place in Harrenhal since it is at the crossroad between King’s Landing and Riverrun. This double marriage will be a great celebration of the renewed peace in the Riverland. I shall personally at…”

“Now, please,” cut off Lord Gorver, “how is that fair? He is allowed a marriage into the Royal Family while I am left on the outs? What will you do about this injustice?”

“Well, in that case, maybe we can find another prince for Lady Neria.” Viserys quickly proposed.

Jaelyx nodded in agreement. The daughter of Lord Grover was already 31, so she needed a husband now, and this was the perfect occasion for the old man to get rid of her. Obviously, Aegon would take the fall. “The good of the throne comes first” he always said. So he would gladly marry a Tully if this helped his brother.

“And who do you have in mind, my King?” demanded Lord Grover.

“Ah, that part is easy. Jaelyx will be a perfect choice!”

Aegon would probably complain a bit, but the decision was made. It was a marriage to keep the King’s Peace, and in no way would his brother weasel out of it. He would enjoy seeing his brother…

“Wait, would what did you just say, brother?”

______________________________________________________________________

AEMON: January 21th, 106 AC, Harrenhal

“… I take you for my lady and wife.” Said simultaneously Aemon and Elmo Tully, as each of them held the hand of their promises.

Aemon looked at his bride. Alys now wearing the cloak he had just given her, a black one with the three headed dragon of the Targaryen. She was smiling. He had been around her long enough to know that she wouldn’t be smiling if she did not want to, which meant that she wanted this marriage. This calmed any of his worries. He was afraid that she would feel forced into this union only because her father wanted to. For his part, he readily agreed to the marriage when Viserys came to him. Being the son-in-law of Lord Lyonel was perfect, and marrying someone he knew since he was ten was not a worst case scenario for him, far from it.

“I declare you one flesh, one heart, one soul, now and forever.” Said the Septon.

Everyone around the two coupled cheered. Being the center of attention made him anxious to get on the side, so he gave a shy kiss to his new wife and left Ser Elmo to hug all the attention, which he did. After the ceremony, a great feast was organized in the great hall. The two married couples had the honor of sitting next to the King, as the Queen refused to make the trip to Harrenhal. A shame, Aemon though. Harrenhal was a magnificent fortress, a place he thoroughly enjoyed during his time as squire.

He could also see that only a few of his siblings could make it. Aside of Viserys, only Rhaenys, Aegon, Vaelyx and Valena were present. Maegon and Laenara couldn’t be present, although they would be for the marriage of Jaelyx in King’s Landing in a week. Jaelyx said he stayed behind to help organize his marriage. Aemon believed him, although he saw Aegon laugh when he heard it. As for Velarion, he rarely came out of Dragonstone, although he was also expected to the marriage of Jaelyx.

As usual in those sorts of events, Aemon could see Vaelyx nervously looking around. The King’s Guard was understaffed these days. With Cristan Cole in Dragonstone with Rhaenys, this only leaved three men to protect the King, which Vaelyx repetitively claimed was nowhere near enough.

“Enjoying the day?” said a voice near him.

Aemon turned to look at his brother Viserys, who was looking at his brother while holding a piece of chicken. As usual, Viserys enjoyed his feasts.

“Yes brother, do not worry about me. I’m doing quite fine.”

“I should worry, Aemon. This is your day, your moment to shine, yet it seems like you’ve been avoiding all attention.”

“I am alright where I am. I just do not like the attention like you and the others do.”

“You sound like Vaeron. Always with a book in front of him so he did not have to speak with others. No wonder you two got along when you were younger.”

Aemon simply smiled. He did have some good memories with Vaeron, when his older brother passed him good books from the library. It had now been almost a year since he departed for Essos, and Aemon wondered how he was faring in Volantis.

“Your Highness,” said Elmo Tully, “Would you do us the honor of leading the toast?”

“With pleasure, Ser Elmo.” said cheerfully Viserys.

The king stepped out of his chair and cleared his through loud enough for most to take attention. He then raised his cup in front on him, a movement imitated by everyone.

“Today we celebrate the union of two beautiful young ladies to two young knights. And with their union, we can finally celebrate peace in the Riverlands! Cheer!”

“Peace in the Riverlands!” cheered many guests.

“Aemon, would you like to say a few words?” said Viserys, now looking at his brother

“I… Uh…” mumbled Aemon, clearly shaken by surprise at the offer.

“Can I talk, then? He doesn’t seem up to the task” said Alys, sited between the two brothers.

“Hum, of course, lady Alys.” Viserys answered with a voice full of surprise.

Aemon looked at his wife with a confused look on his face. In response, she simply rolled her eyes.

“Look, if you shat your pants out of shyness, that doesn’t mean I can’t stand up. There is no brown stains on my dress.” Said Alys.

Everyone around her, except for Aemon, was shocked at this rude comment, and her sister Catelyn even gasped. As she stood up, most lords did not stop talking, and it was not until Lord Lyonel Strong hit his fist on the table that the small talks.

“In the name of both my sheepish husband and myself, I’d like to thanks those that came. I’ve known Aemon since the first time he accidentally walked in my room, for which I hit him plenty and even more when I learned he was a prince. What kind of prince is dumb enough to walk on a lady changing?”

Aemon stopped himself from answering that sadly, a few of his siblings would have made the same mistake, maybe even intentionally.

“Anyway, my husband has a tendency to weasel out of speeches, so I decided to take over. I just hope he won’t weasel out of our bed too. Still, I couldn’t have asked for a better husband, and I thank you all for being present for this day. I always knew I’d be married over some stupid river; I was just never sure which. I hope you appreciate it!”

As she sat down, many in the audience were shocked, while other laughed their asses off. Both Lord Lyonel and Aemon were trying to hide their face out of shame. Still, under his hands, Aemon was smiling. That was Alys, and he knew what he would be getting when he pronounced his vows. This was going to be an interesting marriage, to say the least.

______________________________________________________________________

JAELYX: January 29th, 106 AC, King’s Landing

By now he had two weeks to prepare himself, but he still hated the idea. He tried to dissuade Viserys, but his brother was convinced that “this would be good for him”. Probably some idiocy one of his siblings put in his mind. Worst of all, the Sept was packed. All of his siblings still in Westeros were here. Even little Rhaenyra had come to the marriage. For more security, Gold Cloaks had joined the King’s Guard in protecting the people from any sort of attack.

“Brother, here she comes.” Said Vaelyx, who was standing beside him.

Jaelyx turned to see Lord Grover Tully, escorting his daughter. Neria Tully was wearing her maiden cloak, which harbored the colors and symbol of her house. She did not look charming at all, and she definitively wasn’t as beautiful as he was. By the Seven, did he not want to marry this woman. When she arrived to them, Lord Gorver gave both princes a genuine smile, which Jaelyx answered with the best fake grin he could.

“Father of the bride, you may remove the maiden cloak.” Said the Septon, after finally ending his interminable religious rant. Normally, he would have given some respect to what the man was saying, but today Jaelyx was not in the mood. Lord Grover removed the maiden cloak and stepped aside, waiting for the groom to place his own cloak on his daughter’s shoulders. But for an instant, Jaelyx froze. How did he end up in this situation? How could he be trapped like that? Was it really the…

“Brother, I think your bride is waiting.” Said softly Vaelyx, interrupting his brother’s train of thoughts.

“Ah, hum… yes, of course.”


He quickly put the new cloak, this one with the Targaryen colors, on Neria’s back, making sure it did not last any longer than necessary. The septon than indicated that it was time for their vows.

“With this kiss I pledge my love and take you for my lord and husband.” Said Niera with a cold voice.

“With this kiss I… eh…”

Once again, Jaelyx froze. If he wanted out, this was the last moment. He gazed the people in the Sept, hoping to find someone willing to oppose this union. The first thing he found was the harsh gaze of Aegon, clearly telling him to get on with the vows. However, it was only when he saw Maegon moving his way through the crowd with an angry expression on his face that he continued.

“With this kiss I pledge my and take you for my lady and wife!” Said Jaelyx, making sure to keep an eyes on Maegon as he said those words.

And then they kissed. It was short, it was without any emotions, but it was a kiss, meaning he was now married for good.

Then, Jaelyx finally found himself into his element as he mingled with the people and talked with the courtiers. It was his marriage, so might as well enjoy it. It was not every day that he had the occasion of being the most important person in King’s Landing. His time enjoying discussions and pleasantries was ruined as soon as he saw Maegon approaches.

“Oh no…” whispered Jaelyx.

“Brother!” exclaimed Maegon. “For once, you do the right thing and take a woman.”

This was the sort of comments Jaelyx had grew accustomed to from his younger brother. Maegon was among those of his siblings who had problems with his preference for men. For him, Jaelyx sexuality was hurting the whole family and his refusal to abandon his vices was only making it worst. Jaelyx had no desire to hang with his brother all day, so he might as well get to the point right away.

“Maegon, may I ask you a question?”

“It’s your day, brother, you can ask me anything.”

“I saw you marching toward us when I was reciting my vows. What… what were you planning to do exactly?”

“That depend.” Maegon answered.

“Depend on what?”

“Depend on you saying the vows or not,” said Maegon.

As he was about to continue, a smirk formed on his face, and Jaelyx was legitimately terrified as he saw the sadistic expression on his brother’s face.

“… and how fast Vaelyx could have stopped me.”

Maegon then pulled his brother into a massive hug, pulling Jaelyx of the ground. Jaelyx held himself from pushing a small scream of pain at the pressure Maegon was exerting on him. He was convinced that this was intentional.

“You almost brought shame to House Targaryen when you hesitated on the vows.” Whispered Maegon to his brother’s ear. “If you try to pull of something like that again, you better pray the Father that I am not around.”

The brother then released Jaelyx from the hug, letting him fall to the ground.

“Think about it.” Said Maegon as he stepped away to return to his table.

Shacked by this small confrontation, he decided to follow Maegon’s example and return to his table, sitting at his table. Might as well do a toast while here, he thought. This should be an easy way to get his humor back up. He got up his seat.

“Excuse me, dear guests! I’d like to propose a toast to my wife and myself, for good faith.”

Everyone turned toward him raising their cup and smiling. Even Maegon, although his smile was far from charming.

“Growing up I have learned about love. I’ve been surrounding by it every days. I’m so glad we both found it, and it’s why we are here today.” Jaelyx said, smiling at his wife. “I’ve spent the day thinking, wondering if this was real. A gentle hand, a smile, changed the way of my life. May our marriage be a success, and let history be the rest.”

“To Prince Jaelyx and Lady Neria!” screamed someone, followed by many mores.

After the toast, Jaelyx sat down. His wife, who had not participated in the toast, was frowning at him.

“Yes?”

“You really had to make this all about yourself, did you?” said Niera.

“I’m sorry?” responded Jaelyx, clearly confused.

“This was supposed to be my day, the greatest day of my life, when all was about me. Yet you made it all about you with that speech of yours!”

“I am pretty sure my poetic oration was about both of us.” Said Jaelyx.

“You are so inconsiderate! I wish I had married a better man!”

“I am a Targaryen Prince, woman!” almost screamed Jaelyx. “What more do you want?”

“I want a man who will listen to me when I talk, who will not go around and leave me alone, who will do what need to be done so I don’t grow bored, who will always make sure that all my desires are fulfilled.”

“Correct me if I may be wrong, but slavery is currently outlawed in the Seven Kingdoms.”

As a response, she simply sighted and turned from him. Jaelyx mumbled in his beard, asking why on heart he was stuck with such woman for the rest of his life

 

[Zamarak500]

CHAPTER 3: THE YOUNGLINGS
​

AEMON: January 29th, 106 AC, King’s Landing

The celebrations of Jaelyx’s marriage continued the following days, with entertainers from the Crownlands and the Riverlands entertaining guests in a massive feast. Aemon had to excuse himself, however, as he had business with member of the Small Council. The previous day, he received a missive from the Master of Whisperers, who demanded to meet him in the Queen’s Ballroom, in Maegor’s Holdfast. With the banquet currently occupying everyone, the place would be almost deserted. He had no idea why Lord Gendry needed to see him, but the old man told him that he preferred seeing him in person.

When Aemon finally entered the room, he admired its size. It was nowhere near the Great Hall or some of the rooms in Harrenhal, but it was still grand. It was also extremely well decorated, and Queen Alicent seemed to have added her own touch to the place, as some of the walls were now incrusted with the sigil of House Hightower.

In the middle of the room stood an old bearded man, who he recognized as Lord Gendry Chelsted. However, Aemon had no idea who was the tall boy with him. He was probably not older than 10 namedays, yet he seemed better built than most children his age. Reminded him of Elaerys when he was growing up.

“Ah, Prince Aemon!” Lord Genry exclaimed himself, “I’m happy you got the message.”

“Yes I did, although I must confess that I do not know the reasons behind it.”

Aemon began looking around the room, making sure no one was listening to them. If it was so important that the Master of Whisperers sent a secret missive to him, he had better make sure no one was listening. Lord Gendry laughed when he saw the prince looking around him, searching for spies.

“Please ease off, your Highness.” Said the old man with a smile. “This is not the kind of meeting where carefulness is of the essence.”

“Then why the secret missive?”

“Frankly? It was the fastest way to reach you. You have a tendency to shy away from social events, and I did not have the desire to track you over the whole Great Hall during yesterday’s celebrations.”

Aemon looked at the ground, a little ashamed of himself, in part for thinking this was some dangerous secret meeting, and in part for forcing the old man to go through all that work just to meet him.

“Then please,” finally said Aemon, “I’m curious to hear the reason of this meeting if it does not concern the realm.”

“As you wish, Prince. Boy?” said Lord Gendry as he gave a small push on the child’s back. “This is Loreth Lansdale, a young boy of noble birth residing at Bramsfort with me.”

“Pleasure to meet you, your Highness.” said Loreth, never gazing away from the Targaryen.

“The pleasure is mine, young man.” Said Aemon, before turning back to Lord Gendry. “He seems like a nice lad, but I still fail to see why you called me here.”

“The boy is strong, stronger than my grandson or any other boy in Bramsfort, in fact. I thought he would find better tutelage in King’s Landing, and I hoped you would accept to take him as your ward.”

“I… euh… I am flattered, really.” Managed to say Aemon. Whatever he thought Lord Gendry wanted, it was clearly not this. This proposition took him by surprise. Him? A mentor?

“Lord Gendry, as much as I appreciate the offer, maybe there is better options than me? I am not the strongest fighter myself.”

“Maybe,” admitted Lord Gendry, “but you lived your live surrounded by men of great strength. Your brothers Elaerys and Maegon, your mentor Lord Lyonel Strong, the former Lord Commander of the King’s Guard, Ryam Redwyne...”

“You knew THE Ryam Redwyne?” suddenly asked Loreth, now far more interested in the discussion.

“My brother was his squire,” answered Aemon, “but I barely knew him.”

“He was of the King’s Guard, your Highness.” Said Lord Gendry, “You all knew him.”

“Even so, why me? He seems to like knights like Ryam Redwyne, so why not make him a squire in the King’s Guard?”

“Because the King’s Guard has other things to do then train children, while as Master-at-Arms, this is literally your job.” Answered the old man. “Plus, you have something few others have.”

“What could this be?”

“Decency.” Simply said Lord Gengry. “I had been around your siblings long enough to know that this is a rare quality.”

Aemon took a moment to process this, than looked at the young boy, who looked at him with eager eyes. He really had no reason to refuse other than his fear of looking ridiculous training the young lad, which is exactly why he never wanted to be the center of attention. Still, this could be a good experience for both of them.

“Very well then. I will take Loreth as my ward.”

A grin appeared on the old man’s face, while the boy was radiating with happiness, which warmed Aemon to the idea. The kid seemed nice. How bad could it be? As for Lord Gendry, he simply clapped his hands once, after which six men in dark clothes came out. Aemon was surprised, as he did not notice anyone else than the three of them when they entered. He stared at Lord Gendry, confused. This time, it was the Master of Whisperers who smiled.

“Oh please, your Highness, do not give me that look. I may be a man of honor, but I also tend to do my work diligently. And if there is something that I learned from my duties, it is that paranoia saved more life than blind thrust.”

He then began walking toward the exit, waving to his agents as he went. The spies soon followed their master, slowly walking behind him.

“Make him squire if you see it fit your Higness.” Said Lord Gendry as he walked toward the door. “If not, then teach him what you believe is best. Now, if you excuse me, I have to go meet Princess Rhaenys.”

“What do you need my sister for?” asked Aemon, already having a good idea why.

The lord assured walk suddenly stopped, and Aemon could see the nervousness in the old man’s movements.

“I… hum… I also have important affairs to discuss with her.” Said Lord Gendry before pressing his pace and getting out of the Queen’s Ballroom.

“I’d like to meet her Highness too, like Lord Gendry.” Said young Loreth with an innocent smile.

“You are too young for that, lad. Let’s focus on more important matter first, alright?” answered Aemon.

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MAEGON: January 31th, 106 AC, Dragonstone

“Faster!” screamed Maegon. “Is this how you plan to beat your enemies?”

The young boy charged at him as fast as he could, trying to land a hit on the arm. Maegon quickly parried the manoeuver and forced him to go back. He then charged at the strong Targaryen, trying to hit multiple times to the chest as Maegon took a few steps back to gain some distance with his attacker. Finally, Myles saw an opportunity as Maegon was about to strike him from above. He went for a hit to the chest and as expected, the prince went for a defensive posture, ready to deviate the attack with his sword. Instead, the boy moved at the last second, hitting close to the leg and making a small cut. Maegon took a step back and smiled.

“I’m so sorry, your Highness! In the moment, I just attacked and…”

“Do not excuse yourself!” cut off Maegon. “This was a good strike. You used my expectations against me and stroke. Well done.”

A smiled appeared on the face of the boy. Myles had a tendency to get flustered by any praise whatsoever.

“Still, you could have hit my shoulder or my hand, which was why I put such defence.”

“You… you saw the hit coming?” asked Myles, his newfound happiness now crashing down.

“Of course I saw it coming! Who do you think I am? Some amateur?”

It was a lie. Maegon did not see the hit come, but the boy did not need to know that. To be entirely honest, Myles Wylde was already far ahead of most children his age, if not most adults. If the prince had to assess the boy’s fighting skills, he would have put him on par with his late brother Laegor, if not close to Vaelyx and Valena. It was why he took the boy as his ward. When he sent news that he was searching for a squire, many proposed their sons to learn under his tutelage, but almost all of them were little crying babies who never held a sword of their life. Myles Wylde was different. Myles was a warrior, like him. With enough training, Maegon may even mold the boy to his image, just like Daemon molded him when he was squire.

“Alright, now attack me again. I want to see if you learned your lesson.”

“But… your Highness. Are you sure that you are alright to continue?” asked Myles, clearly concern about the cut he made on his mentor’s leg.

Maegon simply laugh, which made the boy only more confused.

“What, this? This is nothing! And even if it was more, Maester Cletus is here to keep an eye on us should anything goes wrong.” Maegon said, pointing with his sword at the man sitting under a tree at a short distance of them.

That last part was also a lie. He knew far too well that the Dornish maester was only there because he liked this place to read his books. Cletus was actually extremely annoyed that they disturbed his sanctuary for their training, which is partly why Maegon chose the spot. A Dornishman serving in Dragonstone, what a disgrace. He also knew that the greedy maester would not move a finger to save him if gold wasn’t involved, although he would probably go for the kid as soon as Myles made a cut to his finger.

“You successfully make one strike on me and we end training for today. Now come on, lad, I don’t have all day.”

After hearing his tutor, Myles quickly took his sword into his hands and charged at Maegon. He tried many quicks attack, but each time Maegon evaded them easily or simply parried them. After a few minutes, Myles saw an opening and jumped for it. He retracted his arm, ready to pierce through the prince’s hand. But this time, Maegon saw it coming. As the boy was about to strike, he hit him in the face with all his force, the back of his hand colliding with Myles’s jaw and forcing him to back off to retrieve so sense of balance. Maegon moved quick, swaying his sword at the boy, creating a massive cut on the side of his forearm.

Master Cletus finally got his nose out of his book when he heard the boy’s scream. He came running to see how he was. Maegon, for his part, simply continued to advance toward Myles, even though his ward was lying on the ground in pain.

“You two should stop so I can check the wound.” Said the master.

“No,” responded Maegon as he continued to advance. “He didn’t hit me, so the training continues.”

“He needs to be treated!” screamed Cletus.

“Out of the way, Dornishman.”

Maegon subsequently pushed the master out of his way and then proceeded to kick Myles in the chest, sending him rolling to the grass close to them. Maester Cletus, quickly returned from the shock and returned at Myles’s side.

“ARE YOU MAD?” screamed Cletus. “Why would you do such a thing?”

“I train him to fight.” Explained Maegon. “And ruthlessness is the best tactic of them all.”

“It is just training!” protested Cletus. “Why on heart would you use real swords in training anyway?”

“Of course it has to be real swords. What’s the point if no one bleeds?”

“He’s just a child! Does that not mean anything to you?”

“It just means that he screams more when I hit him.”

As he was about to tell the master to get out of the way against, he heard Myles grunting. The boy was trying to get back up.

“Stay down boy.” lamented Cletus. “You should be up right now.”

“No, I can continue.” said Myles, trying to get his sword back up. “I haven’t hit him yet…”

“Then ready yourself, lad.” Added Maegon, a smile creeping on his face. “I’m coming.”

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VAELYX: February 1st, 106 AC, King’s Landing

The three members of the King’s Guard still in King’s Landing were walking on the walls of the Red Keep. Sometimes, they were simply the fastest way to travel from one building to another. Lord Commander Harrold Westerling was leading the small group, followed by Prince Vaelyx and Ser Clement Crabb. Viserys had summoned them this morning as he was going to receive a few regular audiences in front of the Iron Throne, so he wanted them present. As they advanced, Vaelyx realized at he was no longer followed by Ser Clement, and as he turned back he saw the knight standing by the side of the rampart, elbows rested on it.

“Ser Clement,” began asking Vaelyx, “is there a problem?”

Never much of a talker, Ser Cristen simply pointed to the garden under them. Vaelyx followed the finger with his eyes and saw lower to them his brother Aemon fighting a young boy with training swords. Probably the new ward he heard about. Vaelyx came next to Ser Cristen to observe the training.

“We could do better.” Simply said Ser Cristen, never taking his eyes of the two persons.

“Oh, I have no doubts.” Followed Vaelyx. “My brother is not the greatest of fighters. Still, he is a decent person, so this boy should turn out for the better.”

“Hum.” Answered Ser Cristen, unconvinced.

A silence followed, and it took at least a minute before any of the two knights broke it.

“Remember when Ser Ryam trained you here?” asked Ser Cristen.

Vaelyx gave out a small laugh. With anyone else, this weird shift in the subject could have looked suspicious, but he knew Ser Cristen enough to know that the knight was too arrogant to hold any malice. Sure, he could be a pain when he wanted to, but he held himself in too high esteem to lower himself to intrigues.

“Of course I do. How can I forget? For a man known as the greatest knight of his time, he was surprisingly lazy when it came to doing his job.”

“I know. Dear Seven, I know.” Said Ser Cristen with a light smile.

“Still, his advices were honest and good. He was good enough to give me his thrust when I needed it.” Continued Prince Vaelyx. “I remember the first time I asked him to ride a horse. I was nowhere near ready for it, yet he still left me ride it. Falling from it repetitively was a good lesson. And what he always said during trainings..."

Ser Clement gave him a questioning look.

"He use to say that a knight should never use dirty tricks, because it put him at a disadvantage. And if you're at a disadvantage, your only option is to get better and better with the sword until the gap is filled purely by your talent."

“Sounds like him.” Said Ser Cristen. “Do you know he replaced my uncle as Lord Commander, right?”

Ah, finally. Vaelyx was wondering how long it would take before Ser Cristen turned the discussion toward himself.

“Clarence “the Short”, if I remember correctly.” Said Vaelyx.

“He’s the reason I became a knight.” Continued Ser Clement. “I had hoped to succeed him as Lord Commander, but by the time I arrived in the King's Guard, Ryam was already in charge. Still, he was just excellent. Maybe even my equal.”

“Ryam Redwyne was of the greatest of all times.” Agreed Vaelyx.

“A shitty Hand, though.” Finally said Ser Clement after a long silence.

“Oh yes, absolutely.”

“A shame for the ages.”

“Clearly the worst man to ever hold the office.”

“Terrible choice. Just terrible.”

“Will you two come along?” screamed Lord Commander Harrold from behind them. “Do I need to remind you that his Majesty is waiting for us?”

The two knights looked at each other, gave a last look at the training session down in the garden, and then made their way toward the throne room.

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VALERION: February 2nd, 106 AC, Dragonstone

“Rhaenyra! Slow down!” screamed Valerion.

The wind was smashing in his face, making it difficult to hold his eyes open. He was barely able to hold to the saddle as Dreamfyre made a dive in order to follow Syrax through the sky. He may be a dragon rider, but he was never one of the best. Speeding on the back of Dreamfyre always made him want to vomit. Actually, most means of transportation did, as long as they were fast enough. And now he was stuck “training” two fellow dragonriders who were far more fearless (or insane) than he was.

He was present when Rhaenyra and Laena asked Maegon to help them become better at riding their respective dragons. Maegon, who was training with young Myles Wylde when they came pestering him, looked somewhat pissed, although Valerion could see that his brother was trying his best to keep his cool. Maegon retorted that is was innate, that if you did take the time to learn about your own dragon alone, then you were “a waste of a dragon to begin with”. It was good advice, in a way. Yet the girls turned to Valerion with the same demands. Laena refused to accept that she still had something to learn while Rhaenyra was convinced they would learn more in the sky than on the ground. Valerion did not have it in him to refuse both his wife and his liege such demands. Plus, there were probably going to do something dangerous anyway, so better be there when it happened.

“Husband, you were right. Riding a dragon clearly makes you livid.” Said a voice, just as the shadow of a dragon appeared over him.

Valerion looked up and saw none other than Vhagar, which since the death of Balerion was the biggest dragon around. And the oldest. Vhagar, the last dragon from the Conquest, now ridden by his wife.

“This is why Vhagar chose me and not you. She knew that I was great enough to ride her.” She continued.

Actually, it was because at the time, Vhagar already had a rider. His father, Prince Baelon “the Brave”. By the time his father passed away, Valerion was already riding Dreafyre, so he had no needs for a new dragon. Still, he learned over the last month that his new wife loved her rantings, even though he many times wanted to scream at her in response. Maybe the day he has enough of it, but so far, this day had yet to come.

“Dear Laena,” began Valerion, making sure he was heard by his wife, “I could use some help bringing our niece back. Would you and Vhagar give us a hand?”

As soon as he finished, Vhagar sped up toward Syrax, who was doing all sorts of dive in the distance.

“I’ll take it as a yes, then.” mumbled Valerion.

It was a little infuriating to see the two girls take the lead over him. Sure, he was no fan of speed, but that didn’t meant they had to play show offs around him. He knew Rhaenyra would listen to Laena as soon as she caught back to the princess. Since her arrival, Laena had been sister figure to young Rhaenyra, who so far had always been around her uncles and aunts. The problem was that Valerion had no idea if Laena would listen to him and bring her back. He looked at Dreamfyre, then held to the saddle as hard as he could.

“I’m going to vomit after this…” murmured the prince as he told his dragon to speed up as fast as it could.

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​

PS: The Chapters are probably gonna come out slowler than the first three, as it is the last day of my free week. University restart tomorrow, so there is a chance the posts will get slower from that point on.

 

[Zamarak500]

CHAPTER 4: CONSTRUCTIONS AND POLITICS
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VALENA: February 5th, 106 AC, King’s Landing

There was a lot of traffic in the streets of King’s Landing, leaving the young princess to wonder what the cause of it was. As she often did when she took a walk in King’s Landing, she did not wear a dress like she did at court. Instead, she took simple plants, boots, and a long black shirt harboring the sigil of her house. Not that the three headed dragon was necessary. Anyone who looked at her hair would immediately recognize her as a Targaryen. Her sword, a gift from Aegon when she reached the age of 10, hanged at her belt.

It took her a while to locale someone who might be able to help but, but she finally spotted a member of the City Watch, or a “Gold Cloak” as some began calling them since Daemon’s redesign of the uniform. As she approach, the man quickly bended the knee, but she immediately told him to get up.

“Please, get up good man.” She said. “If I wanted that kind of treatment I’d have stayed in the Red Keep today.”

“Of course… of course your Highness.” Said the man as he got up.

“I saw that trail of newcomers today. Where do they all come from?” she asked.

“To be honest, milady, I have little information to give you. You should go see to the King’s Gate., its commander might have better answers.”

She acquiesced and thanked the man for his help. As she strolled away, she thanked her brothers to have kept decent men in the City Watch. And his advice proved to be right as she approach the King’s Gate. The number of people grew, and she could clearly see the guards at the massive gate screaming order and doing controls before letting people in the city.

“I don’t care that your daughter’s getting married. You’re not passing today!” screamed a voice among the mix.

She looked and saw a mustached man with brown hairs push order other guards to push away a cart and its occupants, who complained. Seeing how his armor was of better quality than the rest of the men, Valena guessed that this was Ser Gyles Groster, the Commander of the King’s Gate. As she approached, one of the guards spotted her and went to warn his superior. Now warned, Ser Gyles got out of the crowd to meet her, although he did not seemed happy about it.

“Your Highness.” began Ser Gyles. “I do not wish to be rude, but my men and I have our hands full, as you can see.”

“Oh, do not worry Commander,” answered Valena, “I was only curious about this new mass of commoners that arrived today.”

“Oh that!” said Ser Gyles, relieved for some reason. “It is all due to the Lord Hand’s new plans.”

“His new plans?”

“Yes, have you not heard? Some new plan to remake the infrastructures in Fishmonger’s Square and the harbors, from what I heard.”

Valena paused for a second. She remembered Viserys mentioning a meeting about such subjet over the table a few days back.

“And because of that, he needs more workers.” Continued Ser Gyles.

“Does the capital not have enough?” asked Valena.

“Apparently not for the Lord Hand, your Highness.” Answered the knight. “Although if you ask me, we have your brother Prince Daemon to blame.”

“How so?”

“From what I heard, he mounted some sort of expedition.”

“Something like that.” Said Valena, unwilling to go into the full details.

“Well, many people tough that this was a better choice than staying around to die here. So they picked up a sword and took a ship to who-knows-where. A week later some idiot must have realize that they lacked the people needed and now my gate is overflowed. There is so much people that we have to go through who’s here to work and who’s simply a traveller. It’s a pain.”

“I see that it must quite the job.” Agreed Valena.

“Then you’ll excuse me if I go back to it” retorqued Ser Gyles.

As he was turning around, something caught Vaelna’s eyes. She saw one of the guards authorized a man to pass. What was trouble was the fact that said man was holding a couple of swords in his hands.

“Ser Gyles, care to explain to me why workers would enter carrying weapons?”

“Ah, hum…” said Ser Gyles, sounding far less boisterous than before. “Well, you see… there are sometime fights between workers. Yes! Fight! You know those peoples, right? All prone to violence.”

“I fail to see the point of this.” Said Valena, unconvinced.

“Well, those weapons are there to keep order. If some of the higher ranked workers are armed, then the other ones will think twice before making trouble.”

“Shouldn’t your people be assuring peace, then?” asked the princess, “It seems unwise to let them supervise themselves, especially with weapons at their disposal.”

“Not by place.” Simply answered Ser Gyles, pointing at the massive gate behind them. “As soon as trouble passed that, it falls on Morghil and the City Watch. Beside, we don’t have time with all those idiots waiting at the gate.”

Valena looked at the guards. They were clearly understaffed for the flow of commoners waiting for entry.

“Maybe I can provide you some help, Ser Gyles?” asked Valena. “I may even be able to convince Commander Morghil to spare a few men and…”

“Thanks you, your Highness, but we have it handled.” Answered Ser Gyles in a dry voice.

“Are you sure?” demanded Valena, clearly shaken by the harsh answer. “I could be useful.”

“Let the men do their job. They know what they’re doing and don’t need you hanging around.”

“I was only trying to offer help!” she defended herself.

“And I’m going to reject it like a stubborn mule all day!” shouted back Ser Gyles.

He then approached her in a slow, willful manner. His body almost in contact with her, their face extremely close. He raised an eyebrow and showed a lustful smile Valena saw many times around Rhaenys’s entourage.

“Unless, Princess, you want to help me in other ways…” he said with a sensual tone in his voice.

She quickly pushed him back, gazing him with a mix of anger and disgust.

“You must have confused me for my sister, Ser Gyles.” she fired at him

“Then you should learn from her, because we could be having fun. Instead, we’ll be going our way, and with some luck you’ll stop bothering me. I have a job to do, and I would appreciate the interruptions to stop.” Ser Gyles shouted as he turned back toward the King’s Gate, walking to the post he had left just a few minutes ago.

She watched the knight talking with his men and shooting orders all around. On more than one occasion, he gave her shifty looks, looking somewhat unnerved. His refusal to get her help, any outside help in fact, seemed strange. And that didn’t take into account the weapons. As she walked away, she promised herself that she would watch the King’s Gate far more closely from now on.

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AEGON: February 5th, 106 AC, King’s Landing

It was rare for him to be late, which made it worst as he was late for a meeting of the Small Council. Although only Aemon had a true seat at the table due to his position as Master-at-Arms, Viserys often allowed one of his siblings to assist to the reunions and give their opinions. However, he also made it very clear that should they cause disruption in the room, they would be asked to leave. Today, Aegon had managed to be the one invited, in good part because he wanted to know the details about this new infrastructure plan he heard about. And now he was late.

As he approach the door of the meeting room, he saw a red haired man with a great beard talking to Vaelyx, who was pulling up guard duties at the door.

“Ha, Prince Aegon!” Aeron Greyjoy exclaimed himself. “I am guessing that you are also late to this meeting.”

The Lord Paramount of the Iron Isles offered a hand to the prince, who accepted it. The shake was firm and quick, after which Lord Aeron pulled back.

“I did not expect you to join us today.” Said politely Aegon. “A change of mind at the last minute?”

“I promised the King that I would be here, and I am a man of my word. And no, my lateness is in fact attributed to my recent raids in the Narrow Sea. I barely had the time to come back today, and then that mass of people in the streets slowed my way to the Red Keep.”

Aegon frowned at the mention of raiding. Aeron knew that Viserys was less than keen about those violent practices, especially when it could come back to bite the Iron Throne one day. But as usual, Viserys tried looked the other way and denying the problem instead of stirring up troubles inside the realm. Aegon was about to criticize the Ironborn, but Vaelyx was faster in bringing up the issue.

“I am sure you know how his Majesty feels about raiding.” Began Vaelyx.

“I am also sure his Majesty appreciates any donation I bring back after each of my expeditions.” Answered Greyjoy. “Besides, he should know by now that I barely need it. I’m better than that. He knows that at the end of the day, most of what I gain ends up in the commoners’ pockets.”

He was right. Aegon knew fair well that Lord Aeron was never the greedy type. More often than not, his treasury served to help the lowborns in their daily life. He wouldn’t even be surprise if the Ironborn threw some of his gold in the harbors when he arrived. The problem, however, was that the commoners in the Iron Isles often used that gold to build boats, which meant more raids, which meant more problems. Still, it was also true that Lord Aeron left some of it to the crown, as a gesture of good will. Really, from the stories he heard about Aeron's predecessors, they could have been dealing with a far worst Lord Paramount of the Iron Isles.

“I also met your brothers, you know.” Threw in Aeron Greyjoy.

“Hum?” managed to mumble Aegon.

“Daemon and Elaerys, I guess?” demanded Vaelyx.

“It was them, alright. Unless you mean to tell me there are two other dragons in the Stepstones?”

“Any new we should be aware of?” Asked Aegon, disregarding the Greyjoy’s question.

“Last time I saw them was a week ago, and by then they were landing on Bloodstone.” Said Lord Aeron. “I hope for those pirates that the Sea Snakes hold your brothers in thigh leach, or by now the island has become deserving of its name.”

Aegon simply nodded, knowing full well the kind of thing both of them were capable off if left on their own. He heard that Daemon hoped to make himself king of this wretched place, but Aegon wondered if his brother would leave anyone to rule upon. It was not the time to worry about that, however. His focus had to be on the Small Council. He signaled Vaelyx to step aside and then entered the room.

“…it should help more trade accommodate their businesses, as you can all agree.” Finished Otto Hightower as the two men were entering the room.

Lord Lyonel Strong simply nodded, although everyone’s attention quickly shifted to Aegon and Lord Aeron.

“Brother, come!” said Viserys, signaling him to come stand beside him. “I had begun to wonder if you would come at all.”

“Sorry for the delay, your Majesty,” politely answered Aegon.

“And it seems Lord Aeron finally dared to show up, this time.” Said Lord Jaremy, smirking with disdains.

“You may be the Master of Ships, Cave, but the Iron Fleet only follows me, so do not dare believe you know what my duties entitle.” Replied Lord Aeron, shooting a clod gaze to the Clawman.

Aegon took the time to look around, gazing at each member of the Small Council. He knew some of them well, like Grand Maester Runciter or the Lord Hand Otto Hightower. Others he knew less, even though he saw them frequently at court, like the Master of Law, Lord Benjen Stark, or the Master of Ships Lord Jaremy Cave of Cracklaw Barren, the later one he believed to be as stubborn as a mule. He believed that should the need for the Royal fleet arrive, the tendency of Lord Jaremy to go wild and disregard orders would be catastrophic, and at least once he tried to have the Master of Ship replaced, without successes.

“Lord Hand, what about the City Watch?” asked Lord Benjen, choosing to get back on the subject. “This flow of workers will put quite a strain on them. Commander Morghil already accosted me today, demanding for the right to hire more men. That, or to pass some special law to make it easier for them.”

“Then why not do it?” asked the Hand.

“I am not subverting the law of the realm for your little pet project, Lord Hand.” Declared Lord Benjen, his eyes saying that the Lord Paramount would not budge on the issue.

Benjen Stark was the sort of men that Aegon found easy to respect. Everyone knew that Lord Benjen was working beyond what was necessary. If someone worked to improve the laws of the Seven Kingdoms, it was him. Yet the man was humble about it, never taking credit for his accomplishments. Not only that, but you could held quite the interesting conversation with him. Aegon often talked with him for hours, and he heard Valena talk of the man with flattering terms, which was as good of an opinion as he could get.

Still, many were stupid enough to fear that a man who believed in the Old Gods would implement some barbaric law that went against “the way of the Seven”. In fact, some at court criticized the present of both Lord Benjen and Lord Aeron on the Small Council. To Aegon, however, this made perfect chance. Viserys wanted peace above all else, whatever the cost was. By having the two men on the Council, he gave them a voice, thus making any dream of secession unnecessary for them. It also helped that both men were reasonable.

“Have you not already circumvented the law of the King, Master of Law?” asked Septon Alyn.

“I beg your pardon?” bluntly replied Lord Benjen, who by the tone of his voice was clearly bothered by the accusation.

“I heard that you gave Young Lord Bennard his own title, the High Lorship of Stony Shore, no less.” The septon continued.

“Is it not my right to give titles I own to my son?”

“Yes,” interrupted Grand Maester Runciter, “but you did not get the King’s approval to create such title in the first place.”

Aegon looked in silence the two men. Although not a newcomer, Septon Alyn had been the one with the thankless task of replacing Septon Barth, who served as the Hand of King Jaehaerys for fourty years. Alyn was an excellent scholar and an erudite, but just like Barth, and he did share a sense of justice followed the one of the old Septon. Yet, to Aegon, this septon was still not fit for the job. He was far too ruthless, never letting any leeway to others, as seen right now. That, and the fact that he was in the pockets of Otto Hightower, which made him a problem. Septon Alyn was instrumental in driving Vaeron out of the Small Council last year, so Aegon had to be careful around the man.

As for Maester Runciter, he had been around the old man since his birth. Runciter was quite open about his grudge against the Starks from his time serving in Winterfell, when he was kicked out by Benjen’s father. Seeing the old man go against the Warden of the North was thus not a surprise.

“Then consider my blessing given!” simply shouted Viserys, hoping to squash down the dispute before it truly got started.

The septon and master looked at each other and then backed out, knowing there was nothing else to do. Lord Benjen gave a thankful nod to the King, clearly happy to see the issue dealt with in his favor.

“Then can I thrust everyone that no other interruption of the sort will happen?” demanded Otto Hightower, clearly more annoyed than anything at being interrupted for what he saw as a trivial dispute.

Everyone nodded in agreement. The Lord Hand had been patient enough to let them indulge into this little detour from today’s topic, so they could at least listen to him when he talked.

“Then for the benefit of Prince Aegon and Lord Aeron, I shall explain the construction plans once more.”

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PS: So this chapter allowed me to introduce the rest of the Small Council. To be honest, I had no idea how I would introduced them first, but I thought it necessary that you knew who was sitting on it, just in case. It also allowed me to set up Ser Gyles Groster. Yes, he’s the one you should remember from this chapter, out of all characters. Now I can promise that next chapter, we’ll finally go outside of Westeros and see what some of the other siblings are doing!

 

[Zamarak500]

CHAPTER 5: THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SEA
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ELAERYS: February 5th, 106 AC, Bloodstone (Stepstones)

“I said move!” shouted Elaerys.

The prince kicked the chained man, sending him rolling down the hill. They were packing the one captured in battle down in a ship on the coast. Elaerys was not sure if it was safe to put the prisoners all in one ship, but Daemon argued that should anything go wrong, they could simply burn the ship down with their dragon. Besides, it was better than having them around in Bloodstone, alongside their compatriots. Still, Elaerys would have wished it to be less compatriots and more corpses around, and he knew Daemon felt the same way.

Back in January, he catched up with the rest of Daemon’s fleet, where they were quickly attacked by a pirate fleet. Led by Pirate Lord Yorko Vunatis of the Central Stepstones, one of the pirates who now bowed down to the Three Daughters, the pirates tried to stop them. Caraxes and Silverwing made sure they fried. Half of the ships burned, with Lord Yorko barely escaped. Since the pirate lord based himself in Bloodstone, it seemed like the perfect starting point. Yet, as they were about to launch the extermination of those damn pirates, they were stopped by a letter from the Sea Snake, asking them to offer clemency upon their landing.

“Is it all of them?” asked a booming voice behind him.

When he turned, Elaerys found himself face to face with Daemon, and from the expression under his helm, his brother was as happy as he was about the turn of events.

“Let’s say it is. That way, if we find more of those scums, we can just say they escape and deal with them.”

“Add this one, just in case.”

Daemon followed this by pushing a man in front of him. Clearly a Lyseni, his face was bloodied and swollen with bruises. Clearly Daemon found a way to pass his frustration, and the poor bastard happened to be a good punching bag. Daemon fiddled his fingers around Dark Sister, and Ealerys wondered for a second if his brother still wished to it something.

“Lord Corlys finally arrived.” said Daemon, still looking at the prisoners down the hill.

“It’s about time!” Elaerys exclaimed himself. “Our cousin got sick and he chose to stay by her side. I can understand that. What I can’t understand is why we wait for his arrival before waging a war.”

“He said we needed a launching point where harbors are not in need of reconstructions.” explained Daemon. “It is a sound strategy.”

“You still don’t like it.”

“Of course I don’t. Strategy goes out the window when a dragon is involved, and we can field two. And what do they have? Fleets? We can burn them. Forts? We can burn them. Soldiers? We can burn them.”

“Yet we did none and offered them to surrender.” grumbled Elaerys.

“And I am forever in your debt for it.”

Both brothers turned to see a man in his early fifties, wearing simple clothing clearly unworthy of someone of “noble” birth. At his waist was his Valyrian Steel Sword, Poison, which his ancestors had stolen a long time ago. The Lord of the Central Stepstones offered them a smile.

“Save your breath, Vunatis.” answered Daemon. “You’re a pirate, like all scums on this island. Honor is a word foreign to your world, and a debtor is only a man to kill before he can ask you to pay back.”

“Maybe, but I understand the value of gold, and your friend has a lot of it.” Continued Yorko Vunatis.

“I don’t know why I'm surprise,” began Elaerys, “but certainly why I’m disgusted.”

“Say what you want, but I am still thankful that my family lived out another day.”

“If the roles were reversed, I doubt you would have done the same.” Elaerys answered.

“Oh, I would had you killed hours ago if I was the captain of the situation.” Simply said Yorko with a disgusting grin.

“If you wish, I can feed you to my dragon.” offered Daemon. “Maybe then you will stop annoying me.”

“Ah yes, the dragons.” added Yorko, ignoring the threat. “If only I could have my own. You wouldn't happen to be selling a dragon egg, would you?”

“You want a dragon?” mumbled Elaerys, surprised by the interest of the pirate lord.

“I have ruled this island for more than a decade. I have raided ships all across the Narrow Sea. I have a Valyrian Steel Sword at my belt. I have good children who grew into competent adults. What else is there left to dream other than a dragon?”

“We do not have any egg, scum.” swiftly sent back Daemon. “Not like you would pay for it anyway.”

“You understand our ways, Dragon Prince. Maybe you do have what it take to be our King.”

“Like we need your approval for it.” Said Elaerys in spite. “The strength of the dragons shall unify the Stepstones like it did for the Kingdoms.”

“Still,” mentioned Lord Corlys Velaryon, “I’d be happier if your Highness left enough for the kingdom I promised you.”

The Sea Snake finished climbing the hill, and when he finally got up it was clear to everyone that he needed to take his breath. Climbing this hill in armor was indeed a task in itself, and Corlys Velaryon was not as young as he used to be.

“Lord Corlys.” Said Daemon as he offered the man a hand, which Corlys gladly accepted.

“I’m happy you agreed to my request.” began the Sea Snake. “And to be honest, a bit surprised too.”

“Let just say it was not what we wanted to hear.” Threw in Elaerys.

“I believe you. Half of me believed you would just go wild and murder everyone on the island.”

“Still time for that.” Elaerys joked.

“I’d appreciate it if you refrained from it.” Said Corlys, before turning toward the pirate lord. “Yorko Vunatis, I presume?”

“To your service.”

“To the service of my gold, you mean.” Replied Corlys, clearly unimpressed.

“Say what you want, I’m still currently under you.”

“Currently.” Echoed Daemon.

The prince signaled the pirate lord to go, after which Yorko excused himself and went toward his castle. They waited until they were convinced that the pirate was gone, at which point Elaerys finally broke the silence.

“We can’t thrust him.”

“Of course we can’t.” replied Corlys. “You can put more thrust into Prince Laegor’s survival than in the loyalty of Yorko Vunatis. He only serves himself, or the more powerful when needed. This meant the Three Daughters yesterday, us right now and who knows tomorrow.”

“Yet we need him…” grumbled Daemon.

“For now, Prince Daemon, we need Bloodstone. When we have more islands, then we’ll see if Lord Yorko is worth keeping around.”

“Then let’s get on with it!” Elaerys exclaimed himself. “We can move to the next island right away.”

“Islands.” Corrected Daemon. “Brother, I hope you are ready to finally see some action?”

“Just point me in a direction, Daemon, and I shall destroy whatever is in my way.”

“Dark Den. Take A third of the men and take the island. I don’t care how many of those pirates die nor do I care if this island is burned to the ground. But when you come back, you come back bearing news that Dark Den is ours.”

Elaerys nodded as he was trying to hide his excitement. The sea battle had been little more than burning a few ships, and the “conquest” of Bloodstone was more of a surrender. Now, he was finally offered the chance to prove his worth on the battlefield, to show how great of a commander he was. The opportunity he waited his entire life.

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VAERON: February 17th, 106 AC, Volantis

The Black Wall was still impressive, even though he arrived in Volantis almost a year ago. Nyessa told the slaves to stop the cart and waited. After a few minute, a man in armor arrived and talked to her. A guard, Vaeron thought. This meant they wouldn’t be allowed to ride the cart into Old Volantis. As usual, he heard his wife complains, demands to talk with the commander, and after being refused asking which Triarch had forbid this. Vaeron knew that, as usual, this was not the work of some plot against House Maegyr. No, as usual, he, the foreign prince, was the cause of it.

“Nyessa, if you want to stay here and argue all day, then by all means, please continue.”

As his wife turned to face him, the Targaryen prince chose to shut his mouth and simply get out of the cart before she asked him to repeat himself. Unlike him, she was the talkative kind, and he had no desire to be the target of her anger.

As they approached the massive gate of the Black Wall, which separated “New” Volantis from “Old” Volantis, both wondered at the massive structure. It was a pain to go through it almost every day, and he knew they could easily get a house in Old Volantis if they wanted to. However, he still had some issue with the idea of staying with an army of slaves that watched him sleep, especially since many residents of Old Volantis wanted him removed of the picture. For once, he agreed with his wife that Old Volantis was simply unsafe for them.

“You, the foreigner prince, still here to cause shit?” said Commander Illaro as the massive gates opened.

Vaeron left out a sigh as he saw the man. He leaved King’s Landing thinking he would never find a worst jerk than Laegor. Illaro proved him that assholes existed everywhere. The Commander of the Black Wall was a selfish, insulting paranoid moron who did everything he wanted. He wasn’t even of Valyrian descent himself, the only reason he got the job being that he married one.

But the biggest problem was that Illaro reminded him what many though in Volantis; that he was a source of problem and unwelcomed here. Oh, he wasn’t the first Targaryen to come live in Volantis, not at all. The issue was that in a few months, he passed from a foreigner to the son-in-law of a Triarch with full access to his inner circle. Rising that high that fast was suspicious and dangerous. At the time, he was too focused on rebuilding his life that he did not worry, somehow naïve enough to believe that court life would be as calm as it was in King’s Landing. Then again, the recent news that one of his brothers had decided to invade the Stepstones did nothing to help his case.

“As usual, I am only here on business with the Triarch. Since you don’t have access to him, you’ll have to take my word for it.” Replied Vaeron with his usual apathy.

Nyessa smiled at her husband in hope of brightening him. It may have worked if Vaeron didn’t know that she herself believed he was a spy sent by his brother for the first months of their marriage, and to be honest, he wasn’t convinced that she was over it. Still, her support against an idiot like Illaro was always appreciated.

Since the Commander had no way to check if this was true, and no desire to risk his life by not letting them in, he simply shrugged and stepped aside.

“One day, I’ll prove that you’re nothing but problems, Westerosi.” Spat Illaro.

“Yes, yes, same here.” Answered Vaeron, ready to leave that idiot behind.

It took them a while to arrive to the Palace of House Maegyr. Currently the most powerful family of Volantis, they had for years managed to stay on top and keep their rival at bay. A proof of their success: the two other Triachs alongside Vaeron’s father in law were nobodies commanding small garrisons. As usual, Vaeron felt unsettled by the sheer amount of slaves in Old Volantis. There was probably more slave around a Palace than there were persons in King’s Landing. As they entered into the palace, a familiar voice came to their ears.

“He is having a discussion with Aenar, nephew. I’d advice if you both stayed out for now.”

The only other Targaryen in Volantis, Princess Saera was the daughter of King Jaehaerys. She fled after her father tried to make her a Septa and came to Volantis, where she opened a pleasure house. Vaeron was only a child back then, but he still remembers that shame his father felt over the issue. She lived in Volantis since, until the arrival of her nephew. His father-in-law decided that he needed better ties to House Targaryen, and so he offered to take her as his second wife. He had to insist a few times, and to threaten to close her establishment if she refused, until she accepted.

“Lady Saera, you look beautiful today!” Complimented Nyessa. “You really could make other jealous. I hope that my mother did not cause you too much trouble.”

“Young girl, you are too kind.” Saera responded with a smile.

Vaeron simply stared at his wife and asked himself if she was blind. Saera had clearly taken weight ever since she married the Triarch. Thankfully for everyone however, he was far too shy to point it out.

“And… Any idea what they are talking about?” tried Vaeron in a vain attempt to stir the discussion away from her aunt. It failed though, and Vaeron instead sat aside and left them to continue their discussion.

Finally, the doors to the Triarch’s office opened, and a man close to his fifties marched out with a firm speed. He only stopped when he realized that the number of people waiting had changes while he was inside. He looked at the two Targaryen, his eyes now filled with disdain.

“Betrayer.” he simply said to Vaeron as if it was some common nickname.

“Do you have nothing else to say, uncle?” asked Nyessa, vainly attempting to defend her husband.

“There is nothing else to add.” responsed Aenar. “House Targaryen abandoned Valyria. They had a chance to regain their honor by bringing the glorious faith of Valyria to Westeros, yet they betrayed our kind and abandoned our beliefs for the false Gods of the Andals.”

“He may be a heretic, but he is still of Valyrian blood!” she protested.

“No helping, Nyessa…” mumbled Vaeron.

“Defend him as you like, but he is still no one of us.” Replied Aenar before turning to Vaeron. “You are not one of us. And my brother does not need you.”

As he was about to respond, Vaeron heard a voice coming from the room behind them. It was the voice of one of the few person he knew had his back.

“Aenar, do I hear you talking with someone?” shouted the Triarch from a distance.

Aenar simply mumbled some insults before leaving, making sur to bump into Vaeron’s shoulder on the way. Just as he made his exit, another man entered the place. Triarch Benerro Maegyr stood at the entrance of his office door. Well, stand was not the right word. His slaves stood up. He was still seated into the chair they ported. After all, it was tradition that during his term, the Triarch did not touch the ground. They were considered that holy. Vaeron found this tradition more inconvenient than anything, but he already had enough enemies that he had no needs to make new ones by telling everyone what they ought to do.

“Father, I am so happy to see you!” said Nyessa as she approached for a hug before realizing how pointless it was.

“My little girl! Oh, I wish I was not Triarch, so I could feel your embrace!” lamented Benerro. “Vaeron, you feel arlight?”

“Yes, your Highness.” Answered the Targaryen prince.

“Great!” the Triarch said with a big smile. “But you know, you should come live in our palace! I can’t understand why you want to live in a shithole with the Volantenes. All crude idiots. You should come live here with your Valyrian brethren!”

“You’re never going to drop it, are you?” asked Vaeron, tired of the question.

“Of course not, I’m the Triarch. In the end, I always get what I want!”

“Maybe, but I will have to answer no today.”

“Another day then!” he simply answered. “Now, follow me in my office you two!”

As they walked behind the slaves, Vaeron wondered to himself how this man had managed to survive for so long, let alone become Triarch. Triarch Benerro was an incompetent, something even Nyessa could see. The only explanation he had was money, and he knew that the Triarch was currently on the verge of being broke. He simply had no idea how Benerro managed to continue like that.

“Oh, Vaeron,” continued Benerro, “I left the book on the table, if you want to go take a look before we start dinner.”

“Then you’ll have to excuse me, your Highness.”

He bowed to the Triarch and then left for Benerro’s personal library. There, on the table, was the book, just like he had promised. The Fires of the Freehold. This book was older than House Targaryen itself, dating back centuries. It contained the History of Valyria, making it one of the greatest, if the not the greatest, source of information on the Valyrians. And it was a full copy. No full copy existed in Westeros. Even the Citadel lacked part of the massive volume. But Triarch Benerro had it. His father-in-law was kind enough to let him read the book as much as he wanted, but he knew it would take him months to fully study it. As he began reading, Vaeron lost all notion on time, and it was only an hour later that Nyessa would come back to tell him he missed the dinner. Again.

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ELAERYS: February 26th, 106 AC, Dark Den (Stepstones)

Elaerys made a last circle of Dark Den with Silverwing, making sure no one was still hiding around and that his men were the only living being remaining on the island. All he could find however were the encampments of his men and burning ruins, gift of Silverwing. After he felt satisfied, he ordered his mount to bring him back to the ground.

“Not a single damn pirate still around!” screamed Elaerys.

He was answered by the sheers of the sellswords, who raised their swords or hit their shields to make more noise. It had been a good victory, and everyone had the right to celebrate. When they arrived on Dark Den, the local pirate lord, an old fart named Collio Saan told them to get of his island. The first wave of men, led personally by Elaerys, told him they had other plans. Still, after an unsuccessful day of fighting, the prince decided that it was better to finish this quick. If not, Daemon might take Wreckstone before he even took Dark Den, and he came in part to prove Daemon that he was the better of the two. So as the sun rose up the following day, Silverwing pierces the sky, leaving a trail of fire and death on the ground. Collio Saan tried to take down the dragon, but it was obviously a failure. In the end, his men had to carry him out of the alliance, half of his face burned down. When the night arrived, the island was theirs and Elaerys could finally celebrate his first victory as a military commander.


“We drove those damn pirates out of their den!” said Ser Devin. “Those cowards won’t come back to bother us!”

Elaerys acquiesced, after which Ser Devin offered him a seat next to him around the fire. He had to admit, Ser Devin Vizmar pulled his weight during the battle, leading his men courageously and making use of excellent strategy. The Stormlander joined Daemon’s campaign in hope of finally putting his skills to good use. Just like the knight, Elaerys felt useless in King’s Landing, away from any trouble. The most exciting thing he ever did at home was fight in a tournament. Now, he was facing death each day on the battlefield, butchering his enemies in mass. This was the life he always dreamed.

“Too bad some of them got away. Silverwing would have liked a snack or two.” joked Elaerys.

“Talking about food,” Ser Devin continued, “are you hungry?”

Elaerys nodded. He was hungry, in fact. He passed so long in the air that he didn’t realize he missed his meal. Ser Devin passed him a piece of cooked meat. Elaerys took it by the bone and took a big bite out of it, then another.

“Goom mil.” Managed to say Elaerys as he was masticating his food. “Wanf somm?”

“No thank you, your Highness.” Ser Devin refused politely. “To be honest, the smell of smoking corpses cut down my appetite.”

At this mention, Elaerys sniffed the surrounding air. There was indeed this unmistakable smell of human meant burned in its own armor. He rarely had a chance of smelling it in Westeros outside of the few idiots who tried to tame a dragon over the years.

“Shory, I guesh.” Tried to say Elaerys.

“You save most of our men by burning those lowlifes down, so no need for excuse here.” Replied Ser Devin with a smile. “You had the best intentions in mind.”

Elaerys did not mention that his objective was to take the island before Daemon took his and kill as much as possible. If Ser Devin wanted to put his thrust in him, then so be it.

“What do you think will be our next move?” the knight asked.

This time, the prince made sure he had finished what was in his mouth before speaking.

“Corlys Velaryon is still holding in Bloodstone. We leave a few men for garrison duty, then we regroup at our launching point.” Responded Elaerys. “After that, it depends on Daemon.”

“Not a lot of room to plan.” Criticized Ser Devin.

Elaerys tended to agree. He wished he had more room to prove himself, to achieve what he came to do, but Daemon was convinced that only he could lead this campaign. The only reason Daemon even went with the surrender tactic on Bloodstone was as a thanks to the Sea Snake. Now that they were square, Daemon would probably give every single orders. Although Ealerys had his own ideas for the campaign, he chose to follow his brother and so he would thrust his judgement, no matter how much he thought he could do better.

“I just hope we can win this campaign without issues.” He threw in. “My brother has a tendency to underestimate others, and I hope it won’t come to bite us back.”

“Well, worst case scenario, we could always…”

“Your Highness!” screamed one one the man, clearly out of breath from running.

Both Elaerys and Ser Devin exchanged a look before getting up from their seats.

“Speak. Now.” Demanded Elaerys.

“We’ve spotted a fleet sailing through the Stepstones!”

“Its target?” inquired Ser Devin.

“Our guess is either Dark Den or Bloodstone, your Highness. It’s big enough to have at least twice our numbers in term of troops!”

Both paused, thinking about the implications this new development brought.

“What do we do now?” demanded Ser Devin.

“We follow the plan. If the target is Bloodstone, then Lord Corlys will need our reinforcement. And if it’s us, then… well, we fight.” Answered Elaerys.

The knight agreed in silence, then moved run to the troops, beginning to shout orders everywhere, telling them to get ready for departure. As Elaerys was himself thinking of a strategy should they face the enemy, a question went through his head.

“Wait!” he told the messenger, who had still not left his side. “What pavilion did they have?”

“From what we saw, it was the pavilion of Magister Craghas “Crabbfeeder” of Myr.” he replied.

As soon as he heard that name, a smile creeks its way on Elaerys’s face. He could not wait to fight the man responsible for their presence here. If the Magister had not sent taxes off the roof, this campaign would have never happen. The prince made a mental note to thank the man when he would sent his sword through his spine.

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​

 

[Zamarak500]

CHAPTER 6: FIRE AND BLOOD
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ELAERYS: March 5th, 106 AC, Dark Den (Stepstones)

Third day. Third wave of enemies clashing on the shores. From his ships, Crabfeeder had tested their defences, and each time he suffered from it. Now the Magister was probably of waiting he sent his whole force, Mymish crossbowmen supporting his offensive from the safety of the ships’ decks. As the first men arrived on the shore, they were met by a wall of fire from the sky as Silverwing flew over their heads.

“CHARGE! Kill them all!” screamed Ser Devin.

The knight jumped through the flames, followed by his men. The enemies were surprised to see men appear through the red fire, leaving them into disarray. The sight of burning armors charging at them was terrifying. Face to a relentless army, back to the Narrow Sea, they were stuck. The Westerosi were quick to take the advantage. Soon steel met steel and red appeared as the dominant color of the fighting.

From the back of his dragon, Elaerys had an exceptional view of the battle. His men were doing well, but waves were still coming. Silverwing did his best to rain fire upon the boat trying to reach the shore, but he was only one beast, and they were many. The prince could also see two massive ships positioning themselves, closing up with the shore. As he saw the dozens of men aiming, he pushed his mount to make a dive toward the battlefield. As he landed on the ground, Silverwing puts his wing in front of a group of soldiers, trying to protect them the best he could, which leaved him to take most of the attack himself.

“Crossbows! Shields up!” ordered Elaerys as he jumped from his saddle.

Many, like Ser Devin, barely had the time to raise their shields when the volley of bolts struck through the airs. Elaerys saw three bolts land in his shield, the pointed edge shinning on the inside of his protection. He heard Ser Devin screams. When he turned to look, he saw the knight on the ground, a bolt stuck in his left knee. He had little time to reflect on it, however, as the sound of clashing swords came to his ears.

Lisene swordmen and Tyroshi warriors were making their ways in mass. Twice as much were now in front of them, pushing the sellswords. In the middle of this chaos, Elaerys still heard the scream of Silverwing, who immediately dashed to the sky, crashing down on one of the ships only seconds later. As bright orange light began rising from its deck, Elaerys and his men rejoiced, charging with renewed vigor against twice as much enemies.

“FOR KING DAEMON!” screamed some of the men.

Elaerys had his shield clash into another man, who felt on the ground. Before he could get up, a sword was already through his neck. As he got his sword out of the flesh, Elaerys barely had time to dodge an axe throw his way, the weapon instead landing in the head of a knight close to him. As he turned, he saw a tall man with an axe in his left hand, his body fully armors with the exception of his head.

“Finally I have a chance of killing a Targaryen. What luck I have.” said the man, smiling a toothless smile.

As soon as he finished spoking, the top half of his body was shred apart by the teeth of a silver dragon who just landed behind him.

“Shit luck then.” commented Elaerys with a smirk.

The landing of the dragon made everyone worried, and for the fraction of a second, fighting stopped. However, the enemies soon encircled the beast and its rider. Many jumped at the weakened dragon, who still had many bolts of crossbow stuck in his scales. Everything seems grim for the duo. But as Elaerys struck the first opponent to charge him, impaling his stomach with his sword, he heard the familiar sound of wood crackling as it burned. At the horizon, he saw a red dragon spraying its burning breath on a ship, leaving its occupants jumping from it. Two Westerosi frigates were fighting on the sea, boarding their enemies and capturing them.

Could it be Daemon? How did his brother arrive so fast? As he was thinking, he began to realize that he was still encircled, Silverwing trying his best to push enemies with his claws and wings. The warriors were now clearly hesitant, however. With another dragon and reinforcements coming, the army of the Three Daughter was doomed. Many began to back down, while other wondered if it was wise to continue. None attacked him. Feeling confident, Elaerys simply looked at them, striking his sword on his shield.

“WHO WANTS TO DIE AT THE HAND OF A TARGARYEN PRINCE?”

They never had the opportunity to answer. The red dragon flew over the battlefield, sending waves of flames on the enemies, and sometimes, allies. The mass that formed around Elaerys was quickly in flames. As the red beast passed over his head, he saw the rider. In full armor, with a cloak showing the sigils of both House Targaryen and House Velaryon, stood a woman with white hair.

“Cousin.” whispered Elaerys has he smiled.

Rhaenys Targaryen, the Queen that Never Was. The daughter of his uncle Prince Aemon Targaryen, and more importantly, the rider of Meleys, the Red Queen. This meant that the reinforcements were from House Velaryon, which was confirmed seconds afters as one of the ships put a flag with the recognizable seahorse at the top of the mat. Quickly, he mounted his dragon as fast as he could and flew toward her. As their eyes met, they simply nodded to each other in sign of respect. With both dragons now in the sky, ready to strike, and the enemy fleet forced to fight Velaryon ships and Targaryen sellswords, they both knew what would happen.

They knew that victory was theirs.

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​

VALENA: March 19th, 106 AC, King’s Landing

Valena finally brought the drinks back to the table. Waiting for her mother and her brother Valerion, who had decided to come to King’s Landing for a day or two. Must be nice to have a dragon to take you wherever you want, she thought. She dreamed that maybe one day, she would have a dragon of her own. There was those wild ones on Dragonstone, and maybe one day someone would have a new egg for her. But she was in no hurry, however. Even if she never had a dragon herself, it didn’t meant that she couldn’t enjoy her life.

“Thank you dear.” said Princess Alyssa, smiling at her daughter as she grabbed the cup.

Valena could only marvel at the fact that her mother was still so beautiful, even though she was over fifty. She could see where Rhaenys’s pleasure appearance came from.

“No problem, mother. Always a pleasure.”

Alyssa took a sip of her drink, after which she turned toward her children.

“So, what were we talking about before your sister interrupted us?”

“Marriage, mother.” replied Valerion, quickly biting his lips for bringing the discussion back on track.

“Ah yes!” Alyssa exclaimed herself. “Marriage, what a great thing. I can often turn into a great adventure you know. A positive thing all around.”

“I doubt Daemon and Jaelyx would agree with you, mother.” Added Valena with a smile.

“Daemon never put the effort to make his marriage work.” Their mother answered. “The first chance he got, he left her in the Vale and returned home to take some Lyseni whore as his mistress. It seems I wasn’t hard enough with him when he was young.”

“And Jaelyx? What is his excuse?” asked Valerion.

“Jaelyx looks elsewhere. That’s his problem. His preferences aside, he got a good match. A Tully, no less! Probably the best marriage your bunch ever got in a while, actually.”

“Our bunch?” questioned Valerion.

“Yes, your bunch, son. You may not remember, but my parents had thirteen children, so don’t come complain about having a big family.”

“I would never dare, mother!”

As he said those words, Valerion coughed a bit. Valena once again remembered that her brother always had issues with his health, although she often forgot these days. He seemed so healthy at Jaelyx’s marriage, and he even rode Dreamfyre from Dragonstone. He did so much things he never did as a child, it was easy to forget that he was still weak.

“Forget about their married life!” began Alyssa. “We already know it’s a wreck. But what about yours? How is it going with Laena?”

The smirk on Valerion’s face disappeared at the mention of his wife.

“We’re, hum… We’re still going.” he answered tentatively.

“Issues in bed?”

“Mother, no! I may be weak, but I’m not impotent!” Valerion defended himself, jumping out of his chair at those insinuations.

“Calm down, son, I was just asking. A mother can’t ask about her son’s sex life?”

“I doubt so.” Valerion answered. “And even so, why me? Why not talk about Elaerys, or Rhaenys? Their beds have far better stories than mine.”

“You’re here, they are not. Unless your siblings gained the power of invisibility?”

“Not that I am aware of, mother.” responded Valena.

“Look, I know the Laena is a little headstrong, but if your father could live with me, there is no way you can’t deal with her.” continued Alyssa.

“I’m trying mother! I like her, but she’s just so self-centered, always so daring! Do I look like the kind of man who like daring? You should see her, always ranting about riding Vhagar!”

“Now you are going to calm down, Valerion Targaryen!” said their mother when she was serious. “Take a sip of your drink, and then we’ll continue.”

Valerion followed his mother’s advice and after a few sips did get calmer. When he felt good enough, he finally opened his mouth.

“What about Valena? Can we not talk about her love life?”

“I have to admit, I am also curious on how things are going with Aegon.”

“MOTHER?” shouted Valena in shock.

“No, but seriously dear, when are you going to get married?”

“It is not like that!”

“What do you mean, “not like that”? You passed the entirety of your youth around him. I never saw Maegon and Laenara that close, yet they are now married. What the hell are you two waiting for?”

“She has too much respect for him to make the first move and he somehow never realized that marrying his sister was part of the whole Aegon deal.” Answered Valerion for her, his good humor now returned.

“Don’t you also get started, brother!” she reprimanded him. “And mother, I have no feelings for Aegon!”

“But the two of you always talk so highly of each other. He talks the world of you, did you never hear him?”

“I… hem…”

She was taken by surprise by that last comment. Was Aegon really talking of her that much? She always believed he was not the kind to brag, but for some reason she felt a spike of pride at hearing that Aegon spoke so highly of her.

“It is not like that. He’s proud of what I can accomplish. And I always respected him. He thought me almost everything I know. But we are just close, nothing else!”

“Oh, Baelon and I were just close when we married. It did not stop us from having fourteen of you kids! Being close is well enough for a marriage, in my opinion.”

Silence fell on the room as Valena frowned at her mother, clearly angry at the implications. She liked Aegon, but not that way. They were friends and siblings, but that was all.

“Why do you have to be so rude?” demanded Valena.

“It’s called having character girl. How do you think I managed to raise all of you, with kids like Daemon and Ealerys in the mix?”

“You forgot Maegon.” Commented Valena.

“No no no. Maegon was an angel as a child!” Alyssa protested.

Valena turned toward her brother, surprised at hearing “Maegon” and “angel” in the same sentence. Valerion simply nodded.

“You were too young to have known him before he started training with Vaelyx.” Valerion began. “At the time, he was rather small and always around mother. Everyone called him “Little Maegon”. Nowadays, he hates that nickname, and you better not tell him that I said it out loud.”

“I still call him that from time to time.” proudly said Alyssa.

“How are you still alive?” asked Valena.

“Are you joking, sister?” responded Valerion. “Maegon loves our mother. If there is someone he will never hurt, it is her.”

“Yes, Maegon may not be the most … righteous of my children, but he still cares deeply for me, and his whole family as a fact.”

“It is surprising, honestly.” Responded Valena. “To me, he was always this angry kind of bully big brother. Never though he had a sweet side.”

“Oh, he was sweet enough to convince your sister to marry him.” added Alyssa. “Aegon should take a cue from him and finally get moving with the proposal, honestly.”

“MOTHER!”

______________________________________________________________________​

 

[Zamarak500]

CHAPTER 7: DRAGON IN CHAINS
​

LAENARA: March 27th, 106 AC, Dragonstone

A chill passed through her skin ass the three of them looked at the opened cavity by the side of Dragonmont. The cold winds of Dragonstone did nothing to help her nervous body.

“This is a stupid idea if I ever heard one.” Maegon said. “Madness may even be the right word for it, sister.”

“I have to agree with Prince Maegon.” The knight agreed. “Although I will protect you no matter the danger, I fail to see the need of making my task more difficult than it needs to be.”

Laenara turned her head to look at Ser Criston Cole, who was positioned to her left, sword at hand. She took a small pause to admire the gorgeous young knight. When Viserys had to send a member of the King’s Guard to watch over Rhaenyra, there was no doubt the princess would ask for Ser Criston, who had already been her sworn shield since 102. For a moment, Laenara felt jealousy at her young niece. She wished that a beautiful knight looked at her with such devotion as he did for Rhaenyra.

“I appreciate your worries. Yours especially, Ser Criston. I know how your duty is to my niece, yet you came to watch over me.”

“My duty is to protect the King and his family.” Criston answered. “And I command your bravery in attempting this.”

“Bravery? Suicide is the word, knight, so don’t encourage my wife into it” Maegon intervened.

“As I was about to say, Prince, I would also advise against such enterprise.” Criston told the angry Targaryen. “There are better path to courage, Princess.”

“This dark path seems fine to me.” She said, pointing at the cave entrance in front of them.

“It will be too late when his fiery breath illuminates it.” Maegon remarked.

“I’d feel safer if you didn’t risk it.” Criston confirmed.

“Rhaenys, Elaerys, Aegon, Valerion. They all did it. Even you mount a dragon. Why can’t I give it a chance?” Laenara demanded.

“All they did was sitting on a chained pet in the dragon pit. You’re talking about getting on a wild beast who eats its own kind.” Maegon pointed out.

“The Cannibal is not a beast anyone can ride, Princess. Even a Targaryen should think twice before approaching such monster.”

“Yet it is my right to try.”

“Yet it isn’t yours to die, or do I miss the Stranger standing among us?” answered Maegon.

“Your worries are cute, husband.”

“What did you expect? Imagine how much of an idiot I’ll look when our siblings learns I left you approach the Cannibal?”

Laenara frowned at this answer. It what not the kind of worries she had expected, but it was clearly what she should have. Maegon may be a family man, but his reputation as a self-centered brute was well deserved. She hope for better from Ser Criston, but was disappointed when the knight opened his mouth.

“I wish to protect you and your family, but you are not making it easy, princess.”

“All I want is my own dragon. Is that too much to ask?”

“From what Vaelyx told me, you would find the Princess’s personal study more comfortable than a dragon’s back.”

“Vaelyx can say a lot, yet he isn’t here.”

Maegon took out his swords and presented it to his sister. “You didn’t even take a sword, wife! At least take mine!”

“I appreciate the gesture, but I doubt it will do much good against the Cannibal.” she answered.

“If things go as I expect them, it is not on him that you will use it.” Maegon responded with a stern look.

“So you believe that I will just die in there?”

“Yes! That’s what I have been trying to tell you since we climbed Dragonmont!” Maegon exclaimed himself.

“Have a little faith in your wife!” Laenara shouted back.

“Faith? You are going to die, plain and simple. Pray whichever of the Seven you want, the answer will not change. Even Rhaenyra’s boy toy agree with me.”

“Excuse me?” began Ser Criston as he realized what the prince had just said.

“What? Like there is any other reason why she chose you over Vaelyx.” Maegon continued, rolling his eyes.

“I am the most competent for the task! Did I not defeat you all at Maidenpool? I do not remember you standing as I knocked Darsister out of your brother’s hand.”

“That was a fluke, Cole.” Maegon responded with spite. “If Ryam Redwyne and Vaelyx did not fell on me during the melee, I would have easily dispatched your smug face.”

The two men began to throw insults as their voices rose up. She heard Maegon threaten to have the knight impaled, which she was not surprised of. Seeing that the two of them where so occupied with their dispute that they seemed to have almost completely forgotten about her. Using this opportunity, she made her way into the tunnel. By the time she could barely see around her, she heard the sound of her husband screaming, although she had no idea what he was saying.

She had a hard time orienting herself in what turned out to be quite a maze. The small amount of light that reached her was barely enough to distinguish forms out of the darkness around her. Her hand never left the wall, helping her find her way around. She still managed to fall on the ground as her feet hit something. As she took back her footing, she touched around. Her hands felt what seemed to be some sort of skeleton. She quickly realized that she was touching dragon bones, clearly ones of a small dragon.

When she felt the air getting hotter, she knew that she was getting close. She walked for a while until she finally reached a cave far bigger than the tunnels. She felt on the ground broken eggs, probably the remains of Cannibal’s last meal. She heard that a dragon egg had disappeared recently and know knew where it ended up. She could hear the deep sounds around her. Seeing as she passed most of her youth around dragon, she recognized it as Cannibal’s snore. She tried her best to make her way toward the sound, hoping to mount the dragon before he realized that she was present. Sadly, her plan was ruined when her searching hand came crashing down in the dragon’s eye.

Cannibal woke up in panic as he felt her hand on his eye, shooting fire in a frenzy pattern. Laenara barely escaped the flames, plunging on the ground to evade the dragon’s attack. Cannibal then tried to hit her with his claw, easily destroying part of her dress as he stroke her arm. Although in pain, the princess forced herself to run toward the beast, jumping on his back and grabbing his neck as hard as she could. Cnnibal shook himself for a couple of minute, but as it didn’t work the dragon seemed to panic. He began running through the tunnels, trying to hit her on the walls as he moved. As they advanced, Laenara saw Maegon and Ser Criston Cole, torch at hands. The two men barely had the time to jump in an opening to their right, averting the ill fate of being run down by a dragon. Light grew more and more, and before she realized it, they had reached the exit.

Cannibal jumped out and took a nosedive toward the ground, then sprung his wings and flew in the airs. The dragon sped as much as he could, turn on himself in an attempt to get rid of his unwanted passenger. As this continued, Laenara could not stop herself from screaming as she saw the ground getting further away from them. She closed her eyes, praying the Seven to not end her life here. When she opened back her eyes, she realized that they were no longer doing barrel rolls. Instead, they had a stable course around Dragonmont. As she looked at the calm Cannibal, she could only smile at the realization that she had succeeded. She now rode her own dragon.

______________________________________________________________________​

???: March 30th, 106 AC, Lys

He could hear everyone in the other room. Magister Oro of Lys had just entered, giving him a disgruntled look as he passed through the door. The old man was, to be blunt, an annoying piece of crap, the kind who would kill his slaves out of pure paranoia. He saw what the torture rack looked like, and he had no desire to see it in action. He kept his head down, although the gaze he shot back warranted him a good kick to the jaw. He would probably have received more if the High Magister didn’t enter.

He was younger than Oro, but not by much. He had gotten the job thanks to the connection of his family, making him un0prepared to deal with the current invasion from the dragon riders. The man had a little smile when he saw the nervous face of the High Magister. This man was already insecure in his work, this did nothing to help me. Good for him. He just hoped that this fucker died of stress or drowned while running away from a battle. That would do his day.

“What is this about Dark Den?” Mero asked, clearly disturbed. “How did the Crabfeeder manage to lose against that Westerosi army? He had seven thousand men with him!”

“From what I heard, the invaders received reinforcements.” Oro answered calmly. “It’s also possible he made a mistake. His ego is big enough to justify any mistake, at this point.”

“His tariffs were supposed to bring a new golden age for the Kingdom of the Three Daughters. Now we have dragons flying around the Stepstones, destroying everything we built.”

“Burning everything we built.”

“Spare me the exactitude, Magister! It's a time of crisis! We are vulnerable! With our attention focused on them, who can tell if our neighbours won’t move against us. I heard one of the Triarch of Volantis is searching for an excuse so he can wage war.”

“Let’s worry about our current enemy before wondering about the next. Who's leading them?” Oro asked.

“Reports talks of the Targaryen banner, with a white haired man riding a dragon at their head.” Mero replied. “Of course, seeing how many of them there is, it doesn’t help us.”

“If we could identify our enemy, we could counter him.”

“Good luck with that. I heard their king had thirteen siblings. And this doesn’t even take into account all those people pretending to be princes. Even one of my sl…”

Mero stopped and as realisation finally downed on his face. The High Magister turned his shocked eyes to the man, who was still scrubbing the grown.

“About damn time!” said the man.

The High Magister walked to him and grabbed him by the shirt.

“YOU! You weren’t lying, were you?” Mero demanded. “You’re brother is attacking us for you, is he?”

“Which brother?” Laegor asked with a smile. “They all tend to be pain in the ass.”

“The one riding a dragon, you buffoon!”

“I’m gonna need more than that.”

“They reported two dragons, one red and one silver.” Oro began as he approached.

“That’s Daemon and Elaerys for you. Those fuckers really like fighting.”

He was surprise that Maegon was not part of the expedition. When he escaped Westeros, that brute had just managed to marry Laenara, everyone’s favorite girl. He had expected his older brother to get sick of married life by now, but it seemed that he somehow managed to stay put.

“So you are a Targaryen prince, no some escaped slave who survived a shipwreck!” Mero realized.

“Finally! Aren’t you supposed to be the guy in charge of this place? How are you so dumb?”

This remark warranted him a well-deserved punch.

“Silence!” exclaimed Mero. “Your brothers, are they here to save you? If we give you to them, will they leave us alone?”

Laegor couldn’t stop himself from laughing at this.

“Save me? Daemon wanted me dead. Ealerys still does. Saving me is under killing me in their list of priorities.”

“Then we give you to them.” Oro added. “That should calm their nerves.”

“Oh please. There is no way those two are here for me. Elaerys maybe, but Daemon is too stuck up his ass for such petty revenge. And the second they learn you had me all that time, they’ll make sure that this war end with your heads on a platter. Honestly, you should just kill yourself right now, it would save everyone’s time.”

“So you’re not useful as a bargaining chip.” Oro continued, a wicked grin slowly making his way on his face. “Still doesn’t mean we can’t extract information out of you.”

As soldiers began to grab him, Laegor once again crused his siblings for pushing him to this damn life of slavery.

 

[Zamarak500]

CHAPTER 8: THOSE WHO MEND THE GATES
​

VAERON: April 1st, 106 AC, Volantis

“Shall we begin, then?” Triarch Benerro asked from the top of his throne.

At his side, his two fellow triarchs nodded in agreement. This was an issue they all wanted dealt quickly. This was humiliating to them, to say the least. Vaeron caught a few angry gaze from the other triarchs. They were fully aware that the Targaryen had his part to play into this mess, and although he helped reveal it, they still didn’t like to be bothered to fix it. Only Benerro was happy that his son-in-law brought the problem to them. If this was what he needed to do to advance his standing, then he didn’t mind the glares.

“Bring us the accused, we don’t have all day!” Benerro demanded.

Tattooed slaves quickly dragged the man. They had to be four of them to restrain him, as the man was trying to wiggle his way out of their grips Vaeron couldn’t stop himself from letting a grin creeps on his face at this sight.

“Unhand me, you filt!” Illaro yelled as the slaves finally allowed him freedom of movement.

“Shut up, you idiot!” the Triarch shouted back. “You cause us enough problems already, no need for us to hear your stupidity all day too.”

“Why am I dragued like a piece of shit then? I did nothing!”

“Not from what we heard.” said another triarch, this one far younger than Benerro.

“Vaeron here has something to contradict your damn lies, idiot.” Continued Benerro.

The three triarchs turned toward him. Feeling the eyes on everyone gazing his expression was unnerving, and for a moment Vaeron felt sweat flows on his forehead, which he wiped almost immediately.

“Well, can you say the charges?” Benerro inquired.

“Yes.” He mumbled, a book in his hands. “I’ve been, hum… I’ve been reviewing the books to watch how the treasury was spend. Slaves, taxes, trade gains…”

“We know what’s in the books, Vaeron.” Benerro asked impatiently. “Now what’s in it that's useful?”

The triarch leaned on his throne toward the prince, never letting his gaze off him.

“I… He…” he tentatively tried to speak, but the nervousness stopped him on his track.

“See! The Westerosi doesn’t have anything on me.” Illaro proclaimed. “It’s just a plot from him and the slaves against an honest working son of Volantis! Enemies of the Triarchy!”

Benerro waved his hand, followed by two unsullied hitting the commander in the face. It was not until the third hit that the accused finally shut his mouth, although it was more out of pain than out of decency. Although it was enjoyable to see such asshole getting beaten, it didn’t help Vaeron find the courage to speak up. He had never been a natural speaker like Jaelyx or Aegon. Being the center of attention made him nervous, sometimes to the point of muting him. This was one of those times. He was the centerpiece of a trial that could end the career of a man, either Illaro or him. What if he said something wrong? What if he ruined everything?

“He stole from you, that’s what he did!”

Everyone turned to see Nyessa Maegyr advancing at a firm pace toward the center of the room. Slaves stepped aside and bowed as she moved. No one wanted to get in the way of a triarch’s daughter. She finally stopped next to Vaeron. He was surprised when she flashed him a warm smile. For some reason, he now felt a little better, part of his nervousness gone.

“Nyessa! We’re having a trial here, not some party!” her father scolded her. “You can’t just barge in whenever you like!”

“This man deserve to be on trial, father!” she continued, ignoring what her old man had just said. “He taxed those that pass the Black Wall, and he even took away your rightful belongings!”

“Care to elaborate?” demanded another Triarch.

“YOU BITCH!” Illaro screamed, his face red of anger.

“It’s all in the books, as I said.” Valeron began with newfound confidence. “Some slaves and items disappears when they pass through the Black Wall. After asking around, I…” he turned toward his wife with a smile of his own. “We found out that he was “taxing” illegally, taking everything he wanted for himself.”

“More like stealing!” Nyessa continued. “He was rude with everyone, including us! He treat us like we are the enemy! He always seemed fishy to me!”

“Not only did you steal from me, but now you’re dumb enough to insult MY DAUGHTER!” Benerro howled.

Even Illaro seemed nervous. Benerro was known for his bad temper, so nobody knew how this was going to turn out.

“They… They’re lying!” he tried to defend himself. “It’s a Westerosi plot! He did it all! It’s not me!”

“SILENCE!”

Every sound stopped. The triarchs had enough of this. The book Vaeron had brought was passed between them as everyone remained as quiet as possible. After a dozen of minutes, Benerro finally spoke again.

“I say guilty. What about you?”

His fellow triarchs agreed without a second thought, to Vaeron relief. For a second, he feared that the commander of the commander of the Black Wall may get away with it. But it seemed like the triarchs had no issue with his Westerosi origins.

“Get him out of my face.” Benerro waved his hand, followed by the screams of Illaro as he was dragged away.

“Vaeron, you did good on this one.” Benerro said, turning toward his son-in-law. “You’re quite good with the books too.”

“Thank you, your Highness.”

“So, I was thinking. Since you’re efficient at this, wanna be Lord Treasurer? I’ll talk about it with the rest of the triarchs, but I doubt they’ll oppose. So, interested?”

“Very.” He answered, an ambitious grin on his face.

______________________________________________________________________
​

VALENA: April 22st, 106 AC, King’s Landing

The young woman was about to knock on the door when it opened. Valena was surprised to see her sister emerge. They exchanged a quick smile, but before she could ask what her older sibling was doing here, a voice came from the inside of the room.

“Your Highness? I hope you didn’t have to wait too long, but this appointment took longer than expected.” the voice demanded.

Appearing in the doorframe was Lord Gendry Chelsted, who was buttoning his shirt up. She easily guessed what kind of appointment he and Rhaenys had and chose to ignore it. What her sister was doing was her business, and she was not going to betray that information behind her back. She pleased herself to think all of her siblings would have done the same for her, but knew better.

“I just arrived, Lord Gendry.” she answered, bowing in salutations as she raised the sides of her dress.

Although she was not the most knowledgeable woman when it came to etiquette and clothings, Laenara took time during their youth to teach her enough to be the lady she was supposed to be. She would have preferred a sword at her side and boots in her feet, but this blue dress shall do for the day.Lord Gendry responded to her salutation by bending his head forward. He then signaled her to enter his office.

“I do believe what you want is not for the prying ears, or am I wrong?”

“How did you guess?” Valena asked.

“I’m the Master of Whisperers.” Gendry answered. “I’ve been for years. When someone ask me to meet one on one, it never imply something they want known.”

“It sound to me like paranoia, if I may say.”

“It probably is, but it’s better than being complacent.”

Having nothing to answer, she silently entered the office of the master of Whispered, after which Lord Gendry closed the door behind her.

“So, I’m guessing you have a reason for this meeting? You do not strike me as the kind to waste the time of others.”

“I would never.” Valena answered.

And it was true. She knew how important Lord Gendry’s job was. The kingdom needed him, so wasting his time was the last thing she wished. She had learned from her childhood that if it was not important, it was better left alone. Her mother, who already had thirteen other children to deal with, had a tendency to ignore her as a child when it was not necessary. Valena didn’t hold a grudge against her for it. After all, it was hard to listen to every child’s wimps when you had fourteen of them.

“Very well, then, I’m all ears. Although I’m surprised you didn’t go to Prince Aegon instead.”

“What do you mean by that?” Valena asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, I mean… You two are close, I thought…”

Lord Gendry coughed in his hand, trying to hide a mix of surprise and embarrassment. Valena wasn’t happy with the implications, knowing full well what the old man was thinking.

“Nothing, forget about it. Just another proof that a decade is not enough to build a decent network.” Gendry insisted, clearly ready to change subject.

“Well then I hope your spies are at least decent enough to help me.”

“In need of information, princess?” inquired, the old lord, intrigued.

“There is someone I need kept under watch.”

“Do I get to have a name?”

“Commander Gyles Groster. He commands the King’s Gate’s garrison.”

“Ah yes, him.” Gendry blurted, indicating the lack of respect he had for the man, a trait shared with Valena.

“The man does have a tendency to make unsavory comments, although hardly something that make him a danger for the throne.”

“Lord Gendry, I believe that Ser Gyles has his own agenda.” Valena declared with a firm tone in her voice. “I saw his men hording weapons two months ago.”

“Hum…”

Lord Gendry paused for a moment. He began walking around his office, searching for something. It took a few minutes before he stopped in front of a bench, on which many parchments and documents were lying around. After looking sparsely through them, he finally picked one and opened it. Valena approached to observe it.

“This is a report from the King’s Gate, signed by Ser Gyles Groster himself.” informed Lord Gendry. “Everything that passed through the gate in February is there.”

“And no weapons mentioned.” Valena noted.

“Which means he either chose not to mention them, or you were wrong.”

“I would never make up such lies.” Valena defended herself.

There was no panic or pleading in her voice, just calm assurance. Lord Gendry far too well how honor could impact a life, and how some would go to act on it. The youngest child of Baelon the Brave would not lie, not unless it was to respect an important promise. And as far as his agents told him, she was bound by no such accord.

“Then we’ll suppose Ser Gyles is the one lying. You want me to keep an eye on him for you?”

“No. I’ll do my own investigating. As a princess, I’m allowed to move more freely than most people, which I can use to sniff around.”

The old man smiled. Valena proved once again why she was one of the smartest person in King’s Landing. Most people would just have left him to handle the investigation and leave it at that. She, on the other hand, saw his help as an additional resource, which could help her own search. He wished his own son was that smart.

“Very well. I’ll have my people keep him under watch, although I still have to prioritize my work to the King.”

“This was all I wanted.”

“This is all I can offer without making empty promises.” Countered Lord Gendry.

“I wouldn’t want those from you, Lord Gendry.” Valena assured him. “I just hope we’ll find what Gyles Groster is planning before he takes it to action.”

______________________________________________________________________

PS: Sorry for the longer pauses. I’ve been slowed considerably by a mix of real life work, writer’s block and the release of Holy Fury. I can’t guaranty that it will get better until the end of the month. Also, I have to be honest, it’s far harder to write this kind of AAR than I anticipated. xD

 

[Zamarak500]

CHAPTER 9: WOMEN OF OUR LIVES
​

VALERION: May 19th, 106 AC, Dragonstone

When he saw Rhaenyra being carried inside by Criston Cole the other day, her arm full on blood and her eyes full of tears, he knew that it was only the beginning of this problem. When Aurion came knocking on his door this morning, he was proven just right. The regent of Dragonstone wanted to have a talk with Maegon about the incident, and for some reason he believed that Valerion was the best person to come with him.

“Aurion, do you know how early it is?” Valerion began, his frustration hiden behind a snore.

“I would say that it is…” Aurion was immediately cut off by the prince.

“It doesn’t matter what time it is! I’m trying to sleep! And I don’t see why I would…”

“Who is it?” Laena asked, still half asleep.

“Aurion. He wants me to join him in waking up Maegon.”

“I want your help to convince the prince, not wake him up.” Aurion defended himself.

“Please, we both know that if you went alone, my brother would answer with a sword to your head.”

“I will admit that Prince Maegon is not fond of me.”

“Fair. Now, as I was saying...”

“Just go, so I can go back to sleep.” Laena shouted from the bed.

“But it’s…”

“I said go! I want to sleep!”

He received a pillow to the head, a clear sign that she wanted him out. He had been married for five months and had begun to realize how pointless it was to debate with her in the morning. He quickly put a coat, as Dragonstone was still windy, and then followed the regent, grumbling on the way. Some servant bowed as they passed through the corridors, but he barely took notice. He was too frustrated about the whole situation to think of anything else.

When they finally arrived in front of the door, they could hear the laugh of a woman on the other side. Probably Laenara. Curious, he put his ear on the door, to the shock of Aurion.

“Still want to have fun? But it's almost morning.” the womanasked in a jovial tone.

“We still have time before everyone wakes up.” a male voice insisted.

Valerion easily recognized the voice as Maegon’s. Since Laenara managed to tame Cannibal, their relationship had improved drastically. He didn’t know if it was because Laenara was no longer jealous of her dragon riding husband or because Maegon finally felt his wife was “worthy of him”, but whatever it was, they now passed most of their free time together, looking like the perfect couple. Some even speculated that they were now in love, although Valerion doubted it.

“Oh come on!”

Both men exchanged a gaze when they heard Maegon literally jump out of bed. From the sound of his footsteps, he was pissed to be bothered at this hour. Whithout any warning, the door suddenly open in one big swoop, hitting Aurion in the face. The regent was quickly on the floor, his hands on his bloodied nose. As for Valerion, he quickly turned his head and used his own hand to block his vision when he realized that Maegon was not wearing anything.

“Yes, I’m well built.” Maegon said. “Now can you explain WHY you thought it was a good idea to bother me at this hour?”

“In all fairness, only Aurion thought it was a good idea.” Valerion hissed, giving an angered look to the regent as he was getting back up.

“It’s about the wound princess Rhaenyra received during your training.” Aurion said, trying his best to stay composed.

“Really? You bother me for that?”

“It’s important that we speak to you.” the regent continued.

Maegon looked at Valerion, who simply shook his head. They both knew how stubborn the regent was. If Aurion wanted to speak with Maegon, he would pester him all morning. When he realized that there was no way he could return to bed with his wife, Maegon sighed.

“Give me ten, no, fifteen minutes to get myself ready.” Maegon closed the door, not waiting for an answer.

Unlike Maegon, Valerion did not have the time to return to his room and change. Stuck in his night gowns, he at least had the luck of siting into a comfortable chair. It felt good enough in that chair to begin drifting back to his dreams. Sadly, the sound of Maegon’s boots ruined every hope for sleep.

“I’m here.” His voice was cold and unapologetic. “Say what you have to say. I may not be able to return to bed, but I still have time for morning sparing with my squire if we end it quickly.”

“The issue is your sparing sessions, Prince Maegon.” Aurion said. “She ended up wounded while fighting young Myles Wylde.”

“And?” Maegon sat in a chair, his face telling Valerion that he had no idea what the issue was.

“She was hurt! You should stop training her before something worst happens.”

Maegon blinked, clearly confused by those words. He turned to his younger brother in need of answers.

“Is he serious?”

“Sadly, yes.” Valerion simply answered.

“You woke me up to complain that my niece shouldn’t be training? You wasted my time for that?”

“It is a legitimate concern, prince.” Aurion retorked. “She’s a lady. She should be training into the art of courtship, not war.”

“She’s going to be our Queen, someday.” Maegon said. “She needs to know how to fight, or she’ll never earn anyone respect. Look at King Aegon.”

“She isn’t the Conqueror! She is not going to ride her dragon into battle!”

“Why not? Syrax is quite the beast.”

“She isn’t a fighter!”

“This word is ruthless.” Both turned toward Valerion. “She’ll need to know how to defend herself.”

“Prince Valerion?” Aurion said, confused by Valerion’s lack of help.

“Exactly!” approved Maegon. “She is a Targaryen princess, the granddaughter of Baelon the Brave. She needs to learn how to fight. Look at her aunt Valena! She can fight and is better from it.”

“Prince Valerion!” the despaired gaze of Aurion felt on Valerion. “Please, back me on this.”

“Why? Maegon is right. She needs to know of to defeat her enemies. She will be the first Queen of the Iron Throne. She is going to need everything that can help her stay on it. Her time on the throne will be ten times harder than it was for any previous king. If she get wounded while reaching that goal, it is okay, as long as she can recuperate.”

“I still believe she should receive better tutoring.”

“Are you trying to take my ward away?” Maegon raised from his seat, his hands now into fists.

“CAN’T YOU TWO BE CIVIC FOR ONCE?” their heads turned to Valerion, who was fuming. “Let’s just agree to disagree so I can return to bed!”

His small burst of anger was stopped by a few coughs, a reminder of Valerion’s health issues. It still had the intended effect, as both Aurion and Maegon backed down and left the room fall in a nervous silence. It was not until Valerion was fully well again that Aurion spoke.

“I’ll still report this to his Majesty.”

“It's just a wound.” Maegon protested. “Viserys doesn’t need to be worried by this.”

“I do have to agree with Aurion on this one, brother.” Valerion said.

“Why? It was just a wound. It isn’t as if Rhaenyra lost an arm.”

“Viserys is her father. He thrusted her to your cares, but he has the right to know what happened to her, may it be good or bad.” Valerion replied.

“And it is bad.” Aurion continued.

“We’ll let Viserys make his choice on this.” Valerion raised a hand to object Aurion. “But he’ll need to know to decide.”

“It’s a waste of time.” Maegon stood up, clearly tired of this discussion. “And if you want to waste Visery’s too, then leave me out.”

“Where are you going?” Aurion asked.

“Anywhere else!”

As Maegon walked away of the table, the regent allowed himself a discouraged sigh.

“He really thinks this is a waste of time.” Aurion lamented.

Valerion couldn’t stop himself and the sound of laughter escaped his mouth.

“What’s so funny?” the confused regent gazed at him.

“You are the Regent of Dragonstone, whose task is to oversee the day to day affairs of the island. Yet you think that the most pressing matter is discussing a wound. What else would you call this?”

______________________________________________________________________
​

VAELYX: May 26th, 106 AC, King’s Landing

“We should really get going, your Majesty.” Vaelyx said as he gently knocked on the door.

“I know, I know." she answered. "My husband can certainly wait another minute.”

Soon after, Queen Alicent Hightower finally stepped out of the royal bedchamber. She was a svelte woman, a sharp contrast to Visery’s round forms. She was beautiful, that he could see clearly. She flashed a warm smile to him. He still remembered her marriage, where she asked them to consider her as a member of their family, not their queen. Vaelyx chose to put his duties first however, responding to the smile by falling on his knee.

“Up on your feet, Ser Vaelyx. I doubt you’ll be much of a protector while on the ground.”

“Very well, my Queen.”

He rose up and stood in front of her. He then gently pointed toward the corridor, asking her to pass first. He felt that it would be easier to protect her if she was in front of him. At least that way he could defend against attacks from the rear. Of course, he saw no reasons why the Queen would be targeted, but it didn’t change the fact that it was his job to protect her.

While making their way to the Great Hall, the two had a lovely chat. After all, it was not because he was protecting her that he couldn’t talk to her. She was lively, as usual.

“On the subject of the King’s Guard.” she continued. “Do you have any idea what your commander wants?”

“I must admit that I do not, although if Ser Harrold requested a séance with the king, it must be for good reasons.”

“I hope so. I’d hate to waste my time on a boring request. The other day, Septon Alyn asked what material the King wanted for the new statue in the sept.” Alicent lamented.

“Harrold Westerling is a man who has too much on his plate to waste her Majesty’s time.” Vaelyx said, trying to reassure her.

Although to be honest, he himself was worried the honorable commander wanted to ask something trivial. If it was important, he would have shared it with the rest of the King’s Guard, or at the very least with Ser Clement Crabb. The two had been good friends for years, so Ser Clement would have been able to tell them what Commander Harrold had on his mind. Yet when Vaelyx asked the knight, he had no answer.

After many more minutes of walking, they arrived in the Great Hall. As they entered, they were greeted by Lord Benjen Stark. The presence of the Master of Law made Viserys wonder even more what the affair of the day was. He guided Queen Alicent to her seat, next to Viserys. As he approached, he received a smile from his brother Viserys and a welcoming nod from the Lord Hand, Otto Hightower.

“Vaelyx!” Viserys began. “I see that you brought my dear wife safe and sound.”

“As is my duty, brother.”

“Did I miss anything?” Alicent asked her father.

“I convinced his Majesty that he should wait for you before starting.”

“He is right that you should take part in those things.” Viserys commented. “It is only fair that you be by my side when I have to take decisions.”

As the royal couple’s conversation turned to small talk, Vaelyx chose to take his place by the throne, next to Commander Harrold Westerling. He could see nervousness in the man’s traits. This both surprised and intrigued Vaelyx. The prince knew Ser Harrold ever since he squired under Ser Ryam Redwyne. He knew that the man was honorable, courageous and hardworking, never showing fear or hesitation and taking every challenge head on. This meant that what he was about to do made him disturbed him and his code of honor. The question was what could it be?

“Ser Harrold,” Viserys said, “When I asked you for advice yesterday, I must admit that this was not what I had in mind.”

“His Majesty asked for my opinion. It was my duty to give it fully and truthfully.” the Commander of the King’s Guard answered.

“You were oddly unspecific, to be honest. Other than that it concern the City Watch, you gave no clue to what you suggest.”

“And I thank you for your thrust in me.” Harrold said. “But thrust me, it is what’s best for the city.”

“Then we’re all ears, Commander.” the Hand stood next to the King. “Although his Majesty has a lot to do today, so I’d appreciate it if you were quick.”

“Of course. I wouldn’t want to waste the time of the King and his Hand.” Harrold responded.

At those words, he turned toward the crowd of courtiers, waving at one of them to advance. Making his way to the throne was a man with a golden cloak. Probably around his thirties, he had a decent beard and missed some hairs on the top of his head. It took him a while to recognize Commander Morghil of the City Watch. The man had been a close associate of Daemon and Elaerys, but not enough that he was seen as one of their men. When Daemon stormed out of the capital, Morghil received the difficult task of leading the City Watch, and had done an admirable job so far.

“Your Majesty.” Morghil felt on his knee, although he never left the king’s gaze.

“Morghil, if I recall?” Viserys said. “From that cloak of yours, I guess you still command the City Watch. Or how was that nickname Daemon gave you? I can’t remember…”

“The Gold Cloaks.” Morghil said.

“Yes! The Gold Cloaks!” Viserys exclaimed as if he had found it by himself. “So, Ser Harrold, I guess there is a reason for Morghil’s presence here?”

“Yes there is, your Majesty.” Harrold Westerling moved behind Morghil, putting a hand on his shoulder. “I believe that Morghil should be made a knight in due to his exceptional work as Commander of the City Watch.”

Vaelyx heard the whispers of the people around him. Asking for a commoner to be knighted, even one who commanded the City Watch, was an unusual request. Even weirder as it came from the Commander of the King’s Guard. Vaelyx himself failed to understand why Harrold would ever ask something like that. Sure, Morghil was competent and well-liked by the population, but that had nothing to do with the current situation.

“Well, I don’t see why not, although I must admit my curiosity.” Viserys finally said.

“Why do you want to make Commander Morghil a knight, exactly?” Otto Hightower demanded, far more authoritative than the king.

“Three months ago, the Lord Hand’s plan of renovation brought many workers and visitors. There could have been an incident, yet Morghil and the City Watch managed to keep the situation under control.”

“It was well under my capacities to do so.” Morghil said with a smirk.

“As he said, it was part of his job, and he did it without any issue.” Otto confirmed. “Why would it warrant such reward?”

“The man has his loyalty to the crown, multiple times.” Harrold protested.

“As is his duty to the Iron Throne.” Otto retorted. “And may I point out that he never served as squire for another knight. I thrust your judgement, Commander Harrold, I truly do. But in this instance, I doubt the well-founded of your suggestion.”

“What about the prestige?” a feminine voice came among the many courtiers.

Everyone turned toward the woman who made her way from the crowd. Vaelyx could see the googly eyes of the men the stepped away as she moved. She was beautiful and radiant, which only hid her rotten personality. Unlike the courtiers, he knew far too well his sister. If Rhaenys had chosen to involve herself in this, then it was only because she had something to gain out of it.

“Sister, care to elaborate?” Viserys asked.

“It is sad that I’m the only one who sees it.” She moved next to Ser Harrold, enrolling an arm around his shoulder. “Well, me and dear Ser Harrold Westerling.”

Vaelyx observed as his sister moved her hand on the knight’s body. It finally became clear to him why Ser Harrold had demanded this séance when he saw the man’s shameful gaze. Rhaenys had seduced him. Worst case scenario, they had shared a bed. Ser Harrold had nothing to gain in making Morghil a knight, she had.

“It’s simple, really. Should we let this prestigious position to simple commoners? Of course not! Knights are the only choice to lead the City Watch. They need to be looked at as representatives of the King. Peasants wouldn’t do.”

“You think?” Viserys demanded. “Ser Harrold?”

“I agree with Princess Rhaenys. Morghil needs to be knight, or the position could suffer from it. His predecessor was a prince, so we need a knight to lead this reformed City Watch. The Gold Cloaks need a commander worthy of themselves.”

“Then let’s rid ourselves of Morghil, then!” Queen Alicent hissed. “We can select someone more appropriate after this.”

The second Rhaenys became involved, it was only of time before the queen stood against her. Quiet on the issue so far, she now clearly opposed it on the simple basis that Rhaenys supported it. Vaelyx knew that the two women hated each other, as did most of the Red Keep.

“I would have to oppose her Majesty on this.” Lord Benjen Stark made his way in front of the king, standing next to Morghil, who was still on his knee. “As the Master of Laws, the City Watch is under me. I give my full support to Morghil, as he did a tremendous job since he took the post. I refuse to see such beloved figure get thrown away for someone else.”

“Thank you, Lord Benjen.” Rhaenys offered him a warm smile, which he was smart enough to ignore.

“I still believe that it sets a bad precedent.” Alicent replied, stubbornly crossing her arms as a sign of protest.

“Morghil did do an exceptional job over the last months.” Otto Hightower admitted.

“Father?”

“If I could say a wor…” Morghil was immediately cut off by the queen’s gaze.

Viserys pondered for a moment, clearly thinking every opinions thoroughly. As the different parties continued to debate, Viserys stared emptily at Morghil. After a while, he simply clapped his hands together, managing to get everyone’s attention. Some may call his brother a buffoon, but those moments showed that Viserys still knew how to use his autority.

“Vaelyx, what is your opinion?” Viserys demanded, gazing sideway to his younger brother. “Should Morghil be knighted or not?”

Vaelyx looked around, seeing the eyes of everyone on him. He knew that his decision would greatly influence Viserys, possibly even decide the issue. He knew Rhaenys had something planned, but he had no idea why. In the end, he chose to follow his Commander.

“Ser Harrold is right. Morghil deserve to be knighted.”

“Then get your sword out,” Viserys decided, “because you are the one knighting him.”

______________________________________________________________________​

RHAENYS: May 26th, 106 AC, King’s Landing

“Rise, Ser Morghil.” Vaelyx commanded.

After the ceremony, the court began to disperse as the Hand announced that Viserys was needed elsewhere. Probably a meeting of the Small Council or something similar. Some people began leaving the Great Hall while others lingered around, talking about the current events. Rhaenys saw her brother Vaelyx making his way out. She saw the way he was gazing at her. For some reason, her brother was no happy about the result of the day.

“Rhaenys.” Vaelyx said as he saw his sister approaching.

“Brother.” she simply replied. “I’m happy that you took the right decision.”

“In my defence, Morghil is a decent commander of the City Watch.”

“In your defence? Well, brother, it sound as if you regret your decision.” She tried to sound as innocent as possible. The disgruntle face of Vaelyx made it worth it.

“Don’t play dumb with me.” Vaelyx look her in the eyes with his usual determination. “I don’t know what you’re playing. As your brother, I don’t mind having your back. But leave Ser Harrold out of it. He’s far too decent to be tainted by you, so don’t approach him anymore.”

Still smiling, she approached her brother, taking his hands into hers. She quickly pulled him close, looking him right in his surprised eyes. She whispered low enough so that only the two of them could hear her words. All of her façade felt immediately as her expression became more serious.

“I don’t give a shit about what you want. No one tell me what I can and can’t do.”

She then walked away, flashing one list wicked smile to her brother as the distance between them grew. As she made her way back to her room, she laugh at the demands of Vaelyx. Did he actually believe she was going to listen to him? She had the great and noble Ser Harrold Westerling under her thumb and her brother expected her to just let the man go? No. The Commander of the King’s Guard could still be useful. Plus, the nights sharing his bed were nice. For a man who had promised to take no wife and father no children, he was quite adept to the act.

She had to wait a few hours in her room before the visit she was waiting for. Finally, as the light of day was beginning to fade away, she heard the sound of a knock on her door. Her lover had taken his time, that’s for sure. She would have to make it clear that making her wait was unacceptable, even if he had other responsibilities. She stood in front of her mirror, making sur to put up her best smile. When she felt irresistible enough, she opened the door.

“Hello, my handsome knight.”

Morghil stood there, smitten by her beauty, as every men was. It took him a minute before he returned to his senses. He took her in his arms, hugging her out of pure joy, either out of seeing her or out of his new position. She hoped the former, although the later was somewhat understandable. After this sudden show of affection, she quickly invited him in her room. She didn’t want unwelcomed eyes prying on them.

“You did it.” Morghil said as he entered her chamber. “I’m a knight! The prestige it will bring to the Gold Cloaks.”

To be honest, she didn’t give to craps about the prestige of the City Watch. From what she remembered of Daemon’s time, they were all trashes and scums, which served her just fine. What she cared about was the prestige of her lover. With his growing reputation, Morghil would gain the respect and loyalty of his men. His kind nature already helped. With enough work, Daemon’s men would slowly become Morghil’s men, which meant hers by proxy. Who knew when she could use a small army right in the middle of King’s Landing?

“I’m so happy for you!” she claimed. “We really deserved it.”

“How did you convinced Ser Harrold Westerling? I’m happy that he saw how hard I worked, but it still came as a surprise that he had my back.”

“Let just say that I know how to have my way.” Rhaenys responded with a smile, guding her lover to her bed.

______________________________________________________________________
​

PS: The Student Body at my University is on strike, so I have the week off. Since it means I can spread my work more, which means more time for the AAR. With luck, I may be able to post one or two new posts this week.

 

[Zamarak500]

CHAPTER 10: A FAMILY DINNER​

AEMON : June 10th, 106 AC, King’s Landing

“Good day, Ser.” Loreth said as he shook his mentor’s hand.

Aemon was pleased with the progresses of the boy. Although he had yet to understand what made a good swordfighter, the boy still caught the basics pretty fast. They had passed the entirety of the morning in the royal library, as Aemon believed that his ward would need as knowledge as much, if not more, than the sword.

“I’ll see you in a day or two.” Aemon smiled as he walked away. When he was sure that the boy was out of site, he began to take speed.

He had passed so much time in the library that he was late for the family dinner. Some of the siblings, Viserys included, missed the old family meals they had together in Dragonstone. So when the eldest became king, he made sure to make some time to eat with his siblings. Of course, as some of them became married, the wives were allowed to join in. And now Aemon was late. He knew Viserys wouldn’t mind, though.

His fast walk made him bump into a lady as he turned a corner. The impact pushed her to the ground, where he heard her muter about the fall. He extended a hand to her, asking if she was alright. He felt even worst when he realized that it was his sister-in-law, Obella Fowler. When Elaerys leaved for the Stepstones, he left his wife behind in King’s Landing. The poor woman had been alone all those months. He couldn’t imagine how Alys would feel if he did the same.

“Obella, are you alright?” he asked.

He offered her a hand, which she took as she tried to get back on her feet. She flinched as she stood, falling a bit toward Aemon. The prince held her with his arms to make sure she didn’t fell again.

“Aemon.” she said with a faint smile. “I should probably watch where I am going...”

“No, it’s my fault. I should have been more attentive.”

He looked at his sister-an-law and felt bad for the poor woman. She was married out of some political plot of his father to Elaerys, and unlike Alys and himself, the two of them never met before their marriage. Five years into their marriage, his brother chose to go with Daemon, leaving his wife behind.

“Maybe you could make up for it then?” Obella added as she pressed herself against him.

It took Aemon a moment to understand what she was insinuating by that. He gasp as he finally understood her seductive attempt, putting two and two together when he wondered why this made him think of his sister Rhaenys.

“I, hum… I can’t…”

“And why is that?” she asked him in a suddenly joyful tone.

“Because he happily married, you wench.” A voice exclaimed behind Aemon.

Aemon used this opportunity to step away from Obella. The woman was distractively looking over his shoulder with a frown on her face. Aemon himself was growing nervous, having recognized the voice. Just to confirm his suspicions, he gave a gaze behind him. A black haired lady, barely in adulthood, was standing with her arms crossed. Alys’s green eyes were full of angers, but to his surprise, it was not directed at him.

“Now I don’t give shit that you feel lonely with your man out, but my husband’s not interested, because we are happily married! Is that clear?” Alys demanded to Obella.

Obella simply grunted and walked away, too lazy to continue a fight she knew was lost. Since her arrival at King’s Landing, Alys made it pretty clear that she would not let anyone order her around or mess with her. Picking a fight with Alys Strong was simply too much for most, even for her father. With Obella leaving the vicinity, this left only Aemon and Alys, alone. Aemon began spatting excuses and explanations before he could even think of them.

“I… I didn’t do anything! Was her idea… I mean, I refuse… wouldn’t even think of…”

“Will you shut up?” Alys said, her grumpy expression being slowly replaced by a warm smile. “Of course I know it was her.”

“You, you do?” Aemon asked tentatively.

“Did you hit your head or something? I’ve known you since I was five. I know you’re too shy to do anything of the sort.”

She took his hand in hers, and Aemon felt his shoulder lighten as he saw her smile

“Plus, I thrust you.” she said. “Now come on. I want food and his Majesty might now leave some if we don’t go soon.”

______________________________________________________________________
​

JAELYX: June 10th, 106 AC, King’s Landing

“Something will have to be done if Lord Matthos continues to act like this.” Aegon continued.

Jaelyx agreed with a nod of his head. He had also heard about the men on the few times he was allowed to assist the Small Council, and not in a good way. Lord Matthos Tyrell of Highgarden, Lord Paramount of the Reach, Warden of the South. From what he heard, the man was a competent general, but the kind that tended to brag a little too much. It seemed that Lord Matthos was far too keen to criticize the king in private and to act in the Reach without approval from King’s Landing. The most recent issue was imprisoning Lord Osgrey on dubious charges.

“We’ll leave it to Viserys to decide.” Jaelyx had no real desire to act, at least not now. “Beside, who will lead our armies if we put him aside? Lord Boremund Baratheon is an old man who probably doesn’t have many years left.”

“Valena could do well, if necessary.” Aegon replied. “I doubt that we have a better commander in the capital.”

Valena, who was sitting next to Aegon, shifted her head toward her brothers at the mention of her name. She seemed surprised, and a little flustered, to see Aegon talk about her in such high regard. She composed herself as fast as she could, although Jaelyx certainly did notice.

“I don’t know.” She began. “I’d be happy to leave the glory to others.”

“It’s not about glory, it’s about competence, and I know for a fact that there is no one more competent than you, Valena” Aegon repeated, his voice full of convictions.

“You could be useful.” Jaelyx confirmed.

Even he had to admit his sister’s talent, no matter how frustrating it was by moments. At least he could enjoy the sight of Valena’s shifting uncomfortably in her chair as she chatted with Aegon. As many at court, he had a hard time understanding why those two never two of marriage. Probably because they were either too blind or too restrained by some misguided honor to make the first move. Well, at least they enjoyed each other’s company. He could say the same.

“Can we speak of something less boring? I’m here you know!” Neria complained.

Jaelyx sighed. He had hoped his wife would shut up longer. Since their marriage, she had been invited to every family meal, to his great displeasure. After their nuptial night, he made sure to find excuses to not share her bed just to evade her constant nagging. Some had begun whispering that the marriage was not even consumed. If only. That would give him an excuse to have it annulled. But no, he did do his “duties” that night, mainly out of Maegon’s treat earlier that day.

“Still, if feel like Viserys has other things to do than pocking at one of his wardens.” Jaelyx continued, ignoring his wife completely.

By now, he had realized that the effort of making this marriage work was simply not worth the time. If it was for a beautiful man that caught his eyes, maybe he would try to make it work, but for her? Not enough to gain out of it. Now, to his defence, he was convinced that Neria had come to the same conclusion since day one, seeing how her personality never improved. If she wasn’t the daughter of one of the most powerful Lord Paramount, he would not even bother with her company.

“I’m here, you know.” Neria complained again.

“We know, Lady Neria.” Valena tried to calm her. “We wouldn’t dream of ignoring you.”

“Why? Jaelyx seems to be doing it just fine.” Neria replied.

“Here we go again…” Jaelyx whispered.

“You are the daughter of one of the most powerful lord of Westeros.” Aegon began. “You deserve our attention, even if my brother isn’t wise enough to see it.”

The gaze Aegon gave him made it clear what Aegon though of his attitude. It was always duties with Aegon, which was annoying. Not only did his younger brother stand in the way of his ambition, but he now thought he had the right to criticize him? He would have retorted some clever answer, but they were interrupted by the late arrival of another of his siblings. Aemon and his wife, Alys Strong, entered the room. As his brother tried his best to excuse their late presence, Alys simply announced herself loud and clear, with little respect for etiquette. Jaelyx had no idea how life was in Harrenhal, but seeing the brutish Lord Lyonel, it must lack the sophistication of King’s Landing.

“At last, the awaited ones arrived!” Jaelyx exclaimed himself as the two sat next to him.

Aemon answered with a shy smile, but it was clear that the comment did not please Alys.

“If could have just ran away if you didn’t like sitting on your ass waiting.” she said.

“I wouldn’t dare abandon my gracious wife alone with my family.” Jaelyx joked.

“Don’t you dare use me as an excuse, you lazy ass.” Niera spat back.

This was followed by Alys’s laughter. It seems that his sister-in-law liked his wife comeback. For a second, he even saw a grin on Valena’s face, although she hid it as soon as his eyes turned on her. As for Aegon, the serious sibling simply shook his head in disapproval, although Jaelyx wasn’t sure what he was disappointed of.

“Any reason for this late arrival?” Aegon asked, ignoring the way Jaelyx and Alys were exchanging defiant glares.

“Training with Loreth.” Aemon answered.

“How is the boy doing?” Valena asked.

“Good. I’m seriously thinking of taking him as my squire.”

As discussion continued toward small talks, Jaelyx contemplated the idea of taking a ward of his own. Maybe this would take his mind of his marriage. Plus, if he managed to get a powerful ward, this could be a stepping stone for his ambition. However, the amount of work this implied made him push the idea at the back of his mind.

“I do not want to hear advices from a woman who can’t have the same man in her bed two days in a row.” a woman said at the other side of the table.

Every head turned toward to the right, curious about the remark, but not surprised one bit. Viserys was sitting in a great chair at the end of the table, trying to lay low in the middle of the dispute. At his right was Queen Alicent, his young wife and the one who had just spoken. At his left was Princess Rhaenys, her face turning red of rage. Ever since Viserys’s marriage, it was clear that the two women could not tolerate one another. As usual, Viserys chose to ignore the very existence of the problem and made the idiotic decision of placing both women close enough to talk with one another, and now he was paying the price for it.

“Maybe I should take your father next, then?” Rhaenys retorted.

“You wouldn’t dare, you whore!”

“I AM A TARGARYEN PRINCESS! And what are you? Some girl who read books for my dying grandfather. Oh, how prestigious!”

“Unless I missed something, it doesn’t change the fact that I AM THE QUEEN! Right Viserys?”

As he saw the distress on Visery’s face, Jaelyx began to appreciate being seated next to his wife instead of his brother’s place.

______________________________________________________________________​

PS: Exams are coming up, so in the end I didn't had times for much last week. Probably not the most exciting chapter ever, although it allowed me to hint at Lord Matthos Tyrell, who will become one of the most important Lord Paramount of the first years of this AAR.

 

[Zamarak500]

CHAPTER 11: OLDER NOW
​

VALENA: June 30th, 106 AC, King’s Landing

“Anything else you’d like, Princess?” Lady Lorea asked.

“No thank you. This wine is enough for me.” Valena answered with a smile.

“Are you sure? I have a great loaf of bread if you want to. The baker owes Gyles quite a lot, so feel free to eat some.”

“No thank you, I wouldn’t dare take advantage of your hospitality.”

Lady Lorea smiled back as she brought back food, ignoring the refusal of Valena to impose herself. Valena had guessed by now that the woman was proud of welcoming a true Targaryen in her home. It was something Lady Lorea would probably brag about for years to come. Of course, Valena had her own reasons for visiting her. Her investigation of Gyles Groster’s activities had hit a wall, but she knew she was close to something. Lord Gendry had so far shared no information, although it was to be expected. If the man wasn’t sure at one hundred percent, he would not reveal anything. So instead, she chose to simply visit Ser Gyles’s wife. With enough luck, the lady would be kind enough to reveal some of her husband’s dealings.

“I understand that your husband is appreciated around here?” Valena asked.

“Like I said, many owe him favors. As the commander of the King’s Gate’s garrison, he has a lot of say in what enter the city and what stays out. He’s an important man.”

Valena noticed how the woman seemed to enjoy being married to an important man. From everything Lorea had told her so far, it seemed that the woman was jealous of noble born girls and saw this marriage as her opportunity out of commoner’s life. She couldn’t blame her for it. Everyone has dreams, and it was only natural to follow them. If she was not certain that Gyles Groster was up to no good, she would feel ashamed of risking the dreams of the woman who offered her hospitality.

“Yes, I’ve seen Ser Gyles working at the gate for myself. He seemed… determined in his work.” Valena said, trying her best to find positive words about her first meeting with the man.

“Ah yes! Gyles pass most of his time with his garrison. These days, he barely comes back for diner.”

“Oh? He is that occupied with guarding the gate?” Valena questioned.

“Oh yes! The soldiers of the garrisons have so much work these days. People to manage, peace to keep, crates to move…”

“Crates? He was given some material?”

“Gyles receive shipment of crates almost each week. Probably another responsibility his Grace King Viserys deemed worthy of him. He’s doing such important work, you know.”

Valena simply answered with a faint smile. She may not be as involved in the affairs of the realm as Aegon or Jaelyx, but she knew that Viserys would never put such responsibility on the commander of a gate. More likely, he would give it to Lord Hand Otto Hightower, or give it to Ser Morghil, Commander of the Gold Cloaks. Plus, she never even heard of those crates’ shipments before today.

“Must really be important work.” Valena encouraged the woman.

She felt a little guilty, using the woman desire to brag about her husband as a way to get at him, but living with Rhaenys and Jaelyx had made her learn that sweet talking her way was perhaps the best way to get something.

“It seems to be.” Lorea continued. “When I went to see him, half of the garrison was transporting crates. All of them, following Gyles orders! You should have seen how efficient he was!”

The princess was interrupted from asking where it happened by sound of a door opening. Soon after, the figure of Ser Gyles Groster entered the room. The tired expression on his face turned to shock, then disdain when he saw Valena sitting with his wife at the table.

“What the heck are YOU doing here?” he spat at Valena.

“She came by, and I thought it would be nice to invite her in!” Lorea answered instead, not catching the tensions in the room. “She seemed interested in your work, so I obliged her.”

“You didn’t babble anything to her, did you?” Gyles asked with a worried tone.

“We were just getting to the good part.” Valena answered with a smile.

“Out of my home. Now.” Gyles hit his fist on the table to illustrate his point.

“I thought I had been granted hospitality?”

“It’s my house, not hers. I don’t remember granting it to you. Now go snoop somewhere else, your Highness.”

Deciding that this was not worth fighting for, she rose up and made her way to the door. Before leaving however, she turned to Ser Gyles with a determined fire in her eyes.

“Just go! I don’t want to see you around my home anymore, Princess!” Ser Gyles told her as he sat down with his wife.

______________________________________________________________________
​

VAERON: July 1st, 106 AC, Volantis

Vaeron rode on his horse, right next to the massive elephant of his father-in-law. As the procession arrived to the end of the Long Bridge, Vaeron once more admired the great black arch at the end of it. Manticores, dragons and other mythical beasts stood in stone on top of the structure. The details of the statues always amazed Vaeron, who could easily recognize each creature from pictures in his books.

The prince was distracted by a coin hitting his head. He quickly wondered where it came from before looking up and seeing triarch Benerro throwing money from his comfortable carriage. People began to push themselves to pick up the coins, followed by cheers from the gathering crowd. As Lord Treasurer, Vaeron couldn’t stop himself from seeing this as a massive waste of money, money that could be used to other, more useful goals. But, he also understood that this was the day of the election, and Benerro had to do everything in his power to keep himself on top. Himself an ambitious man, Vaeron understood perfectly that throwing money at the masses was a good way f securing their votes. Still, what a waste.

“Betrayer.”

Vaeron sighed when he heard this word. It seemed Aenar would never let this go. It wasn’t even his own fault if his great-great-grandfather chose to convert to the faith of the Seven. It happened more than a century ago! Yet, Aenar never allowed himself to forget that Vaeron was Aegon I’s descendant, making their interactions always bitter and unfriendly. This made it harder for the two of them to work together, which had happened more frequently as the election approached.

“Aenar.” Vaeron answered.

“You are needed.” Aenar barely gave him a look. “We need to get ahead and make sure that the market place is ready for my brother.”

“Will he really need it, though? I thought he was going to win this without issue.”

“It is our job to make sure he keeps his. Volantis counts on him. Now ride!”

Vaeron rolled his eyes before following his uncle-in-law. He found this familial zeal annoying, especially since he suspected that it was just an act. Aenar was the next-in-line to lead House Maegyr, so the man was surely trying to keep his brother on top until his time came. Luckily, the man would die before inheriting anything. Married into the family or not, Vron doubted he had much future under Aenar.

As they approached the market place, Aenar ordered soldiers to make them a way through the crowd. Vaeron quickly notice that no other Triarch had made its way yet. Probably why Aenar wished to arrive so fast. Both men were soon met by a group of slaves, who helped them get off their horses. By now, Vaeron had become accustomed to the idea of living alongside slavery. He had no idealistic beliefs like some of his siblings, and keeping track of the treasury sure helped accept the whole practice.

“Landowners of Volantis!” Aenar began as he walked to the crowd. “I welcome you to this year’s election. The three seats shall once more be filled by the worthiest men of old blood. The worthiest of them all, protector of our gods, shall once again present himself to guide you to glory. Benerro Maegyr will once again lead you to the future of Volantis!”

As the crowd cheered, Vaeron couldn’t stop a chuckle out of his mouth. The Old Blood. A term used in Volantis to talk of those with Valyrian blood. In an hour or so, they would debate about their lineage to Old Valyria. Meanwhile, he, the man with the purest Valyrian blood, would simply watch from the side.

“This should be easy.” the Triarch said.

By now, Benerro had finally arrived, just in time to replace Aenar, who was clearly beginning to lack ideas to rouse the voters. As Triarch, he was not allowed touch to ground, so to not soil his elevated person. Instead of walking, Benerro was sitting comfortably in a throne, a group of slaves raising him in the airs.

“Friends!” Benerro exclaimed himself. “I need more slaves! We need more slaves! We need more power! I demand the return of the tigers! Those damn elephants have choked us long enough!”

Vaeron now understood why Aenar felt necessary to warm up the crowd first. Benerro was awful at this. And it was not like his desires would come to fruition. The last time the Tigers held power over Volantis was before Aegon the Conqueror even leaved Dragonstone. Although his father-in-law had been one of the most prominent Tiger since, there was little chance of seeing the other two seats filled by one of them. More likely, the Elephants would keep them, allowing the party to contain whatever war Benerro had in mind.

“Very well said, brother” Aenar said to his brother.

“Yes, very well said.” Vaeron echoed.

“Bah! I know those morons won’t listen. They never do!” Benerro complained, barely paying any attention to the other two men. “They can’t see how a good war could make us more powerful. We need to throw everything in an expedition. Raze the world for slaves!”

“Maybe we should focus on the election, then?” Vaeron proposed.

This was a futile comment. Everyone knew Benerro would win. He used too much money and slave girls to lose. No, the question was: who would sit at his side?

______________________________________________________________________
​

AEGON: July 8th, 106 AC, King’s Landing

“Look, I’ll go talk to her, Lord Hand.” Aegon claimed for the tenth time.

“I thought you were supposed to talk to her yesterday?” Otto asked. “Will we need to have this discussion again tomorrow?”

Aegon simply took the remark with a stern face. Inside, however, he was quite pissed. Not at Otto Hightower. The man was simply doing his job to make sure everything went smoothly. No, he was pissed at Valena for causing this whole mess. A week ago, the Small Council received a complaint from Ser Gyles Groster, who claimed that Princess Valena was “snooping around, making his work a living hell”. This seemed suspicious, but the way his sister had been avoiding him since made wonder if this was true.

“Prince Aegon, if this is an issue, it needs to be dealt with. Now, I trust Princess Valena’s judgement, but whatever she was doing out there need to stop if it cause problem to the garrison’s work.”

“We both know “work” is a big word for sitting around and arbitrarily deciding who’s in or not.” Aegon retorked.

“Maybe, but it’s still something. I would normally have dealt with it by now, but the Small Council already has to find where the money for his Grace’s party will come from.”

“Viserys do love his celebrations.”

The two men may have their differences, but they both agreed that Viserys had a potentially unhealthy love for feats and celebrations. While Aegon feared that this gave a bad image to House Targaryen to always be celebrating, Ser Otto had to find funds to organize it all. Oh sure, this made the king popular, but the cost hag began to pile up since his coronation.

“Look, I have some work to do. I hope that by the time of our next meeting, you’ll have had a talk with your sister.” Otto followed this by showing the door to Aegon.

As the door closed behind him, Aegon began to wonder what he could do. He barely saw his former protégé these days. When he tried to go to her room, her attendants told him that she had just leaved. They almost never sat together at the table, and she made sure to leave as soon as possible. According to what Lord Gendry told him, she spent most of her time investigating “something” in King’s Landing, which had left him unconvinced. Honestly, he had begun to fear that he did something wrong before this complaint came in.

Trying once again his luck to her room, he finally had a stroke of luck when he spotted her sneaking out of it. She looked good, as usual, although not as groomed as Rhaenys or Laenara. Seeing that she lacked the dress she whore at court and had a sword at her belt, Aegon guessed that the girl was planning on going out.

“Valena, don’t you dare run out on me.”

She jumped at the sound of his voice. It seems that she was so focus on evading people in front of her that she didn’t notice him approach from behind. As she turned to face him, he could see the nervous expression on her face, mixed with a bit of shame. Before she could say anything, Aegon stopped her with a sign of hand.

“Look, after all that time we spent together, you at least how me an explanation of what you’re doing. Whatever mess you are in, I deserve to know.”

Valena seemed to think back and forth between running and talking. Finally, she sighted, her sense of honor taking the upper hand.

“Alright, you win. We’ll talk in my room.”

Aegon smiled, although more out of respect than relief. He knew her well enough to know that Valena would not bail out on him. She was the best out of all of them, and she once again proved it. As they entered the room, Valena told the maid to vacate it. Aegon slammed the door behind her.

“Now can we talk?” he asked.

Her gaze shifted away for a moment. “Look, I’m sorry about evading you. But I had something important to do.”

“Something like bothering Ser Gyles Groster, who complained to us that you were hindering his job?”

Aegon had expected her to continue gazing away, full of shame about the problems she caused. Instead, she met his eyes with vigor, and all he could see was pure determination.

“He’s up to something.” She began.

“I’m sorry?”

“Gyles Groster. For a few months now I’ve known that he was planning something. All I know for now is that it involves storing weapons somewhere.”

Aegon raised an eyebrow. They accusations farfetched at best, ridiculous at worst. Gyles Groster had served as commander of the King’s Gate for the last 4 years. He was actually one of the last appointments of Jaheaerys’s reign. Although his personality left to desire, he was decent enough at his duties to keep his post. Most people would ask for proofs of such stories. Aegon chose instead to trust Valena on this. Didn’t mean she wasn’t going to get away from this discussion, however.

“And you didn’t think other people might be more apt to find this? Those others might want to know?”

“I warned Lord Gendry.” Valena retorked. “He probably has spies investigating Groster as we speak.”

“Then why in Aegon’s name are you still out there?”

“You mean in your name?” Valena joked.

Aegon was not amused. After waiting fruitlessly for a laugh, or at least a smirk, Valena returned to the subject at hand.

“I began this by myself. Even with the help of the Lord of Whisperers, I know I can find something that can help Viserys.”

“Oh yes, Viserys is going to be thrilled to see you running around danger all night when he learns about it, if he hadn’t already.”

“I don’t think our brother will have issues.”

“Daemon leaved a few months ago and you already want us to have a scandal?”

“Then what do you want me to do?”

“You could have come to me!” Aegon snapped. When he realized that he had raised his voice, he took a moment to breed in and out to calm himself.

“I could have brought it to the Small Council. We could have openly searched for proofs. We could do something.”

“I can take care of myself. I have been so far!”

“Let the adults handle it!”

“I’m not a little girl anymore! Why can’t you see that? I can beat most of our brothers with a sword. I’m mastered everything you though me and even more. I found this all by myself, without help.” She looked him in his eyes with even more determination. “I grew up, Aegon. I can take care of myself.”

She chose this instant to leave the room, slamming the door as fast as she opened it, leaving Aegon with his confused thoughts.

______________________________________________________________________​

PS: Exam weeks curently, so I doubt it will be more than one a week until the 17th.

 

[Zamarak500]

CHAPTER 12: FIREBREADERS
​

ELAERYS: August 19th, 106 AC, Narrow Sea

“There ,there... You just rest. We’ll find someone to heal you up.” Elaerys spoke softly.

Silverwing moaned as she tried to scratch her wings with his tail. Elaerys had just finished chaining her to the ship’s hold, so that the dragon would stay calm. It was madness letting a dragon, a wounded dragon no less, free on a moving ship.

“Hey, don’t you move! You need to stay still.”

The dragon simply growled in protest, but stayed calm. Elaerys finished putting the last chain, this one linked to a collar holding the neck. The “physicians” they had on hand made it clear Silverwing had to lie down and rest or her wounds could get worst. He knew that he would hate himself if Silverwing died on his watch. This was the dragon of his grandmother, Queen Alysanne. He may not have been the closest to her among the siblings, but he still held a great amount of respect for her. She was only twelve when she and Jaehaerys overthrew the mad Maegor, and she had already been riding Silverwing at the time. Now, almost 60 years later, he would not shame her and let her dragon die without a fight.

After making sure that his mount would be fine, he finally made his way on the deck. There, he was greeted by sound of Caraxes’s snores. The red dragon was also chained, although Daemon felt like it was better to have one dragon on the deck should it use be needed. The prince himself was standing in the front, looking at the ocean, not even noticing the crew doing its best to keep working with a sleeping dragon near them.

“Anything on your mind?” Elaerys asked.

Daemon turned his head when he heard his brother’s voice. If he was surprised, it did not show on his face. As usual, his older brother looked stern and confident. Daemon threw him as bottle of alcohol as he approached. Elaerys simply smiled and took a couple of sips from it.

“Taste like piss.” He muttered

“Just like our drinks in Flea Bottoms.” Daemon confirmed what Elaerys had been expected. “At least you can taste it, not like that “high class” crap they keep serving in the Red Keep.”

“Just like the old days.”

They took a few minutes to enjoy the bottle. Walking the streets of King’s Landing with a golden cloak on his shoulders was among his fondest memories. Beating the shit out of truants and thugs, drinking in the bars, hitting the whorehouses… They handled that life like it was made for them. He only hoped that Morghil was able to manage without them, but from what the last news he received, the man seemed to be doing just fine. When he realized that the bottle was half empty, Elaerys decided to put it aside. He had some serious matters to discuss with Daemon. Discussing strategy while drunk was never a good idea.

“Are you sure this is the right move?” he gauged the face of Daemon, would simply raise an eyebrow.

“You are questioning it now? You didn’t raise any objection when we told Lord Corlys.”

“Wow now! I don’t criticize the choice, I’m just pointing that it isn’t a flawless plan.”

“We were wasting our time in the Stepstones.” Daemon began.

From anyone else, those doubts would be taken with anger. But since it was Elaerys asking, Daemon had no issues answering his brother’s worries.

“They had already taken back Bloodstone when we left. We would have achieved nothing if it continued like this. This is why we need to strike them where it hurt. We strike Kios, the capital of the High Magister. We show them that I’m not to be taken lightly. If we destroy enough of the mainland, they will be forced to come back, fight on their own lands. They'll be at our mercy.”

“Yet we left the Sea Snake at theirs.” Elaerys commented.

Daemon gave him a stare, making it clear he did not appreciate the comment. Corlys Velaryon had not been a fan of the idea, and their cousin Rhaenys even called them cowards, which almost made Daemon stay out of spite at the insult. The fact was that by taking their armies to Essos, the Velaryon troops were stuck to deal with the Stepstones themselves. Now, that was fine if the army of the Three Daughters followed them, leaving the islands empty, but the reports were clear that the Crabfeeder would use this opportunity to attack the remaining invaders.

“It was their choice.” Daemon responded. “An incredibly stupid one, I’d add. But it doesn’t matter. As long as we have the dragons, we can achieve anything we want.”

“Rhaenys and hers could have been a good addition, though.”

“I found her quite annoying.” Mysaria said. “I’m quite happy we left her behind.”

Elaerys turned to see the Lysene woman standing behind him with a smile on her beautiful face. Daemon’s mistress stood proud, as always. He still remembered how she gave them information in Flea Bottom when they patrolled the streets, showing the same look as when she was a whore. When she had joined them midway to the Stepstones, Daemon had welcomed her with open arms.

As usual, Daemon took her in his arms, giving her a strong kiss. It seems they were hoping for an intimate moment. Sadly for them, Elaerys had no desire to leave the deck. Just to make sure they that didn’t forget his presence, he whistled, catching their attention immediately.

“So, to bring back the subject at hand…”

______________________________________________________________________
​

LAENARA: August 22nd, 106 AC, Dragonstone

The sight of Dragonstone from the sky was simply astonishing. It was made even better by the fact that she could now see it as much as she pleased, all by herself. Her first experience was on the back of Vhagar, returning from King’s Landing with her father. Then it was with Vermithor, when Maegon brought them here for their marriage. Now, it was herself, riding her own dragon over the island.

Of course, Cannibal made it as hard as possible. Although he seemed to have accepted her early on, the beast proved to be unpredictable and violent at times, lashing out randomly at its surrounding. The first attempt at chaining him cost the life of three men, leading to the first of many attempts from Maegon to argue that killing Cannibal was the better option This took her by surprise, but seeing how he complained about her safety (and his reputation) when she tamed Cannibal, it was actually understandable. And then there was the issue of other dragons. Rhaenyra almost demanded his head when Cannibal tried to have a bite out of Syrax. This became such an issue that the regent Aurion suggested the construction of a separate pit for Cannibal, but it was refused due to the costs. In the end, Cannibal was chained in a cave close to the castle, where Laenara would join him whenever she felt like flying.

“It seems that you finally got used to flying your dragon, my lady!” Laena Velaryon praised from the distance, approaching on Vhagar’s back.

Laenara smiled as his sister-in-law approached. As a small gesture, she had taken Laena as her handmaiden when the girl arrived in Dragonstone. She was afraid that Laena would feel isolated with no one she knew and though this would help the girl get used to the life in Dragonstone. Of course, the Velaryon girl proved to have no such issues, being as headstrong and ambitious as her brothers. Still, the girl at least seemed to have some respect for her, and it was nice to talk of her marital worries with someone else.

As Vhagar approached, Cannibal turned its head, looking at the dragon with envy. Even after all that training, Laenara knew that her mount still had a taste for dragon flesh which would probably never be fixed. She had been smart enough to feed him a full cow before taking the airs, so at least he was not hungry enough to suddenly sink its teeth in Vhagar’s neck. Still, it was better to remain vigilant as long as the two dragons flew side-by-side.

“You and Valerion had been great teachers.” She flashed a kind smile to the younger lady.

“Did Prince Maegon not help?” Laena got her answer through the shifty look of Laenara’s face.

Of course Maegon had affered to help his wife, but between his desire to see Cannibal death for her protection and his frequent bursts of angers, her husband proved to be a poor teacher. It made her feel sorry for Rhaenyra and Myles Wylde, his wards. She especially heard stories of Myles training that made her genuinely worried at the possibility of having their children raised by him.

“Marriage troubles?” Laena asked bluntly.

Laenara shook the idea from her head. Sure, Maegon had his fault, but their marriage had been going great ever since she got Cannibal. This seemed to have awakened a flame in him, and she was not going to doubt him just as things were going good. Plus, she surely had the time to help him become a better man before children even came into the picture.

“No, no problem. Maegon is just overprotective, as usual. What about you and Valerion?”

“Can I be honest with you, my lady?”

“Of course. I’m always here for you if you need something to listen.”

“He’s boooooooooooring.” Laena confessed.

“I’m sorry?” Laenara wasn’t sure if being in the sky made it harder to hear, but she was almost certain she heard her handmaiden say that her brother was boring.

“Please understand that I think that Valerion is a nice guy. I’m happy to be married to him instead of some old lord in the middle of nowhere. A Targaryen prince! What else can I want?”

“Well, I’m happy that…”

“But we can’t do anything exciting! He is barely active in bed! I’m a beautiful dragon rider, so clearly I’m not the problem here. Talking of dragons, he isn’t as good of a rider as the rest of us, so we can’t enjoy races or long flights together. His health makes it impossible for us to do anything interesting.”

“Isn’t it a bit harsh?”

Laenara knew the limitations of Valerion’s health. It had been an issue ever since his birth. Valerion also knew the limitations it sometime caused him in his daily like, and she knew that he was just as angry about it as Laena was. Her older brother grew up with siblings fighting with swords and charging in the fray while he was sidelined. She knew it had been difficult for him growing up.

“I know, I know. But when I married a Targaryen prince, I was hoping of adventures, battles and glory!”

“You sound like my older brothers.” Laenara chuckled.

“I wish I was old enough to join their expeditions in the Stepstones. All the action they must be seeing! And my parents are with them, bathing in glory! I wish I was part of it.”

Laenara repressed the desire to tell her how things were really going in Essos. Maegon often read reports of the expedition in bed, so she knew how things. She felt it was better not to tell Laena that her father had been left behind by Daemon and then captured by the enemy. A girl had the right to her dreams.

______________________________________________________________________​

PS : Finally finished all my exams! Sorry for the absence. I tried to write during the exams, but I had too much to study. It’s actually why Elaerys’s part end so weirdly. I began writing it a week and a half ago, but by the time I returned to it I had forgotten what I wanted as an ending and didn’t want to linger on it.

 

[Zamarak500]

CHAPTER 13: ENSLAVED
​

VAERON: September 12th, 106 AC, Volantis

“Omburu?” Triarch Qavo raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t it in the Summer Islands?”

“Exactly!” Triarch Benerro confirmed with a smirk of pride.

Vaeron could see that Qavo was not convinced. Then again, as the only Elephant among the triarchs, nobody expected him to easily accept. The oldest of the triarchs by a decade, Qavo Vaelaro was a known for being an efficient, if somewhat lazy, businessman, who knew everything about the ways of trade. This allowed him to amass a good fortune, fortune he used to secure a position. His years of experience gave him the right to be, as Benerro put it, “the worst kind of idiots”.

“The Summer Islands have been divided for decades, if not centuries. They are divided, inferiors and weak!”

Benerro convinced of his plan, no matter what. Qavo shot a look of confusion to Vaeron, would simply shrugged. Both had seen what the treasury looked like after the election and knew that launching an expedition so far from home just to get some slaves wasn’t the greatest idea of the century, unlike what Benerro thought. Vaeron had tried to convince his father-in-law that the neighbouring Dothrakis would probably be better targets. As usual, the triarch refused to listen to advices and went with his own plan.

“All of this for slaves? We can’t get them from trade, if needed.” Qavo said, unwilling to let the issue go.

“Trade?” Benerro spat on the ground in disgust. “It is about the honor of the Valyrians! It is time we strike back and show the world that we aren’t dead!”

In that moment, Vaeron couldn’t stop himself from nodding in agreement. His feelings for his glorious valyrian heritage were far greater than his disdain for the slave raids.

“Trade is what made Volantis the greatest city in Essos. We live through our gold, not our weapons.”

“You’re just a bookworm, Vaelaro! You cannot understand the need to defeat those barbarians and claim them as our prizes!”

“Do you even know who owns Omburu? You probably don’t, do you?” Qavo asked.

“Of course I know! Vaeron, tell him what it is.” Benerro ordered, by doing so confirming that he in fact didn't know.

“The current ruler of the island of Omburu is Prince Chibundo Bo.” Vaeron returned to silence as soon as he answered the question.

“Exactly, that guy!” Benerro exclaimed himself.

“We don’t know anything about the Omburu. The terrain, the sea, the weapons they have… It is no longer the age of dragons, when we could charge into battle without thinking. We can’t barge idiotly and expect to be made king. No offence to your ancestor, Vaeron.”

“None taken.” Vaeron simply nodded with his head, telling Qavo to continue.

“It is simply not worth it, Benerro.”

“Yet we need to reassert our place.”

Quiet so far, the third triarch finally stood up from his throne, facing everyone in the room. His traits were heavy, everyone stopping as he gazed through the room. Out of the three, Colloquo Vhassar was probably the one for who Vaeron had the more respect. From what he heard, Colloquo had earned a reputation from being a brave and competent fighter, always on the frontline during the raids. As he grew up and took the mantle of head of his family, Colloquo had proved to be diligent and just in his duties, always honest about his intentions. So nobody was surprised when he was elected triarch again.

“Once, we ruled the narrow sea as the uncontested masters of trades. It was only a century ago that we owned Lys, Tyrosh and Myr. Now look at us. Nobody talks of the prestige and strength of Volantis. The Three Daughter and their grand fleet, the Pentosi princes and their wealth, the Iron Bank of Braavos. Those are the talks of the day! If we do not remind everyone that we are the true heirs of Valyria, then our only path is to embrace obscurity and failure.”

Vaeron had to admit, there was value in those words. In a way, he could even see himself in them. Once, he had been an important member of the royal court. But as the number of younger siblings grew, he began to be left aside, enough so that he chose to leave Westeros to achieve his dreams elsewhere.

“And you believe that the best way to do it would be to attack the Summer Isles?” Qavo seemed desperate, trying to find some reason to stop the raid. Neither Colloquo nor Benerro chose to wait for it.

“Let’s just vote.” the later finally said.

It was a quick vote. As expected, only Qavo opposed the idea among the three. It seemed that the Tigers were finally backed in power. Vaeron himself wasn’t sure where he would have put his vote if he was given the chance. On one hand, he was expected to support his father-in-law, but on the other, he feared that this raiding expedition was a waste of resources.

“Then it is settled. Benerro will be able to lead an expedition against the island of Omburu.” Colloquo said.

“What?” Suddently, all the color in Benerro’s face faded.

______________________________________________________________________
​

LAEGOR: September 30th, 106 AC, Kios (Three Daughters)

Washing the latrines was one horrible task. Having to actually do it almost made Laegor feel bad for all those times he kicked the servants around in Dragonstone. Almost. After all, he was royalty, while they were peasants. Unlike them, it was an injustice that he was forced to stood down to their level.

“Faster!” the man said, hitting his whip on the ground.

Since his arrival to Kios months ago, Laegor had been put under the care of two idiots who took every opportunity to make him work on humiliating jobs. Both were stupid commoners who though themselves better than him. The first was a Tyroshi named Qycho. Out of the two, Qycho was the worst, always acting as a stubborn idiot who tried to give everyone else orders like the world resolved around him. What a joke. He even whore a sword to his belt, just to boast that he could kill Laegor whenever he wanted. At least the Myrian named Varan was far less annoying. Sure, he talked big game, but he was just a lazy ass who barely did the supervision, leaving Laegor with far less whip marks on his back.

“If you want me to go faster, then next time you can do me a favor and just shit yourself. That’s a lot less work for me.” Laegor’s response warranted him the whip, as usual.

Varan couldn’t help himself from releasing a small chuckle, which he killed as soon as Qycho turned around. There was some joy in hearing someone else make fun of Qycho. His horrible yellow hairs were as dumb as his personality. Seriously, what was his problem? Was his life that pathetic that he needed to oppress Laegor in order to get some joy? It was sad, really, but it wouldn’t stop Laegor from plunging a sword in his side first change he got.

“You think that you’re so good, don’t you?” Qycho retorted.

“I’m a prince raised in a castle and you’re a shithead raised in… well, in shit. Why would I believe anything else?”

Laegor answer was followed with a daunting smile, which warranted him a kick to the ribs. The Targaryen Prince did his best to not crumble on the ground in pain. That was the kind of things weakly Velarion or stupid Jaelyx would do. No, he was strong. He would endure the hits.

“Cut him so slack, Qycho.” Varan began as he ate a piece of bread. “How is he supposed to do our job if he can’t even get up?”

“His problem, not ours.” Qycho answered with a smile.

Varan sighed in disapproval and returned to his meal. Before the bread could reach his mouth, screams started being heard through the city. Before anyone could ask what was happening, they heard the sound of a massive object hitting the walls, probably a bolder.

“What’s happening?” Qycho screamed.

“How should I know? It’s your city!”

Soldiers were running toward the harbor in panic. It took some time before Laegor finally realized what was going on. Someone was attacking Kios. It didn’t take long for him to figure out by whom. A minute after the attack began; he saw a massive reptilian creature flying over the city. Its red scales shined in the light of the burning towers, making the dragon unmistakable to any Targaryen. Caraxes, the Blood Wyrm. Daemon was attacking the city.

This was bad. If Daemon found him, there was a good chance that he would be put to death. That was the punishment his older brother had demanded after the arrest, after all. And from what he heard, Elaerys was with him, which was even worst. Knowing his brother, Elaerys would still harbor a grudge over his escape to Essos. No, he couldn’t stay in Kios. He had to escape. He noticed how Qycho was distracted by the growing chaos around them, enough that he didn’t pay attention to him. He slowly moved toward him, making sure he wasn’t heard. Swiftly, he took out Qycho’s sword and lodged in the man’s ribs. The Tyroshi felt on the floor, his face showing pain and surprise.

“HOW DO YOU LIKE IT NOW?” Laegor screamed while kicking the man down, repeatedly.

After much satisfying hits on the wounded man, he turned to Varan, who was in shock.

“You! I need you to get me out of Kios!”

“Me? Why?”

“Because I don’t want to be around when the city falls, and neither do you. What do you think my brother will do with you?”

Honestly, he had no idea what Daemon would do with Varan. Sure, the man had been in charge of watching over Laegor, which was only his job. It really all depended on whichever Daemon cared the most about: family or his hate for Laegor. Still, it was enough to convince Varan, who gave a shy nod. With the help of the Myran, he might be able to get out of the city, and if he was lucky, get out of slavery.

 

[Zamarak500]

CHAPTER 14: THE PARTY
​

RHAENYS: October 29th, 106 AC, King’s Landing

This feast Viserys had organized was doing great. Most of the great lords of Westeros and the high nobles of King’s Landing were present. Out of the Lords Paramount, only the Tyrell did not show up, although from what she heard, he was becoming an annoyance for Viserys. Even Lord Aeron Greyjoy was present as a sign of good faith, although he stayed away from the decadent and interesting parts of the Great Hall, choosing to stand by the side and simply watch, while he engaged in friendly conversations with whoever approached him.

Rhaenys, as always, was the center of attention. That was a given. What angered her was that it was not her beauty that caught the attention of the court, but her belly. It had been a few months since her pregnancy became evident to all. With the amount of lover she had over the years, it was bound to happen eventually. Still, I was becoming quite the annoyance. She was pregnant, sure. Couldn’t they just move on to something else?

“You really have no shame, do you?”

Rhaenys met the eyes of her mother, who was now standing straight in front of her, blocking her march to Viserys. With his wife absent, she had hoped to have some alone time with her brother and get whatever she could out of him. Instead, she was stuck talking to Princess Alyssa, the woman who raised her and one of the most annoying person she ever met. It didn’t help that everyone kept pointing out how similar they looked.

“Hello, mother.” any joy in her voice had clearly disappeared. “Now, can you get out of my way?”

“You and I shall have a talk, daughter, and not a pleasant one.”

“Oh, the usual then.” There was no joy in her words, nothing friendly like you’d expect between a daughter and her mother.

She gave one last gaze behind Alyssa’s shoulder to look at her brother. Visery was already being brought to the side by Lord Grover Tully, who seemed to have something to ask the king. She bit her lip in frustration. Her mother had made her miss her chance to be alone with him.

“So what is your problem, this time?” she asked.

“This time?”

“There's always something with you, always something about my life that you see as “unworthy” or “undignified”. I’m your little disappointment.”

“Because you can’t do anything right! You were a pest since your first nameday. I still remember how you kicked your brothers and then came screaming the second they talked back at you.”

“Father often took my side.”

“Baelon was many things, including gullible. It took him a while to figure out how rotten you were.”

“And who’s fault is it, mother? Who did not give me the attention I deserved?”

“We gave you as much as we could. I did my best to turn you into a proper lady. Instead, I only helped you hide your true nature inside. At least Laegor showed himself for all to see.”

Rhaenys grew sterner at the comparison. Since his death last year, Laegor had become the bad apple of the Targaryen tree in the eyes of the public. Being compared to this scum was unacceptable. She was free, she was destined for greatness and she could achieve anything. Meanwhile, Laegor had wasted his life and finished it at the bottom of the Narrow Sea.

“Rhaenys, you mess up everything.” Alyssa continued. “Remember how you ruined your marriage? You brought shame on the whole House Targaryen. Do you know how humiliated Baelon was when he faced our father? And that poor Darry boy…”

“You still hold a grudge for that? It was a decade ago!”

“Then what about this!” Alyssa pointed with an accusatory finger at the round belly of her daughter. “You remained unmarried ever since that incident, yet you’re with child! Which one of you lovers will share your disgrace? Do you even know?

Oh, would she like to know. Rhaenys was pretty sure of the father’s identity, although she preferred to keep it to herself for now. It was clear that she would need to sacrifice him once the child was born, but that was how things worked. Until then, she would have to milk his power as much as she could.

“Does it really matter? Does it even matter to you, mother? From where I stand, it looks like you just want another reason to scream at one of us.”

“How dare you say those idiocies? This is about the honor of House Targaryen! You honor, even if you don’t care about it.”

“Honor? So I can be like your baby girl Valena? Stuck up and unable to approach men? If she was half as smart as you always claimed she was, she and Aegon would have fucked by now! By the Seven, if I had been that smart, I would have bedded father if I had…”

She was silenced by the striking sound of her mother’s hand making contact with her cheek. It took Rhaenys a moment to realize that her mother had just hit her. Some among the crowd had either seen or heard the slap and began gathering to see what was happening. For her part, the princess was raging with fury. No one hit her. It was time that someone taught their mother a lesson. She was raising her hand when a hand grabbed her arm midway. As she turned to see who dared, she saw a so familiar white haired man in armor, a white cloak pending from his shoulders. She could see in his eyes that a mix of disdain and quiet wrath.

“There you are.” Vaelyx shouted loud enough for everyone gathered to hear, although she was probably the only one to notice the spite in his voice. “I need you for something. Now.”

Before she could answer, her brother dragged by the arm as far away as he could, stopping only to give a brief nod of apology to their mother. She finally snapped her arm out of his grip after he had stopped next to the exit.

“What was that!” she exclaimed herself in rage.

“THAT was my way of making sure it didn’t get out of hand. Can you imagine what this fight would have caused for Viserys?”

“So you humiliated me to protect Viserys?”

“I did it to protect you! You’re my pregnant sister. I’m not going to let you get injured, no matter how right mother was!”

She blinked in shock at this. Even after all he knew about her and what she did, he still cared about her. She didn’t know if he was idealistic or just stupid. Then again, Maegon was also the family kind, yet he was one dangerous monster when he needed to be. She was still pissed that his good intentions left her humiliated.

“Well then, if that was it, I’m going back to the celebrations.”

She didn’t make three steps before Vaelyx spoke again.

“Who’s the father, Rhaenys?”

“Why should I tell you?” she asked, curving an eyebrow in curiosity.

“Because I want to know if you fucked up the life of a man that deserves better. I want to know if the Lord Commander is going to lose everything because of you.”

“You’ll have to wait and see, will you?” his hand fell on her shoulder before she could walk away.

“I’m not finished. This man has served in the King’s Guard for almost twenty five years. I’ve known him ever since I was a squire. He’s a man who has nothing but virtues and goodness to offer, so don’t you dare destroy everything he worked for.”

She made a violent push of the shoulder to get herself out of his grip, glaring at her brother as she had during his whole little speech.

“I’ve got nothing to tell you, Vaelyx.” She walked away without a second thought, making sure that she didn’t bump into another sibling on the way to the table.

______________________________________________________________________
​

VALERION: October 29th, 106 AC, King’s Landing

Unlike his older siblings, Valerion wasn’t used to orientate himself within the walls of King’s Landing. As a child, he always stayed in bed due to his sickly nature. He was only five when their father became Prince of Dragonstone, and it was on the island that he lived most of his memories. The few that remained of King’s Landing were from the comfort of a bed.

Everyone in Dragonstone had received an invitation to the feast. Of course, Rhaenyra was the first who flew to the capital, always happy to go see her father. But what surprised everyone was how fast Laenara followed. Weirder was the fact she was nowhere to be seen when Maegon and Valerion arrived. It had now been several hours without seeing her. His brother had asked for his help to find her. They had no idea why no one would give away her location. Even Vaelyx was quiet on the subject when they asked him, although he seemed to have been in a foul mood.

He finally stumbled on the right door, and when he opened it his eyes went wide. His sister was getting prepared for the feast. From the number of dresses he could see on the bed, it had been going on for a while. Next to her was his wife, Laena Velaryon, helping Laenara as any handmaiden would do for their lady. When she saw him, his sister pleaded with her eyes that he close the door and ignore her. But it was not the sight of his sister putting on a dress. No, it was the round belly she had.

“You’re pregnant.” Valerion whispered to himself.

“Laena, could you leave us, dear?” Laenara asked her handmaiden.

“Of course my lady.” The girl stopped next to her husband as she passed the door. “See you at the feast.”

Valerion smiled to his wife, but his focus was still on his sister. He waited for Laena’s departure to finally speak again. Laenara tried to interrupt him, but he wouldn’t let himself be silenced.

“Look, Valerion…”

“That's why you’ve been avoiding Maegon over the last month…”

It all made sense now. The way she always remained away from them, how she never faced them directly. Then there were all those times she sent a servant to call Laena at weird hours, and how she even began sleeping in another room. Now it all clicked. She avoided everyone as much as she could to hide her pregnancy.

“Why? Why would hide something like this? Is it because of Rhaenys?” he stopped to consider a possibility he hadn’t thought of so far. “Is it like Rhaenys? Are you with a bastard? Is that child not from Maegon?”

“By the Seven! No! Of course not! You know I wouldn’t do something like this! The child I am bearing inside me is Maegon’s.”

“Then why have you not told him yet?”

This was the question that had to be asked, although it was clear she had hoped that it could be avoided. She clearly didn’t want to explain her reasoning to him. However, there was no way he would let such an important point hidden.

“Why am I the one finding out? Why isn’t Maegon aware of his child?”

“I am… I’m just waiting for the right moment.” she tried to excuse herself.

“The right moment for him? Or for you? Look Laenara, you’re my sister, and I’ll be there to support you. But Maegon deserve to know. It is unfair.”

“I’m not sure I’m ready to let him know.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t know what to do!” this took Valerion by surprise, his eyes opening wide at the suddent agressivity. “My husband has the reputation of a monster. You think I don’t know that? Of course I do! He’s my brother! I saw him grow up like the rest of us. I like him, a lot. But I saw how he treated his squire.”

“Myles Wyldes?”

Valerion also saw how hard Maegon was with the boy, who somehow kept idolizing his brother even though he always got a beating from him. Maegon’s training was harsh, nobody could deny that, but Valerion had a hard time seeing what it had to do with anything.

“Yes, young Myles Wyldes. You see how Maegon treats him? How can I watch this and not worry for my child?”

“He is the father. It’s his right to decide how he want to raise the child.” Valerion answered.

He could see her point, he truly could. But he simply couldn’t agree with it. Maegon would be harsh on the child, yes, but it was necessary to raise a good kid. Their mother had been harsh when needed and most of them turned out fine.

“You can’t really think that he’s going to hurt the baby? Maegon? I don’t think that I’ve ever seen a man more protective of his family.”

“His protection, yes…” a saddened look appeared on Laenara’s face. “You’ve seen how he’s been trying to box me ever since I got a dragon. How do you think he’ll act now that I’m pregnant?”

“I don’t matter here. What matters is that you hid the baby from your husband.”

“I though… I thought I would have more time to change him. I didn’t expect a child so soon.”

“But the child is here, and you’ll both have to deal with it.”

“Please, Valerion, don’t tell him. At least let me tell him.”

“Sorry, sister, but you had enough opportunities for it.”

Some of the genuine sadness on his face transpired for a moment, but he pushed it back as soon as it appeared. He walked out of the room, and it didn’t take two minutes before the muscular figure of Maegon Targaryen came running out of a corner. Maegon grabbed him by the shoulders as soon as they saw each other.

“Have you found her yet?”

“Yes, she’s in that room.” He answered, pointing at a door at the end of the corridor.

Valerion took some time to ponder on the demand of Laenara and on what he though was right. It was a difficult choice, each option making him betray one of his siblings. In the end, he chose what he felt was right.

“You should know that she is with your child. Congratulations, brother.”

Maegon’s expression turned to shock and surprised, then to joy, before finally turning to the all too familiar anger. He almost pushed his little brother aside as he walked toward the room where Laenara stayed. As Valerion made his way to the Great Hall, he heard some of his brother’s shouts.

______________________________________________________________________
​

VALENA: October 29th, 106 AC, King’s Landing

“But your Majesty…”

“No! I thought we were over this, Lord Grover. Were those marriage for nothing?”

“Of course not, but.”

“Brother, have you waited long?” Valena asked, knowing full well that Viserys wanted this conversation to end, and fast.

“Valena! Sorry, I was occupied, but we’ve finished. Haven’t we, Lord Grover?”

The Lord Paramount of the Riverlands tried to say something, but in the end he chose to simply bow and walk away. Viserys turned to his sister and sighed, clearly glad that this was over.

“Thanks you for the assistance, dear sister. Still, I could have dealt with him on my own.”

“What was this all about?” she asked, ignoring the last part of Viserys response.

“Remember how Jaelyx and Aemon married earlier this year?”

“Yes. If I remember correctly, this was to settle some territorial dispute between House Tully and House Strong.”

“Well it seems Lord Grover though he could still convince me to give him the Red Fork.”

Valena could see that her brother was frustrated. This finished business brought back was annoying him and ruining his fun. Then there was Rhaenys’s pregnancy. When it was discover, she heard that Viserys almost demanded her to take moon milk to end it. This might seem harsh to some, but she remembers far too well how Viserys took the pregnancy of Myseria, Daemon’s lover. To the king, bastards were among the thing he wanted the least around. It was a question of prestige. She decided that maybe it would be good for her brother to take his mind off those worries.

“Want to play a game with me, brother? Unless your kingly duties too urgent of course.”

“Why not? This could be a good distraction for the night.” Viserys answered with a smile.

They found a table on the side of the room, although it was hard to stay alone when you were with the king himself. Valena ordered a maid to bring them the game she usually played with Aegon, while Viserys turned to his Lord Commander of the King’s Guard.

“Ser Harrold. Could you make sure that we are not interrupted? Just for a few minutes, so I can play a game with my sister.”

“Of course, your Majesty.” Harrold Westerling answered with his usual reverence. “You have my word that you will not be bothered while with Princess Valena.”

“Thank you, Ser Harrold.”

Valena chocked her laughter. They all knew that the game would last longer than “a few minutes”, yet Viserys somehow seemed convinced that it would be short. Her brother made a few good moves, but it was clear that he was not on par with Aegon. She learned to play those games with him, and he himself admitted that she had surpassed him. Over the course of the game, Viserys had drink and food brought to him. She didn’t expect her brother to stay at his own feast without eating as much as he could, anyway.

“You and Aegon, you never leave me any chance, do you?” Viserys asked as he contemplated the board.

“It would be an insult to you if we did so.” She answered with an honest smile.

“I thought I was beginning to catch up to Aegon, but you. You’re on a whole other level, dear sister.”

“Aegon trained me well. He…”

“Don’t diminish yourself like that.” Viserys interrupted her. “You might be the youngest of us, but you are among the best. Aegon himself talks the world of you.”

“He does?” she became flustered for an instant before composing herself.

“Oh yes. He can talk in length when it came to you. Well, except when it comes to relationship. Are you sure there is nothing between the two of you?”

“What? Hum… I mean… No, there isn’t!” She didn’t know why she began babbling like that.

“I just wanted to make sure. Who knows when a marriage might save the realm, so I wanted to make sure you two were not tied up in some love affair I should know about.” Viserys said.

For some reason, this idea was kind of depressing to her. Aegon marrying for the sake of the realm? That sounded like him, and it was an obvious choice to make. But for some reason, it annoyed her.

“He’s worried about you, you know?” Viserys spoke in a much more serious tone.

“I’m sorry?” She was so focused on her thoughts that she didn’t hear what Viserys said.

“About this investigation of yours. He’s worried something is going to happen to you. Lord Gendry summarized it to me, but I’d like it from you. It seems to be quite dangerous, from what I heard.”

Viserys flashed her a smile, which brought her relief and joy. She was afraid that he would beret her like Aegon did. Instead, it seemed that Viserys was genuinely wondering how she was doing and wanted to hear her version of the story.

“This Gyles Groster is hiding something. He smuggled weapons in the city without orders from the Master or Laws, the Hand or yourself.”

“So far it holds up.”

“When I went to his home, his wife spoke about a place where they hid the weapons. I want to check and they were there!”

“Hold on.” Viserys raised his hand to signal a pause. “You went to his home, and then you went to a place full of weapons? Alone? That was risky, beyond the acceptable.”

“But I’m so close!” Valena pleaded. “You’re a great king. Would you take the chance of ruining our peace by stopping my investigation? What if the plot is serious? I just need a little more time and I’ll have all the proof needed.”

The stroke at his ego seemed to work, just as did the possibility of a threat to the peace. If there was something Viserys wanted to keep, it was the peace.

“Very well then. I hope that you are as capable as I heard. If you can provide proofs of what you are advancing, I’ll give the signal to Ser Morghil to move on them.”

“Thanks you, brother. You won’t regret it.” She moved a piece on the table. “Also, you lose.”

“What the… Come on now!"

 

[Zamarak500]

CHAPTER 15: THE GYLES GROSTER PLOT
​

VALENA: November 19th, 106 AC, King’s Landing

“Are you sure about this?” Morghil asked.

“Viserys gave the order?” she asked back, although she already knew the answer.

“He did. His Majesty told us to follow you on this one.”

“Then I’m as sure as I’ll ever be.”

Ser Morghil nodded before he turned to his men, barking orders to everyone around them.

“Alright men, follow the Princess!”

The Gold Cloaks answered with various affirmative responses and followed their leader and the princess. Valena took a moment to admire the City Watch as they organized. Daemon truly did marvels with them. She barely remember ever hearing something positive of them before her brother took over, and now they were an efficient force in King’s Landing. Not the most disciplined or professional, she’ll admit it, but one that could deal with whatever issue arose in the city. Ser Morghil had proved to be an excellent replacement for Daemon. The man had lost a few hairs since he was knighted, yet his courage and kindness was still recognizable, just as was the customary arrogance of those that were once part of Daemon’s inner circle.

“I take it you found proofs of this plot against the throne?”

“I have enough to convince the King that we must deal with the plot before it can start, at least.” Valena replied.

“Ser Gyles must be an idiot to even attempt such a thing. I mean, staking weapons in King’s Landing, right under our nose? That’s stupid. Stupidly bold, but stupid never the less.”

Something hit her in that instant. How did Morghil know about the investigation? As far as she was aware, this had remained between her and the few high ranked members of the court who were told about, maybe the full Council and the King only. She liked Morghil, but he was not part of the select group she thrusted with these information so far. Yet he seemed aware of her investigation in details he shouldn’t.

“You knvow of the stash of weapons? I’m guessing someone told you?”

“Ah, well…” the nervousness of Morghil was apparent. “Let’s say that I know someone who knows Lord Gendry.”

She wished he would tell her more, but as soon as he had finished he began telling the populace to return to their home and stand aside as they passed through. She made a mental note to find out who that common friend of theirs was, although she already had a suspect in mind. Right now, however, the focus was on Ser Gyles Groster.

“How many men do you think he has?” she asked.

“At this hour, on an easy day like this? Most of his garrison is either still asleep or somewhere drinking. He probably has a dozen of men, at best.” Morghil assured her.

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because most of my men would be drinking with them if the King hadn’t called upon us.”

As they made their way to the King’s Gate, they could see that Morghil was in fact wrong. In the surrounding of the gate, they could see at least twenty guards armed and ready. There was a good chance that Gyles Groster was worried to be stopped as the day of the act came closer. Too bad for him, Morghil had brought twice as much men, just in case. She could see among the guards the man himself, his large moustache and his mad temper unmistakable.

As they approached, some of the men around Ser Gyles began to turn their head as the sound of the Gold Cloaks became hearable. Valena looked at Ser Morghil, who gave her a nod to confirm that she could take the lead. As she approached, she took out her sword out of its sheath, quickly imitated by the Gold Cloaks.

“Ser Gyles Groster!” she shouted.

Gyles turned his head at the sound of his name. His face quickly turned to surprise and panic when he realized who was calling him, and who was with her. He probably never expected to be found out.

“You are under arrest!” Morghil continued for her.

Ser Gyles might have been paralyzed, almost unable to understand what had happened, but his men were ready. They drew their swords and assembled around their commander. The Gold Cloaks began to circle around them gauging them. Tensions were rising, but it was clear to Valena that if fighting started, Morghil and his men would triumph. Gyles Groster seemed to realize it too, as well as the implications it would have for him.

“ENOUGH!” Ser Gyles screamed. “Stand down, soldiers! Those idiots have nothing on me. It’s just some ploy from the princess to get back at me. I surrender myself.”

“Good choice, Ser Gyles.” Morghil said.

Gold Cloaks made their way through the garrison guards, who grudgingly left them pass. They grabbed Ser Gyles, pushing him through the street. As he passed next to Valena, their gaze met, and she could see the fury in his eyes

“You’ll pay for this.” He mumbled.

“You only get what your actions deserves.” She replied. “I’ve done my part. Now it is in the hand of my brother. Guilty or not, this stops here, Ser Gyles.”

______________________________________________________________________

JAELYX: November 23rd, 106 AC, King’s Landing

Jaelyx was surprised when Viserys offered him to be present for the trial of Ser Gyles Groster. It seems like the man had conspired again the crown. What an idiot. Now he was going to face justice as a traitor because he was too stupid to think that plotting against the King was pure madness.

As usual, Jaelyx took his time to get to his destination. If he got late, then so be it, but he was not going to waste his efforts on something like walking. As he entered the throne room, he saw that almost everyone was here. Viserys was on his throne, talking with his wife Alicent, who was seated next to him. Next to Alicent’s throne was the Lord Hand, her father Otto Hightower. Jaelyx promised himself that one day he would be the one wearing that broch and be the Hand of Viserys. On the other side, standing with Viserys, was Aegon. Seeing how Valena was the one who made the arrest of Groster possible, it was no surprised that Aegon wanted to be involved. Jaelyx had hoped that he would be the only prince present alongside their brother. What a wasted opportunity. As he made his way next to Viserys, the three knights of the King’s Guard stepped aside, then reformed around the throne.

“Jaelyx, you finally made it!” Viserys exclaimed himself as his brother approached. “Alicent was beginning to wonder if we should start the trial without you.”

“Her grace will have to excuse my delay.”

“It’s okay, we’re used to it.” Aegon answered with a sarcastic tone.

Although Aegon was a patient man, it was clear that he expected better out of his brother. The fuming gaze he sent to Jaelyx made it clear that he expected something other than laziness out of him, especially in this important day. Jaelyx shrugged it off. It didn’t matter to him what his brother though. If anything, Aegon was simply the biggest door between his fulfilled ambition and himself.

“I am sure that my words were for the Queen, brother.” Jaelyx replied.

“As long as you are here, there is no issue, is there?” the queen said.

Alicent flashed him a smile, which turned to into a painful grin as her hand gripped her stomach. It seemed extremely hurtful, enough so that her father took her hand, hoping to help her calm down. Viserys also seemed worried.

“Are you alright?” he asked in a hurry. “Do you need me to call Maester Runciter?”

“No… I’m fine.” Alicent finally said.

“Is there something troubling her Grace?” Jaelyx inquired with some worries. He may not care much for her, but she was still his sister-in-law.

“Just some stomach pains she’s been having.” Viserys explained. “It’s been a few weeks now, but nothing changes. If anything, it has gotten worst.”

“Maybe you should sit this trial out.” Ser Otto proposed. “You should rest, daughter.”

“I’m fine, father. I can handle myself in public, unlike some.”

It was not hard to see that this was a reference to Rhaenys. Even in those moments, Alicent still found a way to insult their sister. Their hatred was truly deep.

“Maybe it is like Valerion. Remember when mother had him?” Both Viserys and Vaelyx exchanged looks with Aegon.

They all remembered how painful Valerion’s pregnancy was for their mother, even at its early stages. Princess Alyssa had it extremely difficult, from the early signs of pregnancy to the birth. Even after it, Valerion proved to be on the verge of death for months. Maybe this was just the sign of a similar pregnancy.

“Are you sure that you are alright?” Viserys asked his wife, evidently worried.

“Yes, dear. Proceed with the trial, please.”

She seemed exasperated. Not by the attention, but by the idea she was too weak to be here. Jaelyx could relate, having been alongside siblings who found him weak for… a variety of reasons. Viserys gave a nod to his Hand, who immediately turned to the awaiting court.

“Bring the prisoner!” Otto Hightower ordered.

As soon as he spoke the words, guards exited the room, only coming with Ser Gyles Groster with them. The man’s hands were tied behind his back, just to be safe. For a man who stayed in the dungeon for four days, he looked just fine, although extremely nervous.

“My king, it’s a plot! I’m innocent! I swear!” Ser Gyles tried desperately to appeal to the kind as soon as he was on his knees, to no avail.

Viserys ignored the pleading, man, instead turning to his thrusted Hand and father-in-law.

“Lord Hand, can I finally know the charges against this man?” the King asked.

“Of course, your Majesty.” Ser Otto took out a parchment and began to read its content. “Ser Gyles Groster, Commander of the King’s Gate and its garrison, you are accused of treason. You are here, in front of the King and the Seven, for your attempt at plotting the usurpation of the High Lordship of Blackwater Bay.”

Jaelyx’s eyes grew wide at the accusation. Viserys also chocked out of surprise, meaning his brother was just as shocked as he was. Taking away Blackwater Bay? Not the throne, not King’s Landing. Blackwater Bay. Why? That was dumb beyond what Jaelyx could comprehend. Taking the capital, he could understand the throne even. But leaving both to Viserys while taking the surrounding area? That was idiotic.

“That's what he tried to do?” Viserys was clearly perplexed by the thing, probably even more than Jaelyx.

“Are you sure there isn’t some sort of mistake, Lord Hand?” Jaelyx asked.

“It is as it is, Prince Jaelyx.” unlike most in the throne room, he seemed unfazed by the information. “He tried to take Blackwater Bay. I only read the reports, not judge it. If you have questions, I’d advice that you take them to Lord Gendry or your sister. They are the one who made the arrest of Ser Gyles possible.”

“Let’s, hum, let’s just continue.” Visery was still shaken by the absurdity of the plot. “What do you have to say for your defence, Ser Gyles?”

“Your Majesty, listen to me!” the man was frantic. Jaelyx could see that the man was desperate. “It’s a plot! People tried to set me up!”

“You’re saying this is just one big plot against you?” Viserys seemed both amused an annoyed at this incredulous idea.

“Preposterous.” Aegon declared. Jaelyx had to agree with his brother on this one.

“Yes! Clearly, it is Dorne!” Ser Gyles claimed.

“Did you say Dorne?” Alicent was as perplex as everyone else, although Jaelyx could hear murmurs in the crowd supporting the theory.

“He did say Dorne.” Ser Otto confirmed.

“Yes, Dorne! Our natural enemy!” Ser Gyles seemed more certain of himself now that some in the crowd supported him. “They're trying to destroy the unity in King’s Landing to humiliate House Targaryen!”

“That’s absurd, Ser Gyles!” Ser Otto had enough of this, clearly.

“It’s true!” the accused had decided to go all out with his story. “They were working with the help of those Valyrians!”

“Us, you mean?” Aegon was spiteful in his call, disgusted by the stupidity of the man’s explanations.

“No, the ones on the other side of the Narrow Sea. All those scums in Volantis, wishing for the throne! Your brothers might even had something to do with it! They…”

“ENOUGH!” Viserys silenced everyone through the room. “I will not stand listening to your nonsense while you insult my brothers! I’ve heard enough from you.”

Ser Gyles tried to get on his feet to protest, but he was pushed back on his knees by the two guards flanking him.

“Lord Hand, anything to had?” Viserys looked at his Hand, expecting him to lead the accusation.

“I would do the honor to lead the questioning, but I think this honor should go to Prince Jaelyx.” Ser Otto said.

Jaelyx was surprised by the gesture. The Lord Hand had given up such opportunity to shine and leaved it to him. Jaelyx nodded in thanks to Ser Otto, happy to be allowed the chance to finally prove his worth, to show that his place was at the top next to Viserys. However, there was this nagging idea at the back of his head, that maybe, just maybe, the Hand had chosen to give up this opportunity for a reason. He didn’t care at the moment, however. Now was his time to shine.

“Very well, Ser Otto. Jaelyx, you can question the accused as long as you want.” Viserys gestured with his hand that Jaelyx had the floor to himself.

“Thanks you, your Majesty.”

Jaelyx moved to the middle of the room, right in front of Ser Gyles. Everyone could see him and everyone could hear him. It was his one moment to shine, and he was not going to mess it.

“Ser Gyles has called Dorne, our rival on Westeros, responsible for those crimes we call his.”

“Yes! That’s exactly it! The Dornishmen and the Volanteses are responsible, not me!"

“Yet in the passing night, we saw your guards walk through the streets. Are those guards not proud Kingslanders, born and raised among the people of this court? Yet I see no Dormishmen among us. In the shadows, we found your weapons hidden. I saw no reason for those weapons, unless they are for the safety of your crimes. In our back, we heard you plotting our downfall. Was it with the tongue of a Dornishman or the old tongue of Valyria? Maybe, but it was still your voice expressing them.”

“Wait a minute!” Ser Gyles tried to cut him off, but Jaelyx left him no chance.

“You talk of us as if we are too dumb to see the truth, to understand how the world works. Yet were you not the one too arrogant to see the treat of your actions? Why did you not stop your crimes when my sister, Princess Valena, bravely questioned you at the peril of her life? Why did you not give us swords and shields you introduce to this peaceful city?”

“I needed those weapons!”

“And there you have it, people of King’s Landing! He needed to overthrow us with those weapons, to take what is rightfully the King’s! Why would he need such weapons, if not for betrayal? For our protection? Then the Master of Law should have known. For the defence of the city? Then why hasn’t the Hand been noticed of it? No, I can only see a reason why he needed those. To force his way against us and push his goals onto us.”

“You little...” Ser Gyles was fuming, but the guards held him to the ground.

“My father once said “I see no reason to forgive a guilty man, just as I see no goal in punishing an innocent.” Prince Baelon was a wise man and a great hand. So then why abandon his example and forgive treason? A man tried to betray the Iron Throne today, and I demand justice for it.”

______________________________________________________________________

AEGON: November 23rd, 106 AC, King’s Landing

As Jaelyx basked in applauds from the crowd, even Aegon had to admit that his brother was an excellent speaker. Whatever was still holding of Ser Gyles’s conspiracy theory had completely vanished. In a way, he was proud of his older brother. Jaelyx worked for the crown, making sure that a traitor was shown as such. Of course, Jaelyx had improved along the way. Their father never said anything of the sort, but it did sound like something he would have said. All and all, Aegon was content with the speech.

Viserys seemed of the same opinion, the King ordering Jaelyx back to his place. The King waited for a moment, letting the crowd calm down. Everyone was waiting for the judgement, waiting to hear the worlds come out of his mouth.

“Ser Gyles Groster.” He finally said. “I declare you guilty. You abused my trust in you to plot against me. You will be punished accordingly to your crimes.”

Before Viserys could give the punishment, however, a woman made her way out of the crowd of courtiers. Aegon did not recognize her, but she seemed distraught by the judgement. She wore expensive clothes, like she was trying to show off her status.

“Your Majesty! Please, I beg for your forgiveness!”

“How dare you speak to the King like this?” Queen Alicent demanded.

The three knights of the King’s Guard began to place themselves between the woman and the king, but Viserys waved them off.

“It’s alright dear, let her speak.” Viserys now spoke with a gentler voice, one which the court was more accustomed to. “It is polite to present yourself to the King when speaking, lady.”

The woman flustered out of shame and immediately bended the knee in front of the Iron Throne. Aegon noticed how nervous she was. With the current situation, he correctly guessed that the woman was Gyles Groster’s wife.

“I'm Lady Lorea, wife of Ser Gyles Groster, your Majesty.” Lorea’s voice was shaky. She wasn’t use to speak with high ranked member of the court.

“And you ask me to forgive your husband?” the king asked.

“My husband can be an idiot. It was an innocent mistake from his part, I swear! Please give him another chance!”

“Lady Lorea, your husband has been found guilty of treason. I don’t think I can forgive such an act, even if I wanted to.”

“Please, you’re Majesty! We would be eternally thankful for it! We implore you!” she forced her husband to bow his head on the ground with her. “At the very least, be lenient! He probably didn’t even mean it to happen!”

“Get her out of our sight, she’s perturbing the trial.” Aegon asked the guards.

The guards looked at Ser Otto, who agreed with a nod. The men in armor gently pushed Lady Lorea to the side, forcing her to join back into the crowd. When she was out of focus, they then forced her out of the room. It might have been harsh, or even unfair, but it was better that way. The last thing they needed was Viserys making a bad call out because he was moved on by a crying woman. Thankfully, Aegon had ordered her out before it got to that.

“Finally.” Jaelyx whispered. “I was getting sick of hearing her. If I want to hear a woman whining, I have my wife for that.”

Aegon wasn’t exactly amused by the comment and so chose to ignore it. At least he was the only one who heard it. Now that his brother had finally shined, he had returned to his usual lazy attitude, complaining more than anything else.

“Well, Ser Gyles, you may be a traitor, but your wife still manage to prove you deserve a chance. Just not in King’s Landing. You shall serve in the Night’s Watch, working to protect those you betrayed. What do you think, Lord Hand?” Viserys turned to Ser Otto, hoping for a supportive response.

“My King, I must advice against such lenient punishment.”

“You do?”

Viserys was clearly surprised by this. He’d turned to Ser Otto in search of support and agreement. Instead, he found the man with a diverging opinion on the matter. This had clearly shaken Viserys’s resolves.

“But… but shouldn’t it be the perfect punishment? He only plotted his treason. He never put it into action.”

“He acted against the throne, your Majesty. He tried to take a title held by the King himself. This is no small crime. Sending a man to the Wall is nothing. He deserves far worst for his crimes.”

“Death, maybe.” Jaelyx suggested in a disinterested tone.

“Death?” Viseyrs seemed nervous at the idea of ordering an execution. “Come on now, Jaelyx. Don’t be absurd.”

“Actually, I agree with the prince.” Ser Otto revealed. “Ser Gyles Groster must be executed for his crimes.”

“He must be an example for those who would try the same.” Aegon spoke in a calm voice, which made it even more chilling for his older brother.

“Aegon, you too?”
wel
“If you let him go easy, people will think they can do whatever they want. You need to be firm and punish him with death, so no one try to do the same.”

“But… I…”

“Remember Laegor. Against the advices of both Daemon and Ser Otto, you decided to send him to the Wall. He used this to escape. Thankfully, he drowned in the Narrow Sea, but we can’t be that lucky each time.”

“Prince Aegon is right, your Majesty. You need to act and make a decisive stand.” Ser Otto pressed the issue more and more, enough so that Viserys finally cracked.

“I… Fine... Let it be your way. I…” Viserys took a pose, like the words were stuck in his throat. “The King orders that Ser Gyles Groster be beheaded.”

“NO!”

Ser Gyles rose up to his feet, rage and panic in his eyes. The guards were too slow to stop him from rushing to the throne. Thankfully, Ser Harrold Westerling and Prince Vaelyx were faster. Both knights stabbed Gyles’s legs, sending the man crumbling to the floor in pain. Guards quickly rushed him and restrained the former garrison commander. The last thing they ever heard of Gyles Groster was his screams of defiance and begging as he was carried out of the room.

 

[Zamarak500]

CHAPTER 16: STAYS IN THE FAMILY
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RHAENYS: November 30th, 106 AC, King’s Landing

“How could you do this?” raged Rhaenys. “You name a new Commander of the King’s Gate, just like that?”

“I couldn’t leave the gate without a commander, could I?” Viserys protested. “If I didn’t pick someone, trade would have suffered from it. Lord Lyonel Strong was adamant about it.”

Rhaenys rolled her eyes and sighed out of desperation. Who cared about what this old idiot said. The only reason he still had a place on the Small Council was because he raised Aemon. Even worst was that her brother was surprised by her anger. The fat king stood next to her, questions running through his heads about the reason of her frustration. As usual, he whore comfortable clothes that fitted his forms. Honestly, if he wasn’t the King, she probably wouldn’t even bat an eye in his direction.

“Yes, but by the Seven, why did you name Leyton Hightower to the position? There was so many options far better than this young twart.”

“Language Rhaenys.” Viserys shook his head to show his disapproval. “And what is wrong with Ser Leyton? He is young, yes, but he show great potential. The boy has a good sense of justice.”

“He’s just sixteen, that’s the issue! He’s just a boy, you said it yourself!”

The princess pushed another weak scream of frustration. Of all the people he could name, Viserys had chosen the younger brother of his damn wife. Alicent and her father surely had something to do with it, which made it even more frustrating. Why did Viserys give it to a Hightower?

She wished it had gone to one of her cronies. She would welcome another good looking man with influence in her bed, after all. Those could always be useful. No, more than that, she wanted the position for herself. She deserved it. She was a dragon rider and a Targaryen princess. Who could even pretend to be more qualified than her? Her brothers and sisters? Daemon and Vaeron all left for Essos, leaving her as the greatest sibling of the King, not that it would have changed much if they remained around. It was probably because of her gender that she didn’t receive it. It was sad, really. She had thought Westeros over this when Rhaenyra was made Princess of Dragonstone.

“Why couldn’t you just wait, then? Couldn’t you just leave the position open until someone worthy came along?”

“I couldn’t leave the King’s Gate without commander!” Viserys retorted. “It would have turned to arnarchy!”

“I’m sure Ser Morghil could have dealt with the gate until you found someone else!”

Viserys considered the idea for a moment, but ended up shaking his head in dismissal. It’s a shame, really. If she had thought of it a few days before, she might have been able to push the idea on her brother. With Morghil in charge of the King’s Gate, even as a temporary solution, her influence on King’s Landing would have grown exponentially.

“Ser Morghil already has too much on his plates. It was best to choose someone else.”

“Again, you could have waited for the decision.” Rhaenys noted for the tenth time.

“Ser Gyles Groster had been executed on charges of treasons. I needed someone I could thrust in charge of the gate.” Viserys explained. “I simply… I simply couldn’t wait for more corruption in the garrison.”

The way Viserys eyes shifted when he spoke of Ser Gyles Groster hinted that he still had the death of the man on his mind. Viserys was never the murderous time. He always preferred lesser punishments. In fact, most executions were orders by the Hand, not the King. It seemed this one had not yet leaved his conscience. Sometimes, she wondered how her brother could be so weak.

“Did you really need to make this decision alone? There were others around you who could have advised you on the best candidate.”

“I did. I asked Ser Otto for advice.”

“You asked Leyton’s father? No wonder he picked him, you idiot!” Rhaenys was fuming. How could her brother be such an idiot?

“May I remind you that he’s my Hand. His duties are to advise me when needed. Who else could I trust with such questions?”

“What about your own family, Viserys? You have so many of us with you, yet you leave us on the side when all we want is to help you. Instead of coming to us, you simply made a call based on your father-in-law’s orders!”

She knew that she wasn’t the only one who was angry at the appointment. Aegon and Jaelyx, who were both present for the trial of Gyles Groster, were unsatisfied with the choice of Leyton Hightower. Aegon wanted someone more trustworthy that wouldn’t increase the Hand’s power, although Rhaenys suspected her had himself in mind. Jaelyx, for his part, made no attempt to hide the fact that he expected to be made commander after his performance at the trial. She was pretty that Maegon would have eagerly taken the position if offered. Her younger brother must have gone into a similar rage as her when he learned that he had been passed over by a Hightower. Even Vaelyx, who was supposed to be neutral, had to understand the danger it represented to have so many of them in the capital.

“It’s his entire fault, you know? That damn Hightower came to power at the expense of our grandfather, and now he’s manoeuvering you like his puppet! He’s isolating you from your family, from me! He even tricked you into marrying his brat. She’s just as much of a…”

“Do not insult my wife!” Viserys had enough with her ranting, his hesitance turning to anger. “At least she’s bearing the child of her husband, unlike a certain sister of mine!”

After the initial shock of Viserys sudden burst of energy, Rhaenys took in what her brother had just said. So it was official, Alicent was pregnant. There had been rumors, especially due to her stomach pains. Now it was confirmed that a child was on the way.

“I’m sick of you bad mouthing her! By the Seven, she’s my wife! And I’m not some sort of puppet House Hightower manoeuver around. I’m the King, and you might do well to remember it!”

She gritted her teeth. This was infuriating. Humiliating even. But she had no choice but to submit. She bowed her head slightly, the only sign of surrender she would show. This seemed to calm Viserys enough for him to turn to a more melancholic state.

“Just go.”

Anger having never left her face since she entered. She stormed out of the room, making sure Viserys heard the door closing in a clash. This was not over, not by a long shot.

______________________________________________________________________

JAELYX: December 4th, 106 AC, King’s Landing

Jaelyx pressed his way through the corridors of the Red Keep, taking little notice of those around him. For once, he tried to be as fast as possible. The faster he could see Viserys, the better. When Viserys appointed Ser Leyton Hightower as Commander of the King’s Gate, Jaelyx was enraged. After all he did to get rid of the last one, he clearly deserved the position. When he had his moment to shine, he surpassed all expectations. And in the end, he couldn’t even get a position as a gate’s commander for it? How life was unfair.

But thankfully, Leyton managed to ruin his opportunity. It isn’t clear if he was with his father or not when it happened, but whatever the reason, both the Hand and the new Commander messed up. Smuggling had become a problem due to some bad taxes implemented by the Hand. Two days ago, a large group of brigands entered through the King’s Gate and wreaked havoc in the Fishmonger’s Square. Ser Morghil and the Gold Cloaks were forced to step in and in the ensuing fight dealt with the criminals. The problem was that Ser Leyton had failed in his duties, badly. Worst, it seemed like both the Hand and his son though the brigands to have been regular merchants, even allowing them safe passage in the city. This was enough of a reason to have him removed. If Jaelyx could convince Viserys to do so, then he had a good chance of being the next in line for the position.

When Jaelyx entered the room, he could see Viserys seated in a smile wooden throne. His brother seemed tired and upset, like he had been questioned far too much about something. As he turned his head, Jaelyx could see why, his smile dropping in an instant. He was not the first to come demand the resignation of Ser Leyton, it seemed. Aegon was there, complaining about the incident in Fishmonger’s Square. Next to his self-righteous brother stood a man who he couldn’t recognize. Probably the Aegon’s candidate. The man looked ambitious and determined which made him all the more dangerous.

“Everyone in the Red Keep knows. No, in King’s Landing, even! You can’t keep him after such mistake, brother, and you know it.” Aegon was a determined as ever.

“Look, Aegon, I understand that it was bad, but…” Viserys finally noticed his brother closing the door, his face flashing a thankful smile. Jaelyx almost felt bad for what he was going to ask. “Jaelyx! What can I do for you?”

“Well, I’d appreciate it if you could remove the incompetent Ser Leyton Hightower from his position as Commander of the King’s Gate.”

The smile on Viserys’s face was replaced by an annoyed sigh. “Not you too…”

“It’s a truth that saddens the world, but a truth never the less.” Jaelyx continued. “He failed in all duties.”

“He doesn’t have the experience, that’s all.” Viserys tried to defend.

“Inexperience or ineptitude changes nothing of the outcome.” Jaelyx pointed out.

“He’s only 16, Viserys. Barely a knight, and from what I heard, I can’t say that he’s a very good one.” Aegon pointed out. “His age doesn’t excuse his mistake. It makes it worse.”

“So what if the kid made a mistake? No one’s perfect.”

“The mistake cost the lives and money.” Jaelyx pointed out. “Just remove Ser Leyton from his position, he clearly can’t handle it.”

“What do you means?”

Aegon was faster in responding. “From what I heard, the garrison does whatever it wants. Ser Leyton has little if no control over his men.”

“He started a week ago, Aegon. Leave him time.”

“You said it yourself, brother. You wanted the position filled because you feared that Ser Gyles Groster’s corruption would continue. Now we have a commander who can’t command his men, leaving them to continue their old ways.”

“Time is a problem in itself, when it comes to the King’s Gate.” Jaelyx agreed. “We need someone who can inspire respect.”

Viserys sighed again, his head in his hands. It was clear that he was sick of this. Sadly for him, both Jaelyx and Aegon knew they had to push the issue if they wanted Ser Leyton removed.

“I suppose you both have suggestions?” Viserys finally said, raising a hand in the direction of the man next to Aegon.

The prince took the cue and put a hand on his companion’s shoulder. “This is Ser Alyn Errol, brother of Lord Ormund of Haystack Hall. You’ll find that he’s one of the best commanders of the Seven Kingdoms. He has the experience and the competence. I can’t vouch for better candidate to the position.”

“Your Majesty.” Ser Alyn felt on his knee, his sword offered in front of him. “I’ve waited my whole life to serve the Iron Throne to my fullest. You won’t be disappointed in me like you’ve been in that brat.”

“I have no doubt about your talent, Ser Alyn, but your place is on the battlefield, not among the guards.” Jaelyx then turned to Viserys. “Brother, what you need is someone close to you. A Targaryen prince showing them why they should obey us. Let me do it!”

“You sound like Rhaenys…” Viserys fell even further in his chair, although Jaelyx could see hesitation in his eyes.

It was at this moment that the door crashed open. Everyone turned to it, curious about the sudden interruption. Jaelyx mumbled in frustration as Ser Otto Hightower and his son entered the room, quickly making their way to the King’s side. As he passed, Ser Leyton sent a disgruntled look at Jaelyx, who chose to ignore it. The kid clearly felt threatened. Ser Otto looked around the room, clearly concerned that he had come too late to save his son.

“Would his Majesty tell me what this meeting is about and why I haven’t been informed of it?” Ser Otto inquired.

“Can’t House Targaryen not have family meetings?” Jaelyx asked.

“Then as the father-in-law of the King, you won’t mind me attending, then.”

“We do, mind, actually. And I might have missed the point where it allowed Ser Leyton to come too.”

“Is he not the King’s brother-in-law? And besides,” the Hand pointed at Ser Alyn Errol. “I don’t see what this man would do in the affairs of House Targaryen.”

“My brothers were… trying to convince me to explore other options than your son after the incident two days ago.” Viserys finally announced.

“What?” the surprise came from Ser Leyton, who probably did not realize how close he was from losing his place. “I understand I messed up, and I take the blame for it, but who could have done better?”

“From what I heard, everyone. You did one shitty job that day, child. Mistakes I wouldn’t make.” Ser Alyn was confident in his words, maybe a bit arrogant.

“You’re in the presence of the King and his Hand! You will shut up until called upon, whoever you are.”

It was clear that Ser Otto didn’t like Ser Alyn’s tone. The knight exchanged a glance with Aegon, who nodded, before taking back his spot behind the prince.

“I trust that your Majesty made the princes understand why my son deserved a second chance for his mistake.”

“Do not try to dodge your part in this fiasco, Lord Hand.” Aegon was frowning, a clear sign that their control of the situation was quickly slipping away.

“My father has been exemplary!” Ser Leyton said immediately. “His only fault was not preparing me enough for it. The actual blame should fall on my men and I.”

“Recognizing your own fault is one of the key qualities of a leader.”

“Please!” Jaelyx almost laughed at this stupid affirmation. “Your son is no leader. He’s a lazy knight who pass more time in bed with other or doing nothing than actually guarding the gates.”

“I do not wish to be disrespectful, Prince Jaelyx, but I don’t think you’re the best person to criticize such behaviors.” Ser Otto followed this by offering a triumphing smile.

“It doesn’t matter anyway.” Viserys finally stood up of his seat, now clearly decided on the path to take. “Ser Leyton will keep his post. He deserves another chance, which he will get. That’s my final decision.”

Jaelyx mumbled some insult low enough so that no one heard it. Even if it was frustrating, he made his way to the door. Aegon would probably stay longer and try to argue, but he had enough. They had an opportunity and they failed to seize it fast enough. Now Viserys was safely protected by his Hand, meaning nothing would push him to reconsider the decision of keeping Ser Leyton. It seems that today would not be his day after all...

______________________________________________________________________

PS: This chapter shows how that many Targaryens struggle to take power away from the Hightowers. The siblings aren't united. It was a problem even when Daemon and Vaeron were the big players of their family, as both wished to be made the heir to Viserys before he named Rhaenyra was made Princess of Dragonstone, after which both rapidly chose to fulfil their ambition elsewhere.

 

[Zamarak500]

CHAPTER 17: WARRIORS
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VAELYX: December 7th, 106 AC, King’s Landing

The three new knights of the King’s Guard admired the White Sword Tower as Lord Commander Harrold Westerling led them through his tour. Vaelyx and Ser Clement Crabb closed the march behind their new brothers. As Harrold walked through the tower, he flashed a smile to Vaelyx, who reciprocated it as they watched the three knights look around in amazement. They still couldn’t believe that they had made it in the King’s Guard. Vaelyx remembered that feeling himself, although it must be tenfold for small knights of Westeros than for a prince who was guaranteed a place if he wished one.

“And this is the most important book of the whole tower.” Ser Harrold stopped in front of a massive book, opening it and passing through its pages. “This is the Book of the Brothers, although most simply call it the White Book for short. Each knight of the King’s Guard has a page in it, detailing its deeds and accomplishments.”

He began chosing pages at random, showing them to the new initiates. “Here is the page of Corlys Velaryon, the first Lord Commander of the King’s Guard. He served under Aegon the Conqueror. Here you have his predecessor, Addison Hill, who you might know as the Bastard of Cornfield. And here you have Lucamor “the Black”, the biggest disgrace of the King’s Guard.”

“What did he do?” asked one of the knights. Vaelyx noticed how uncomfortable Ser Harrold became at this question.

“He… hum… he fathered bastards.” Ser Harrold quickly tried to change the subject. “As the Lord Commander, it is my duty to keep the White Book updated, although you can write on your own page whatever you want. Your names have already been added to yours, although the heraldry will only be made next year, when the septons have time.”

As the knights began to attack Ser Harrold with questions, Vaelyx took the time to look at them. The first one, and the only one who was older than him, was Randyll Shett. House Shett was a house of landed knights who held Gull Tower in the Vale. Ser Randyll was the cousin of its owner, Ser Waymar. From the little he saw of him, Vaelyx could say that there was something that rubbed him the wrong way about the knight. Ser Randyll was known for his generosity and his eloquence, which made him incredibly popular with the small folk. That was all fine. The problem was that he was extremely arrogant about it. He hoped that this would not prove to be a problem for the rest of the King’s Guard.

The other two were younger than him, barely older than his sister Valena. The first was a Stormlander, Ser Barin Rogers, the brother of Lord Alaric of Amberly. Ser Barin was the kind of man he could respect. He was approachable and really all around likeable. From the few words they exchanged, it seemed as Ser Barin was a devout follower of the Seven and, just like him, a family man. Both also understood that there was more than brute force. It seemed that Ser Barin was extremely paranoid of everything political, which was a good reflex to have in King’s Landing. The two would certainly get along.

Finally, there was Ser Sumner Estren. Son of Lord Tybolt of Wyndhall, Vaelyx had known him for years, dating back to his time under the tutelage of Ryam Redwyne. Sumner had served as squire for Ser Harrold over the last 8 years, so the two trained together on many occasions. Because of his talents in combat, his bravery and his diligence, he managed to become a member of the King’s Guard at the age of seventeen. Alhe had to work on was the bit of fat he gained over the years.

“Finally we are full.” Ser Clement said, pride in his eyes.

“Yes, it’s been a while since there had been seven of us. The King was slow to find replacements.” Vaelyx agreed. “And then those two years when my grandfather wasn’t active…”

“All we miss is Ser Criston.”

Vaelyx frowned at this mention of Criston Cole. He never liked the knight who took his mentor’s place in the guard, and was actually happy when he was assigned to stay in Dragonstone with Rhaenyra. The man was good, there was no question about it, but he was also arrogant and ambitious, two dangerous traits for a member of the King’s Guard.

“Your Highness! Nice to see you again.” said the approaching Ser Sumner.

It felt weird to be called “Highness” by a fellow knight of the King’s Guard. After he joined the guard, he’d always been referred to as “Prince Vaelyx” or simply “Vaelyx”. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to return to the old royal etiquette. Viserys made it harder for him when he tried to extend the protection of the King’s Guard to him, which Vaelyx found idiotic and refused. After all, they were all fighting for one goal, protecting the King. It would be stupid if they had to also protect one of their own.

“Ser Sumner! I’d offer you my welcome, but I’m sure Ser Harrold was more than enough welcoming of you.”

“It feels weird to achieve this, you know. I worked hard as a squire with the goal of wearing the white cloak, but I didn’t expect to gain it so soon.”

“The King’s Guard needed knights, something Ser Harrold asked for ever since he became Lord Commander. When my brother finally asked him if he had any suggestion, he jumped at the occasion. Of course, we both know he wouldn’t have proposed you if he didn’t deemed you a good fit.”

“Thanks the Seven for it.” Ser Sumner said with a smile.

“Thanks the Seven!” most of the knights repeated.

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LAEGOR: December 16th, 106 AC, somewhere in the Three Daughters

It had been a few months since Laegor had managed his cunning escape of Kios. Using the attack of his brothers on the city, he ingeniously stabbed one of his jailers in the ribs before convincing the other to help him exit. With the help of his “companion”, he managed to fake himself as a slave being transferred out of the city by its master. The hardest part had been to not kick all the guards that insulted him on the way. If only he could have stabbed them for their insolence. He was the great Prince Laegor Targaryen, while they were Essosi scums.

This strategy allowed them to make it out of the city unnoticed. With the dragons flying and the men fighting, it wasn’t hard. Surprisingly, Varan chose to stick around after the escape. Laegor suspected that the fat ass had no hope of survival alone and knew it, so it chose to stick to him like a leech. The prince gracefully accepted this follower. After all, who knew when he would need a fat meat shield?

Since their escape from Kios, the two had to live on the highways, taking what they could wherever they could. This came with one positive thing. The two of them had to hunt to find their food. Well, he had to hunt for the both of them, since Varan was just a lazy piece of shit unable to do anything right. But still, it was nice to return to his old passion of hunting. He felt more alive than ever with a bow in his hands, waiting between the trees for an animal to pass a fall to his arrows. It was lower class hunts than what he was used to in King’s Landing, but it still felt refreshing to track animals in the wild again.

Of course, sometime hunting wasn’t enough. When that happened, the two of them simply stepped on the side of road and robbed whoever passed. Passing his days as an highway bandit wasn’t the way Laegor had expected his life to go, but it was better than slavery. At least here he could use his fighting skills to good use. Daemon’s war had made many refugees, which meant easy targets to attack. From time to time, they felt on deserters who provided a good fight. When that happened, Varan would usually run around in a pathetic attempt at fleeing like the coward he was. Funnily enough, the sprinting man crying to be spared drew more attention than the great fighter, so fight tended to end with his sword in the distracted enemies’s backs.

They also met a couple of strange occurrence on the road. Once, they ambushed a man with ebony skin. The man was a scout for an army coming from the island of Omburu in the Summer Isles. It seemed that Volantis was planning a raid on their island, so they chose to come first and counter attack on the mainland. For a moment, this made him entertain the idea of fleeing to Volantis. Vaeron was the only sibling who wasn’t present for his trial, which meant he might have a chance. He quickly shrugged the idea. Vaeron might not have been there, but he certainly heard of it and would want his head as much as the rest of his family. Even if Vaeron was welcoming, there was a good chance one of the triarchs would sell him out for better relations to the Iron Throne. No, it was better to stay away from Volantis.

Then there was that merchant they robbed on the highway. The man was a Riverlander and up to date with the affairs of Westeros. Laegor didn’t ask any questions about how things were going in King’s Landing. Why would he care about those idiots who doomed him? He was all that mattered right now. He managed to learn that everyone believed that he had drowned in the middle of the Narrow Sea. Good. This meant that with enough work and discretion, he might be able to return to Westeros incognito.

Yes, that was a good idea. Returning to Westeros. With him believed dead, he might be able to return home, and start something. Maybe even raise an army and take over Dorne, achieving what even the Conqueror couldn’t. Surely it would be easy. After that, all of Westeros would acclaim him as a hero. Or maybe he would just take his revenge on those who wronged him. But for that, he needed a boat and equipment, and he knew where to find it.

“Varan, I think it’s time we go to Pentos.”

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ELAERYS: December 23th, 106 AC, Kios (Three Daughters)

Elaerys was taking his sword out of the soldier’s chest. Blood went in his eyes, forcing him to back of the dying man to wipe it off. He took a look around him, but all he could see was the sea of corpses, with some of his men finishing the last soldiers still standing. This battle had been an easy one. The Crabfeeder had tried to retake Kios from their hands, believing their forces diminished after the assault on the city. The army of the Three Daughter was met by fire from the sky, courtesy of the Blood Wyrm. After that, Daemon took half of the troops and left the rest to Elaerys with the objective of destroying the pockets of troops that got separated in the chaos. This was the final one, leaving only the main bulk of the enemy still entrenched in the harbors. Daemon was in the middle of forcing them out, so all that was left for Elaerys was cleaning the city.

“I hope my absence didn’t cause problem for you, Prince Elaerys.” Ser Devin Vizmar asked, his own armor covered in blood.

During the fighting, Ser Devin had led a group of mercenaries through the streets to hit the enemy where it was weak. As usual, the knight took troops and launched assaults without orders to do so, trusting his allies to handle things without him. At first, Elaerys found this tendency quite annoying, but he since came to appreciate the commanding abilities of Ser Devin and the trust he put in his comrades.

“Your attacks distracted them. More always, you were more useful doing your own thing than being by my side.”

“I knew you would pull it off, you always do. You’re not a scion of Aegon the Conqueror for nothing.”

“Tell that to Daemon.” Elaerys replied. “He’s the one doing most of the work. With Silverwing wounded, Caraxes is our main weapon against the forces of the Three Daughters.”

“How is the beast doing?”

“She hasn’t recovered from her injuries… I’m honestly beginning to worry. We’re going to need her going forward, so I can only hope for the better.”

“Well, we won’t need her anytime soon, your Highness. We sent the Crabfeeder and his troops packing.” Ser Devin said with determination.

“He’s still holding in the harbor, remember?”

“It’s only a matter of times before we win.” The knight replied.

He wished he could have the same optimism as Ser Devin, but he knew by now that a battle was never lost until one side had triumphed fully. Daemon might make a stupid decision that would cost them men and time; maybe even force him to surrender some streets to the Crabfeeder. Worst case scenario, Caraxes was killed. But those were unlikely scenarios. His brother was a strong and competent commander. Victory was the most probably outcome.

“How do you think they found us, anyway?”

“You means beside the fact that we torched their capital?” Elaerys sarcastically asked.

“But how were they so sure of our location? We could have moved since our attack on Kios.”

That was actually a good question. The Crabfeeder had a fleet and a massive army gathered expressly to retake Kios from their hands. He had a good guess on what had happened. Daemon had been sending letters to the Sea Snake and his army through the weeks. There was a good chance the messages were intercepted, or worst, that the Sea Snake had been captured. There was no way to know for sure, however.

“Who knows?” the prince ended up answering. “It’s not the time to think theories, however. We clean what’s left and we join back with Daemon.”

“Your Highness!” a soldier, one of theirs, came running at the two knights. “We found someone, a local. He has information that might interest you!”

His curiosity was piqued by this. Someone who had information he might want? Elaerys wondered what it could be. Ser Devin seemed fine with this temporary distraction, so he chose to follow the soldier to this mystery man. They followed the soldier to an alley in ruined, debris of crumbling building making passage difficult. In the middle of it, soldiers were holding a man down. He had yellow hairs and a great mustache. On his side, Elaerys could see the scar of a previous wound to the ribs.

“That’s him?” the prince asked, pointing at the man.

“Yes, your Highness.” The soldier answered. “We found him hiding in an abandoned house.”

Elaerys crouched down so he could meet the man’s eyes. “I was told you had information for me.” It was not a question, but a demand.

“Yes! My name is Qycho! I’m a Tyroshi of birth who served…”

“Spare me your life's story. All I want is what you know.”

“For six months, I was the jailor of your brother here, until he escaped. He was a slave owned by the High Magister.”

His brother? Worries made his way to his mind. Had Vaeron been captured while in Volantis? Since he took off with Daemon for their campaign, the news from Vaeron stopped. It might have been because his older brother didn’t know where to send his correspondence, or it might have been because something happened to him.

“You said Vaeron escaped. Where is he now?”

Qycho looked perplexed. “I do not know this Vaeron. The brother I was talking about is Prince Laegor Targaryen. He was here as a slave! But he escapes when you attacked. Look, I can prove it! He’s the one who injured me!”

Elaerys’s eyes grew wide, and for a moment, he remained silent. His quietness was broken by the sound of laughter coming out of his mouth. This only made the Tyroshi more worried.

“What is so funny? I just told you your brother is alive!” His question was met with a punch.

“Do you think you’re funny? You claim that Laegor, the brother I promised to kill but failed to, survived and currently reside on Essos. If this was true, I would stop at nothing to find him and kill him.”

“But then why…”

“And you come to me with this half-baked story about him surviving as a slave. What amaze me is that you do so without any proof, anything to show that he’s actually alive. I really hope you had your laugh.” He turned to the soldiers. “Bring this buffoon with the rest of the prisoners.”

“No, wait! He’s alive! Your brother lives, I tell you! Listen to me!”

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[Zamarak500]

CHAPTER 18: A HOME FOR A HOME
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AEMON: December 30th, 106 AC, King’s Landing

Aemon was waked up by a knock on his door. Since the only light he could see as his eyes opened was the moon light, he guessed that they were still in the middle of the night. It took him a minute to accustom his eyes to the night. Since he hadn’t answered the door, whoever was waiting on the other side chose to knock again. Aemon mumbled deep down. He tried to move as slowly as possible out of the bed to not wake up his wife.

He gave a look at Alys as he stepped on the ground. His wife’s belly was getting rounder with every day. News of her pregnancy came around the same time as Alicent’s, so it wasn’t as celebrated by the family. Still, he celebrated it. He was going to be a father. The idea was both terrifying and exciting. So far, Viserys had been the only one with children, although that was going to change fast, with Rhaenys and Laenara pregnant. Their father Baelon had fourteen children, but he wasn’t around to give him advice anymore. On the one hand, he was afraid that he wouldn’t be up to the task, but on the other, he knew that Alys and he could handle it. He had a feeling that being a father would be good.

At the third knock on the door, Aemon finally stopped wondering about his incoming child and went to answer the door. On the other side was a small guard in armor. The man seemed nervous, probably feeling guilty of waking up a prince. Aemon tried to reassure him with a friendly smile.

“Your Highness! I’m so sorry of bothering you at this hour!” the guard was almost screaming.

“It’s alright, no worries. But please, keep it down. My wife is sleeping and I want her to have a good night of rest.”

“Of course, your Highness! I’m… I’m sorry for bothering, but I was asked to give you this letter immediately.”

The guard reached out and offered a piece of paper to the prince. Aemon took in his hand and opened it. As he read its content, his eyes grew wider out of surprise, enough that he deemed ti necessary to read it again in case the fatigue was playing him tricks.

“Are you certain of this?” he asked gently.

“Yes sir. Guards spotted the dragon landing in the courtyard.”

“Downstairs?”

“I received it in person.”

Aemon gave a good handshake to the man. “Thank you for your service. I’ll handle it from here, if you don’t mind.”

The guard simply saluted him and went on his way. Aemon sighed. He had been hoping to go back to sleep, but now he had work to do. He went as fast as he could through the hallways of the Red Keep, making his way to Maegor’s Holdfast. He managed easily to get to the royal bed chamber, where two guards were stationed. As they saw him approach, they stepped aside without even asking why he was here. He made a mental note to practice security measures with the garrison during the next training. Even if he was the Master-at-Arms and the King’s brother, they should at least question his presence here in the middle of the night. He knocked on the door gently. To his surprise, it was not Viserys, but a pregnant Alicent who answered.

Aemon felt on his knee. “Your Grace!”

She waved him to get up. “Rise, Aemon. I’m too tired for protocol. What is it you want?”

“I’m terribly sorry, your Grace, but I have to speak with my brother the King.”

“Is there a problem?”

“Just something that require his attention.”

A frown appeared on her face. “Well then, I’m sure he can give it his full attention tomorrow. Now, we’d like to sleep, Aemon.”

She tried to close the door, but Aemon held it opened. “Look, my queen, I’m sorry, but I really need to talk to Viserys.”

“Well you’ll have to see that tomor…”

“Alicent, who’s here?”

Aemon heard a massive yawn from the bed. As he raised his head to see behind the queen, he could see the massive form of his brother getting up from the bed. Viserys put a vest and marched to the door. From the expression on his face, it was clear that the King was not fully waked up.

“A… Aemon? What are you doing heere?”

“There is something that requires your attention.”

This seemed to have finally waked him up, as Viserys stopped yawning and turned to his wife. “You can go back to sleep, dear. I’ve got this.”

Alicent looked at both of them before rolling her eyes and returning to the comfort of her bed. They wait a minute before continuing.

“So, what is it?” the king asked.

Instead of answering, Aemon gave his brother the same letter he received from the guard. Viserys took it with hesitation, which vanished as he went through it. It was replaced by surprised, something Aemon could relate to.

“When people wake me up in the night, I expect the realm to be in danger.” Viserys said with a half serious expression. “Family affairs weren’t what I expected.”

“It doesn’t change the fact that she’s waiting for you. I don’t want to make her wait too long.”

“If she wants to meet us at this hour of the night, then something must be wrong.” Viserys agreed. “Leave me a couple of minutes to dress. I’ll join you downstairs.”

The King was about to close the door when he turned again to his brother, a new idea in mind.

“Oh, and go wake up Aegon too. I’ve got a feeling his advices might be useful.”

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LAENARA: December 30th, 106 AC, King’s Landing

Laenara was sitting in a room, wondering if she was taking the right decision. It was a hard one, after all. Then again, it was too late to back out now that she was in King’s Landing, waiting for her brothers to come see her in the middle of the night.

When she flew from Dragonstone, in the middle of the night, she wasn’t sure what to expect. However, after much reflection, she couldn’t stay. Life with Maegon had become hell ever since she got pregnant. He was controlling, forcing her to stay “safe” all the time, keeping her away from her dragon and jealously vetoing who could see her. Supposedly, it was because he wanted her and the baby to be safe. But if he was like this with her, he couldn’t imagine how he would raise their child. It had been a worry for a while now, but she finally decided that it was better for the baby to be born away from Maegon, raised away from him. So in the cover of the night, without telling anyone, she took Cannibal and flew off.

When she arrived, she landed in the middle of the courtyard. She was worried about leaving Cannibal alone for too long, but it was not like she could walk him around to the dragon pit. Everyone would notice. When she arrived, the guards immediately recognized her and offered to give her a room, but she refused. She wanted them to give a letter to Viserys, or if it wasn’t possible to Aemon. She knew her brother could be trusted and would find a way to contact Viserys. She needed to talk to them to make sure that she could stay here, free of Maegon’s wrath.

It took a least an hour before anyone entered the room. When the door finally opened, she jumped from her chair. Aemon, Viserys, and to her surprise, Aegon, entered the room. The king signaled her to sit down, and all brothers took a place at the table. Visery was facing her, his face tired by the lack of sleep. To his left was Aemon, who offered her a warm smile, which she reciprocated. Right of the king was Aegon, showing a stern expression that didn’t surprise her. If one of the three was going to ask questions, it was Aegon.

“I hope we weren’t too long, sister.” Aemon asked, trying to lighten the mood.

“It’s alright, brother. I’m just thankful you came to see me at all. I would understand if you’d prefer to stay in your beds.”

“You’re our sister, Laenara.” Aemon tried to reassure her. “Of course we’ll come if you’re the one asking.”

“Laenara, what are you doing here?” Viserys asked out of the blue.

“You all read my note?” she asked.

All three brothers nodded. Aegon pulled the letter out of a pocket and threw it back on the table.

“I took the liberty of reading it.” her brother admitted. “I know it was only for Aemon and Viserys, but if I was going to be part of the discussion, I thought I deserved to know.”

She nodded, but deep inside she would have preferred that they went for Vaelyx or Valena instead. Aegon was a good man, but he had a tendency of making decisions based on what he felt was best for the realm and House Targaryen as a whole. Fleeing her husband to seek refuge in the Red Keep wasn’t one of them, and she knew Aegon would point it out as soon as she told them the story.

“To be honest, we didn’t get much out of it.” Viserys pointed out. “All I know is that you have something on your mind and that you want our help.”

“Well…”

Here we go. She knew it wasn’t going to be fun, but at some point she would have to tell them.

“You know how I’m pregnant?”

The three of them gave a quick look at her growing belly.

“Yes, I think that we’ve been aware of it.” Aemon said with a grin.

Viserys and Laenara couldn’t stop themselves from letting out a mall laugh, although Aegon chastised them with his gaze.

“Does it have something to do with Maegon?” Aegon asked.

“How do you know?” Laenara was in shock. Was Aegon that perceptive?

“I talked with Valerion during the Feast in October. From what he told me, I can guess that things aren’t going well between the two of you.”

Ah, Valerion. It would be easy to put the fault on her brother. After all, he was the one who revealed to Maegon about her pregnancy. But she just couldn’t hate him for sticking to his convictions. Maegon would have found out eventually, with or without Valerion.

“It is as you said. Things haven’t been good between us two…”

And she told them everything. How Maegon was treating her and how life with him had become unbearable. She felt like a prisoner in Dragonstone. Although it could have turned worst without the presence of Ser Criston Cole, she still felt like she couldn’t stay there. She told them how she was afraid for her unborn child, how Maegon would treat him or her.

“So if I understand correctly, you want to stay here and give birth to the child away from Maegon.” Viserys asked.

“I just don’t feel safe raising a baby with Maegon around.” She said.

“But you do realize that he’s the father, don't you?” this time, it was Aegon who spoke. “I doesn’t matter what you think about it, he’s still the father. He has the right to educate his child however he sees fit.”

“Laenara’s our sister, Aegon!” Aemon complained. “We can’t turn her back when she asks for our help!”

“I’m not saying that. I’m just pointing out the flaws in her logic. Maegon has rights too in this story, no matter what a brute he is.”

For a moment, Laenara became worried. Aegon was good at pushing his opinion on Viserys, and so far her brother didn’t seem favorable to her point of view. Thankfully, the king raised his hand to silence his brother before turning to her with a warm smile.

“Of course you can stay, Laenara. I’ll have the servants prepare a room for you. You’ll be okay, and you’ll be able to give birth in peace.”

She sighed in relief. For a moment, she feared that they were going to send her back to Dragonstone. She didn’t know what she would have done if it was the case. But now, she knew that that her child was safe.

“Maegon will have rights on the child. It’s going to be a problem sooner or later.” Aegon reminded them.

“We’ll see, we’ll see. Don’t worry about it, Aegon.” Viserys shrugged him off, and for once, Laenara was happy that her brother had a tendency to ignore problems instead of facing them.

______________________________________________________________________

MAEGON: December 30th, 106 AC, King’s Landing

When he woke up in the middle of the night and realized that his wife wasn’t by his side, Maegon panicked. Where was she? He told her specifically not to leave the room during the night. It was simply too risky for her and the child to wander around in the middle of the night. He quickly got up and started searching the whole castle. He began to panic when he realized that she wasn’t to the kitchens for a late snack either. Where could she be? She better not be with that damn dragon of hers. That beast was dangerous, which is why he forbade her from riding it. Honestly, if he found her with Cannibal, he was going to have the dragon slaughtered, not matter what she thought of it. Why couldn’t his wife see that he knew best how to protect her?

When he arrived to the dragon pit, he found Syrax, Vhagar, Vermithor and Dreamfyre. Cannibal, who they finally managed to keep in the pit without attacking other dragons, was nowhere to be seen. He ran around, trying to look at the sky to spot the dragon. His damn wife probably decided to go for a night flight while he was sleeping. He was going to cut the dragon’s head and have it put in their room. If this was what he needed to make her understand, then so be it. Since he couldn’t spot it in the sky from his position, he went on the walls, hoping to have a better view. He found a guard on watch duty and grabbed him by the shoulders, taking the man by surprise.

“YOU! Have you seen my wife and her dragon?”

“Prince Maegon?”

“ANSWER ME!”

“Yes! Yes, you Highness! I spotted it two hours ago!”

Two hours ago! A doubt began to appear in his mind, but he tried to shake it of. No, she would just run off like that, would she?

“Where was she going.”

“Oh, Cannibal took the direction of King’s Landing, if I remember correctly. The bea… Prince Maegon, what… What are you doing? Your Highness!? What… NO! PLEASE! YOUR HIGHNESS! YOUR…”

Maegon screamed in rage as he threw the man off the rampart. He didn’t hear his head shatter on the rocks as he was too occupied brooding.

“HOW COULD SHE?!”

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PS: This is the last chapter for 106 AC. Before we switch to next year, I’m curious about which of the siblings you preferred through the year. Who was your favorite in 106? Personally, it’s Valena. She was a breakout character for me. Honestly, when I started, I had no idea what to do with her. Before I chose to mix her with the Gyles Groster's storyline, she wasn’t supposed to appear until "Chapter 14: The Party" ! So yeah, great character that managed to take center stage for the main storyline of the year. What about you? Any sibling you thought stood out?

PPS: I finished 106 before the end of the year! TAKE THAT, 2018!