Chapter 2221: 16
Summary:
Arya overhears a conversation.
Tyrion proves his worth
Daenerys ties up a loose end
Notes:
It's my freaking birthday so happy birthday to me
1) There is a time jump in this chapter. Let's say 4-6 months, it's kinda weird to explain. In this POV structure, not every POV will occur on the same day. Some POVs do that, others can be days or weeks apart. So it can be a 4 month timejump for the first POV but by the time we get to the last POV closer to 6 have passed. I hope that makes sense...
2) Thanks to GOT88 for helping with this story
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The She -wolf of Winterfell
Arya Stark stood on the battlements of Winterfell looking out towards the fields and hills that surrounded her home. It was early in the morning and she could see the sun slowly making its way up the horizon, fighting hard to break through the early morning clouds. Several months had passed since she and Sansa had returned to their home. Their father had sent them back from the capital by a ship sailing to White Harbor after those men had nearly attacked them in the Tower of the Hand. After they had arrived in White Harbor, several Manderley men had joined their retinue for extra protection during their journey back to Winterfell. That had been over half a year ago.
Whilst they were making their way to Winterfell, their father had stayed back in Kings Landing and then he had ridden off with the King to make war in the Eyrie. The entire realm knew the story by now. Petyr Baelish had poisoned the previous Hand of the King and was hiding in the Eyrie with her aunt Lysa Arryn. Then her father, Tywin Lannister and King Robert had gone and taken the Eyrie, a castle that many thought was impregnable.
Arya had heard that the King had ordered a feast in Kings Landing to celebrate justice being served but the good mood failed to spread in the North especially in Winterfell. Aunt Lysa's death had hit her mother hard and they did not even have a body to bury. When the raven brought the awful news, her mother had spent nearly all her days in the small sept of Winterfell. It was only the arrival of their father that had helped bring her mother out of her sorrowful state.
Sansa had been very upset when they returned home. She had loved her life in Kings Landing and she missed that idiot Prince Joffrey. She would send letters every day and she spent nearly all of her time in the rookery waiting for his reply. Arya wasn't certain, but she was quite sure that Joffrey had never replied to even a single letter. Sansa had been terrified when she learned that Joffrey had gone off to war with the other Lords and his father. Arya was secretly glad, she had hoped that the prince would find himself impaled on someone's sword but they had received news that the prince had survived.
Home had changed since she left. Maester Luwin had said that Bran would no longer have the use of his legs. Maester Luwin had built a contraption that helped him to move, but she could still see the pain behind his eyes. He was supposed to go to Kings landing with them. He had hoped to become a squire which would lead to him becoming a knight in time, now he would have none of that.
He still had Summer though, his direwolf. When she first ran into Bran's room she found the direwolf lying at the foot of his bed, staring at her with his yellow eyes. She was happy that he still had his wolf, even though she didn't have hers. Arya wondered where Nymeria was, maybe she stayed in the Riverlands or maybe Nymeria had tried to come back north. Arya wished that their father would have let them ride north but he said that it was too dangerous. Arya wondered if she would ever see her direwolf again.
They would have to head back to Kings Landing soon. Her father said in a month or two, they were just waiting for the autumn harvest feast. Sansa had begged to head back to Kings Landing earlier so they could see the harvest feast in the south. She had heard that they would have masked balls and mummers shows, something that they didn't do in the North. However, their father refused and said that they should celebrate the autumn harvest in the north with their family. Sansa probably wanted to head back south to have her wedding with the stupid prince.
Arya did not want to go back to Kings Landing. There was nothing there for her. She didn't like Joffrey and his family and she didn't like how she had to pretend and act a certain way in order to fit in. She let out a sigh as she looked out over the area surrounding Winterfell.
She enjoyed being home, but home was not the same.
Jon was missing.
Her father had said that he was dead and that thought still brought a tear to her eye. They didn't even get to say goodbye to each other, Jon just left. Her father had never told her why he left, or how he died. Lately, whenever she tried to talk to him about Jon he would immediately change the subject. It was like whenever someone mentioned Aunt Lyanna to him. The last time that she had spoken with Jon was in his room and she was hiding from Bran. They were talking about the names they had given their direwolves. Now, Jon and Ghost were dead, and probably Nymeria too.
All she had left to remember him by was 'Needle'. She spent nearly every hour of the day training with Syrio, that was until he left a few months ago. He said that he had to go back to Braavos to see his family. Arya wasn't an idiot, she realised that there was another reason as well. It was probably the Targaryens and their dragons.
Everyone in the castle had heard about them by now, it was all the servants and the maids talked about. Even the stable boys liked to gossip on this topic. They said that the Targaryens and their dragons had burnt down entire cities. They said that Volantis had been completely burned to its foundations stones along with the entirety of Slaver's Bay. They said that they didn't even follow old or new gods but instead followed the foreign red god of fire.
Then, there were the dragons. Arya had been fascinated with stories of the Targaryens and their dragons. She fondly remembered Visenya Targaryen, a fierce warrior Queen who rode the dragon, Vhagar. Perhaps, she should consider herself lucky that she might one day get to see a real living dragon. Arya was not sure what to make of the Targaryens, she doubted that everything the stable boys had said was true but whenever she went to talk to her father about them, he always quickly dismissed her questions. As she thought about it more, she realised that her father had been acting rather strange lately. He spent more hours in the godswood and in the crypts.
Arya sighed as a cold breeze cut across her. The sun had finally managed to break through the clouds and she decided to head down towards the castle courtyard. After seeing how good she was during her training with Syrio, Ser Rodrik had agreed to let her train with some of the boys and she would be training with them again today.
"Arya Stark, you're late," Ser Rodrik immediately said as she entered the courtyard.
"Sorry, Ser Rodrik," she said quickly.
"Now, partner up and spar," he ordered and Arya smiled as she faced her partner. He was one of the older boys, perhaps 3 or 4 years younger than Robb. He was also considerably taller than her and Arya planned to use this to her advantage. She assumed her stance and held her blunted sword out in front of her. It was nothing like needle, this sword was heavier and longer, but the principles were roughly the same. She took a deep breath and remembered what Syrio had taught her.
Her opponent lunged forward and she quickly spun out of the way. Light as a feather she remembered. The boy brought his sword down again, trying to hack off her head and Arya simply stepped out of the way of his strike so his sword hit nothing but the ground. Swift as a deer . They continued this little dance. Arya checked the next blow, spun away from the second and deflected the third.
Her opponent was panting now and Arya knew that this was her chance. Quick as a snake and she leapt forward and quickly knocked her opponent's sword out of his hand. She gave him a smug smile and she heard a round of applause from above.
"Nicely done, Arya," Robb said with a smile on his face.
"Would you like a spar, big brother?" she asked him as she walked towards him.
"Arya Stark, we are not finished," Ser Rodrik called and Arya was forced to go back to her training.
They trained for the majority of the morning and when they were finished, Arya was sweaty and tired. She was getting better, and training with the bigger boys only helped her improve more. She realised that she would never be as strong as them, so she had to use her speed and guile. Arya was walking back to her room when she saw Robb and Theon quickly whispering to each other.
She had noticed that Robb had been acting differently lately, ever since Syrio had left and the first news of the Targaryens started to trickle in, he had become more secretive. Often, spending long hours with their father or walking along the castle battlements. Now that she thought about it, she had noticed that there had been a lot of work done on the castle walls ever since her father had returned. He had said that they were routine repairs but Arya realised that this might not be the full story.
They started to walk together quickly and Arya immediately decided to follow them. Quiet as a shadow she remembered. She followed them throughout the castle, left then right then back left again, always taking care to make sure that she was not spotted. She ducked into archways and hid behind boxes when necessary. She did not need to worry, they did not notice that they were being followed.
She followed them until they reached the doors that led them to her father's solar. Her father's solar was in the Northern tower, and there were no secret entrances that she knew off. Deciding to risk it, she quickly walked forward and pressed her ear to the wooden door.
"How was the harvest?" her father asked.
"The harvest was good. We have several more shipments of grain coming in and we should have enough to last us throughout the winter. Mother says that the preparations for the harvest feast are going well. " Robb answered "The repairs and improvements to the castle walls are also going according to plan,"
"They won't be of much use against dragons," Theon muttered.
"I agree, especially after what happened in Volantis," Robb said quickly "An entire city burned down,"
"A terrible act," her father said. "Along with what happened in Slaver's Bay. Whilst getting rid of slavery is a good thing, the way they have gone about it was ugly and brutal,"
"Have you heard any more news from the east?" Robb asked,
"The last reports we received said that they are making preparations to leave Volantis,"
"So, they could be here any day now?" Theon asked and Arya heard no response.
"You should allow me to go and see my father. Get him to join our side," Theon said,
"No," Ned replied quickly,
"What do you mean 'No'? We will need every man we can get to fight them," Theon said quickly,
"I would have to speak to the King about this first. It is not just my decision to make,"
"We don't have enough time to wait. They could be here tomorrow for all we know,"
"Enough Theon, we already have enough problems as it is. The Northern Lords are all preparing for the inevitable war with the dragons, especially the Karstarks and the Glovers. They keep reminding the other Northern Lords that the north remembers, and the north remembers what the Mad King did to my grandfather and Uncle Brandon along with what Rhaegar Targaryen did to Aunt Lyanna,"
"Arya Stark!" she heard a voice shout and she quickly turned. It was her mother and she had a stern look on her face. She had been caught.
"What do you think you are doing?" she hissed and then she walked forward and pushed open the door to her father's solar.
"Did you know that your daughter was eavesdropping on your conversation?" she asked and her father turned towards her, disappointment written all over his face.
"Is this true Arya?" he asked and she nodded "What did you overhear?"
"Just the stuff about the Targaryens. You're preparing the castle's defenses for them but why? They have dragons. Dragons can fly over walls. Why not make peace with them?"
Her father looked at her with a conflicted look on her face, she looked to Robb and he also looked sad.
"What is it?" Arya asked quickly, she noticed that something was wrong.
"It doesn't matter, run along now," her father said trying to dismiss her.
"Tell me," she said quickly and her father just shook his head.
"You should tell her, he was her favorite," Theon said and Robb nodded.
"It's about Jon isn't it," Arya said "Is he alive? Did he send a letter?"
"No Arya, he did not," he said sadly.
"Tell me. You haven't told me anything about Jon, you haven't even told me why he left in the first place," Arya said quickly as she felt tears forming in her eyes. Her father looked at her for a moment before sighing,
"I decided to send Jon to Essos with the hope that he would have been able to make a better life for himself there rather than in Westeros. In Essos, he'd be able to carve out a better life for himself without the stigma of being a bastard hindering his opportunities. He travelled to Pentos and found work as a guard for a magister of the city and this magister happened to be hosting the Targaryen children as his guests at the time. There was a report that the Targaryens were sailing on a ship headed for Astapor where they sought to purchase Unsullied slave soldiers for their army but the ship was destroyed in a storm at sea. The report stated that the Targaryen children along with their protectors had perished at sea. One of their protectors was described as a young northern man who had a large white dog as his companion,"
"But that doesn't make any sense, the Targaryens are alive and they have dragons," Arya quickly pointed out. "Maybe there was no storm and Jon is still alive,"
"Arya, my dear, I checked, I really did," he said sadly "When we were in Kings Landing, I went to the harbor, I asked every sailor arriving from Essos that I could find and they all reported the same thing. There was a terrible storm in the area at that time. And though the Targaryens have survived, not a single report that we have received from the east contains any mention of a young north man or a white direwolf,"
"Why would it? If I saw three dragons that's all I would talk about," she said after a pause.
"That could be true but the Targaryens have done terrible things in the east. They have burned down entire cities and thousands of people have died because of their actions. Even if Jon had somehow survived the storm along with the Targaryens, would he stay with them after all the horrible things they have done?" her father asked and Arya shook her head.
"Most importantly, they've done horrible things to our family, have you forgotten about Aunt Lyanna?" Robb said and Arya noticed that her father winced when Robb said that name.
"There is no love lost between our families. The north remembers," her father said.
Arya was quiet for a few moments, her father's words made a certain amount of sense, but something felt wrong. She knew Jon and this did not sound like the Jon she knew.
"Father, Jon knows about the history between our two houses. Why would he work for the Targaryens in the first place? I think the reports are wrong. " she said defiantly. She looked at her father and then at Robb and neither seemed like they had a good answer to her questions. She looked back at her father and she saw that he had a pained look on his face.
"I think that Jon had been infatuated by the beauty of the Targaryen girl," her father said and Arya laughed loudly,
"I don't believe that. I don't believe you. If you knew Jon at all you would know that what you're saying is nonsense,"
"Arya Stark, watch your tone," her mother scolded but her eyes were still on her father. She looked closely at his face and then she realised something. Even he did not really believe what he was saying.
"Father, what is really going on with Jon, why did he leave? You're not making sense. None of what you said makes any sense. If you sent Jon away then why would he leave without saying goodbye? It doesn't make sense,"
"Arya that's enough questions," he said as he stood up. "I am still upset at you for eavesdropping. Now go to your room, I don't want to see you again until dinner,"
Arya was left with no choice to leave but she left with more questions than she had before she entered. One thing that she did know for certain was that her father was hiding something about Jon.
The Mummer's Dragon
After the disaster in Volantis, they had quickly set sail for Dorne. To make matters worse, they had faced severe storms in the summer sea. They were forced to wait in Lys for over a month whilst their ships were repaired and also for the storms to blow over.
Even the beautiful city and its beautiful people could not lift his spirits.
Their plan was in ruins. Not only was he not going to marry Daenerys, but it seemed that she was in love with a false prince. Worse still, this imposter had claimed to be his father's son with that Stark girl. He had spoken to Jon about this and he had reassured him that this was impossible, someone in Westeros would have heard about this boy if he was real. Jon had insisted that he was probably some Lyseni boy with a drop of Valyrian blood in him.
Aegon was not worried, he would slay this false prince and take back his family's throne. If Daenerys came to her senses after he won, then maybe he could find a place for her, but she would need to denounce this false prince.
After several months of travel, they were finally approaching Dorne. They had decided to sail to Sunspear, the seat of House Martell. House Martell were his kin, his mother was sister to Prince Doran and Prince Oberyn and he would see them today. He had briefly met Prince Oberyn in Norvos. Jon had informed him that Oberyn was a well-travelled man and a skilled warrior but their meeting had been too short for him to form a good impression of the man.
He had also met Princess Arianne Martell in Norvos, that house in the city had belonged to her mother. As they frequently moved from place to place to keep his identity secret, he had not been around a lot of girls or women in general, he only really knew Septa Lemore. What he did know, was that Arianne Martell was by far the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He had barely been able to speak during that meeting, as he was trying hard to not stare at her.
He shook his head and tried hard to clear his mind of Arianne Martell. They were in a small boat being rowed to shore. Jon, Septa Lemore and Haldon were all in the boat with him. Aegon looked towards the shore and he saw people on the pier waiting for them. As they got closer, he could begin to see their faces. He saw Prince Oberyn leaning against a spear and behind him were two women. Soon, they had reached the pier and they got out of their boat.
"Prince Oberyn," Jon greeted warmly as he offered his hand, to his surprise Oberyn didn't take it
"What happened? We had a plan," Oberyn said quickly and Aegon noticed that one of the women behind him was twirling her spear.
"Prince Oberyn," Aegon stepped forward confidently. "We had a plan but our plans have changed. Take us somewhere private and we will explain the situation to you,"
Oberyn stared at him and Aegon stared back into his dark snake like eyes. He was the rightful King of Westeros, why should he be afraid of a mere Prince? They continued to lock eyes and eventually Oberyn dropped his gaze.
"Obara, Nymeria come. We are heading to the Old Palace," he said as he led them away.
Oberyn walked in front along with Obara and Nymeria with Jon and Aegon behind. Jon slowed his pace slightly before quickly whispering in his ear.
"Stay focused. Especially if Arianne is here again, stay away from her," he whispered and Aegon quickly nodded although he knew this would be easier said than done.
Aegon had learned much about Dorne. Sunspear was the capital city of Dorne, it was a walled settlement and inside of Sunspear was the Old Palace. The Old Palace was built after the union of House Martell and the Rhoynar and it was the seat of House Martell
The rest of Sunspear seemed to be a winding labyrinth of alleyways. Aegon noticed that in the city there were three huge winding walls that seemed to divide the cities into three rings. However, Prince Oberyn led them through a gate that bypassed all these walls and straight into the Old Palace.
Aegon saw two tall towers stretching out from the Old Palace, one tower had a large golden dome and this is where they seemed to be headed. They entered the tower and they found themselves in a large round room with painted glass windows. The floors were made of pale marble and he saw two chairs seated on a dais. They were identical apart from the different sigils. One had the Martell spear, the other had the blazing Rhoynish sun, Aegon quickly realised that this was their throne room.
Several guards lined the walls holding spears and shields.
"Oberyn, are these the people? Is that him" Aegon heard a voice ask and he turned to see it came from a man in a wheelchair. This man could be none other than Prince Doran Martell, he quickly realised. As he looked around the room he saw that two young men stood with him, they must be his sons. He quickly looked around the room, surely Arianne should be here? He shook his head quickly. He could not get distracted, he needed to impress Prince Doran.
"Yes, these are the people that we met with in Norvos. Although, they seem to have arrived empty handed," he said with a pointed look at Jon Connington.
"This is Jon Connington, one of Prince Rhaegar's squires and the former hand to his father," Doran's eyes opened wide and he nodded slowly in understanding.
"And this, is Aegon Targaryen, Elia's son,"
"Come closer," he said pointing towards him. Aegon slowly walked closer towards Prince Doran. He stopped a few steps in front of him, close enough for Doran to reach out and touch him. Doran frowned at him as he stared at his face.
"Yes," he said quietly "I can see it," although Aegon had no idea what exactly Doran saw.
"You have her cheeks, Elia's cheeks," and he reached out and gently touched his face. His hands were hot and sweaty but Aegon stayed perfectly still, content to be examined. He was not worried, this was his family, why should he worry?
"How did you survive? We heard the stories about what happened in Kings Landing after the sack," he asked as he let go of his face.
"My mother knew that the war was lost after my father's defeat at the trident. So, she had me smuggled out of Kings Landing and I was replaced by another baby. She sent me across the narrow sea to be raised by a group of Targaryen loyalists. They hid me and protected me for years until it was safe for me to come out of hiding,"
"They think that it is safe now?" Doran asked cautiously.
"Yes. It is time to strike. I am a man grown and we can't wait forever," Aegon said confidently which brought a smile to Jon's face.
"You have not explained as to why we should support you. We had a plan, an agreement. You would sail to Volantis and meet with Viserys and Daenerys," Oberyn said as he gestured at them. "Where are they?"
"They are in Volantis the last we heard," burning it to the ground Aegon was tempted to add.
"So, why should we support you?" Oberyn asked "There are other Targaryens across the narrow sea and they have dragons. Why should we not wait for them?"
"They are in Essos and no one has any clue when they will come back west. That is even if they ever decide to come back west. I am already here in Westeros. I have 20,000 men of the Golden Company sworn to my service," he said confidently, they had rehearsed this conversation before. He opened his mouth to speak but he was interrupted when she entered the room.
She wore a yellow dress that hugged her figure tightly, it was cut low so the tops of her large breasts were exposed. She wore a pretty golden necklace around her neck. Her long black hair was flowing freely to around the middle of her back and her hips swayed beautifully as she walked. Aegon slowly lifted his eyes up past her breasts and to her face. She had large dark eyes that he found himself getting in lost in.
"Your grace," Jon whispered in his ear as he tapped his elbow. He had lost his train of thought. He looked quickly back at Doran and he realised that he had no idea what he needed to say next. His mouth opened and closed repeatedly as he desperately searched for his words.
"You will support us because the boy that is with Daenerys is a false prince. An imposter. He claims to be the son of Rhaegar and Lyanna Stark," Jon said coming to his rescue. Aegon gave him a quick thankful look and was given a worried glance in return.
He turned back towards the Dornish and saw that they all had angry looks on their faces. Oberyn in particular looked furious.
"He claims to be a child born of that whore? Lyanna Stark?" Oberyn seethed and Aegon quickly nodded. They had discussed this and guessed that the Dornish would not support Daenerys and this false prince once they knew of his supposed parentage. However, Aegon was surprised by the fact that the news of this false dragon's parentage had not spread throughout Westeros by now. Haldon had said that he had announced it to all the slaves in Volantis. Were the slaves really so stupid that they could not accurately relay this information? Perhaps, there was an issue in translation.
Still, that appeared to have worked out in their favor. Now the Dornish were angry and they would never support the false prince, so now Aegon was their only option. He chanced a glance at Arianne and he found that she was staring at him, licking her lips slowly. Aegon felt his breath quicken and he quickly looked away and started to fidget with his clothes. He couldn't look at her again, he would get distracted.
Instead, he looked around the room. He spotted a new man who must have entered with Arianne. He had thick silver hair that fell to his collar, a strong prominent jaw and dark purple eyes. Aegon would have thought that he was a Targaryen cousin if it wasn't for a streak of black in the middle of his hair. The man was looking at him angrily. This confused him, he didn't even know this man's name so why was he so angry at him?
"We have heard rumors of this. Tales from drunken sailors in taverns and brothels but we did not believe that it was true. Rhaegar dishonored Dorne when he ran away with that Northern girl," Doran said softly.
"He dishonored Elia and House Martell. Dorne has mourned the death of Elia and her children for years, and it seems the gods have granted us this one mercy. For they saved her son and returned him to us,"
"Doran no, we need to discuss this," Oberyn said quickly,
"What is there to discuss? Is he not our sister's son? Should we not support him to avenge her?"
"Yes, but we need to be careful. They have dragons. Should they return to Westeros, how do you plan to defeat them?" Oberyn asked.
"We will be careful, we will lay patiently in the grass until it is time to strike. We are outnumbered, but they will not be expecting us. They have not seen my face in years and they have all forgotten the strength and cunning of Dorne. King Robert has been at war in the Vale, we do not know how many men he lost but to take a fortress that was considered to be impregnable, you would have to assume that he lost a lot. When the Targaryens arrive in Westeros, they will serve as the distraction that we need to enact our plans,"
"What makes you so certain that they will return to Westeros, brother? Our reports have said that they are still in Volantis,"
"There was a new report. The Targaryens and their fleet have finally set sail," Doran said and Aegon saw a small smile creep onto his face, as if all of this was due to his careful planning. "West,"
"As for the dragons. Aegon the Conqueror and his sister wives never conquered Dorne with their dragons, why should this time be any different?" Doran asked.
"We need to start making Scorpions," Aegon said quickly and Doran nodded. Oberyn however seemed deep in thought.
"I should send a raven to Sarella," he said softly, so softly Aegon barely heard him. However one of the boys did hear him,
"Why Sarella, uncle?" one of the young men asked.
"Sarella is at the Citadel, Quentyn. I spent some time at the citadel, I even forged six links of a chain before I grew bored. I will send a raven to her, perhaps she will find something that can help us defeat the dragons," Oberyn said with a shrug as he left the room to send his raven.
Again, Aegon found his eyes wandering to the lovely figure of Arianne Martell, he quickly looked away before meeting her eyes.
"You must be tired after your journey, rooms have been prepared for you," Doran said.
"Quentyn and Trystane will escort you to your rooms in the Tower of the Sun,"
"Actually father, Gerold will take Quentyn and Tystane to the courtyard to help them with their swordplay. I will escort our guests to their chambers instead," she said in a sweet voice. Doran watched her carefully before slowly nodding his head. Arianne flashed him a smile and he felt his mouth go dry.
"Follow me then," she said to their group but her eyes were only on him. She led them through the tower and pointed out their rooms. Jon's room was next to his and he flashed him a worried glance before heading inside. Then, it was just him and Arianne.
"Would you like to take a walk with me through the gardens, your grace?" she asked in her husky voice and Aegon meekly nodded. She linked her arm in his and pulled him away towards the gardens.
"These are the gardens of Sunspear," she told him as they arrived. "Of course, these gardens are nowhere near as big or as beautiful as those in the water gardens,"
Aegon was silent as they walked, trying to focus on everything else around him. The grass, the flowers, the grass again. Arianne was shorter than him, and if he looked in her direction his eyes would look straight towards her breasts.
"How are you finding Dorne?" she asked
"Dorne is nice, a little hot, but I'm used to it after my travels in Essos," he said quickly and she nodded in understanding.
"The heat is one of the reasons we love the water gardens! We have the cool sea breeze blowing in on our skin. The children play by the beach or in the fountains and pools," she told him.
"We even swim naked in some of the pools," she said in a husky voice and Aegon's mind immediately imagined her naked. With water dripping down her olive skin and over her round breasts. He felt his breeches tighten and he awkwardly tried to readjust them without her noticing. He allowed her to walk slightly in front of him but he was sure he saw a small smile on her face.
They continued their walk around the gardens of Sunspear and Arianne was right, they weren't very big and thankfully, this meant that they were soon heading back towards his chambers. She walked him to his door and he was about to say goodbye but she pushed her hand on the door and stepped closer to him.
"Do you mind if I come in? I'd like to hear some of your stories about Essos, please your grace," she asked in a sweet voice and Aegon merely nodded before pushing open the door to his room wider and allowing her to enter.
His room was large, it contained a big double bed and several tapestries hung on the wall. There was a desk with two chairs on one side of the room and that was where Aegon began to walk to. Arianne however had other ideas, she quickly walked over to the bed and patted her hand on the bed indicating for him to sit. She smiled to him and Aegon found himself walking over and sitting on the bed. They sat a comfortable and respectful distance apart. She looked at him expectantly and he found himself staring into her eyes. They were so dark that he could have sworn they were bottomless pits.
"Your grace?" she asked breaking from his trance "You were going to tell me some of your stories about Essos," she reminded him and he quickly nodded. He told her all the stories he could remember about Essos. He had been to most of the free cities and he could tell some stories about them. However, Jon had usually restricted him for doing anything too exciting that could put him in danger. So, Aegon was forced embellish some of his stories, it seemed to work because Arianne laughed loudly and asked questions at the right times, causing an indescribable feeling of happiness to wash over him.
"Tell me about yourself," he asked feeling a bit more confident in the presence of this woman.
"There is not much to tell your grace," she began. "I am the oldest child of Prince Doran and Lady Mellario of Norvos who you have already met. I am the heiress to Dorne ahead of my two younger brothers, Quentyn and Trystane who you met earlier today. Quentyn was sent away to be fostered at a young age and Trystane is much younger than myself so I am not especially close to either of my brothers. I spent the majority of my childhood with my friends Andrey and Tyene. Did you see them earlier?"
Aegon shook his head. "I will point her out to you later at the feast. Tyene is my cousin and best friend, and we share everything," she whispered, letting the last word hang in the air between them. Aegon noticed that somehow during their conversation, she had gotten closer to him. Now, their knees were almost touching and he could begin to smell her intoxicating perfume.
"When I was younger, I did not look like this you know," she said, running her hands along her body, slowly over the top of her breasts, pushing them together and then down her sides. Aegon watched her hands and wished that they were his.
"I was pudgy and flat chested," she said as she slowly ran her hands over her large breasts, pushing them up slowly and then letting them go and Aegon felt his breeches get even tighter. "Can you believe that?" she asked in her husky voice and Aegon could only shake his head. His mouth was so dry that he could not speak.
"I used to pray to the seven every night, praying that one day I would become beautiful. Do you think it worked, your grace? Do you think that I am beautiful?" she asked.
Aegon knew the answer but he couldn't speak, his mouth was dry. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He quickly nodded but realised he had no idea what to do next. He had never been with a woman before. Fortunately for him, Arianne seemed to know the answer. She began to slowly lean forward and Aegon awaited her eagerly. He stared into her dark eyes that he was now completely lost in. He felt her warm lips pressing against his, she grabbed his hand and moved it to her breast. Aegon cupped and squeezed it greedily, it was as round and as large as a melon, he realised. He smelled her hair, it smelled of orchids and of something else, something earthy. She opened her mouth and he opened his in response, letting his instincts guide him. Her other hand went downwards to feel his length beneath his clothes
Then, he heard the door open and she quickly pulled away and pushed herself off him. Aegon looked to the door and saw that it was Connington. Arianne had quickly stood up and she looked completely composed, she quickly walked past Connington but before she left she turned back to look at him. She mouthed the word "later" and Aegon felt his cock twitch beneath his clothes.
Once she was gone. Connington turned on him.
"What are you doing?" he hissed "I told you to stay away from her. The Dornish have already agreed to support you, you don't need to her,"
'No' Aegon thought. He does need her, she had given him a taste and he was yearning for more.
"You still need to marry wisely, I have heard that the Tyrells have a girl, they could be a useful ally. That would bind 2 of the 7 kingdoms to your cause. Think about your crown," Jon angrily reminded him and Aegon conceded that he was right. He needed to be more careful with Arianne, he could not be alone with her, although he quickly realised that would be easier said than done
"I will have Duck guard your room, just in case she gets any ideas," Jon said and Aegon quickly nodded. Duck was reliable, he could count on him.
"Now, get some rest. Later in the afternoon, you will have a spar. Show Prince Oberyn that you are a capable warrior and you will begin to earn his respect. Then after that we will have a feast,"
"A feast?" he said, vaguely remembering Arianne had said something similar.
"Yes, now get some rest," he said as he left the room. Aegon sat back on the bed and tried to get some sleep, but his mind was filled with thoughts of Arianne Martell. He remember the smell of her, the shape and feel of her breast in his hand. The feel of her lips against his. He groaned and turned over to try and find sleep.
Aegon awoke a few hours later and he went to the courtyard to show off his skills. It was mid-afternoon and thankfully the sun was not as hot as it was earlier. He fought well in the yard, beating every partner he had and even managing to defeat two men at once. This particular feat earned him a small smile from Oberyn and a wide smile from Arianne.
After the sparring session, they attended the feast, although calling it a feast would have been an exaggeration. Everyone had agreed that they would need to be as secretive as possible, and having a massive feast in his name would not be the right thing to do. In reality, it was just a large meal. Aegon, Jon, Duck, Haldon and Lemore all joined the Martell family. Aegon was given a proper introduction to them all. He met the three oldest 'Sand Snakes' as they were known. Obara, Nymeria and Tyene. He found himself paying particular attention to Tyene, she was fair skinned, with golden hair and deep blue eyes. She sat next to Arianne and the two spent the entire meal talking, giggling and not once glancing in his direction. This frustrated him but he quickly realised that it was for the best.
The Dornish food was very different. It was filled with strange spices and fiery peppers that seared his mouth and made him gasp for wine. He quickly found that the Dornish wine was incredibly sour and it was not something that he was accustomed to. Still, Aegon politely finished his meal so that he did not upset his host. After the meal was finished, he returned to his chamber with Jon. Jon and Duck had decided to split the guard duty. Jon would guard him for the first half of the night, and Duck the second. The hot Dornish sun had sapped his energy and the spicy food had also helped to compound to his feeling of fatigue. Once his head hit the soft pillow, he quickly fell asleep.
Aegon was sleeping peacefully, dreaming of the lovely Arianne Martell. He dreamt that they were swimming together naked in the pool, she swam over to him and pressed her lips against his. Her lips were warm and soft and felt real.
"Your grace," he heard a voice whisper. He opened his eyes and then he saw her leaning over him. She wore a sheer red nightgown that left little to his imagination.
"What are you doing here?" he croaked
"I said later, now is later," she said huskily as she climbed onto the bed and straddled him. She bent down again and kissed him deeply. No, Aegon thought, he couldn't have her.
"Duck," he whispered as he broke away.
"Tyene," she said simply as she leaned in to kiss him again. Aegon held his hands limply by his side. Arianne quickly grabbed his hands and pulled them to her breasts, taking the decision out of his hands.
"Feel my nipples your grace. Feel how hard they are for you," she said as she broke the kiss and Aegon obediently did as he was told. She let him feel her breasts for a few moments before seductively pulling the nightgown up over her head, giving Aegon an unrestricted view of her body. The hollow of her throat, her round ripe breasts and her dark nipples. He looked down and saw the lush curves at her waist and hip. Her skin was smooth to touch, soft and as warm as sand baked by the Dornish sun. With surprising strength and expertise, Arianne ripped the under tunic that he slept in. She then slid down his body and placed warm wet, kisses along his body.
She stopped and then slowly slid off the loose breeches that he slept in, freeing his painfully hard cock. She caught it in one hand and slowly jerked it and Aegon felt his breath hitch in his throat.
"Has no one done this to you before?" she asked as she slowly moved her hand up and down and Aegon just shook his head. He couldn't speak, his mouth was as dry as the Dornish deserts.
"Oh, then you will love this," and then she took his cock in her mouth. Her mouth was warm and wet and he felt a loud moan leave his lips. He quickly realised that she was good at this. He had never felt something like this before, the feeling was unbelievably pleasurable. His hands gripped the sheets tightly as she worked, his head was shaking from side to side, trying to fight the pleasure that was building. He knew he couldn't do this. They already had Dorne, he needed to be free to marry someone else.
"Do you want me to stop?" she asked innocently as she slowly stroked his throbbing cock. Her fingers worked on the head, she seemed to know exactly which spots made him weakest. Aegon just shook his head, still unable to speak. He was staring into those dark eyes, losing himself and soon only Arianne and her words remained.
"I think we would be great together," she said as she slowly licked the entire length of his cock
"Queen Arianne," she said as she popped his cock back in her mouth and slowly moved her head down, never breaking eye contact. Aegon felt his toes curl and he gripped the sheets even tighter "Doesn't that sound nice?"
Aegon nodded as she slowly pumped his cock. She really was good at this, she knew his body better than he did. He felt his pleasure recede as he closed his eyes and listened to her words. "This is only the beginning, I could show you so much more. I have only given you my mouth, imagine the feel of my cunt around your cock? Imagine the feel of your length buried in me as my walls clamped around you, pulling you in deeper and deeper, would you like that?" and Aegon eagerly nodded, his cock twitching in her hand.
"It's easy, I promise. All you have to do is give yourself to me," she said and she began to quickly pump his cock. She had made his mind her thrall and he felt a strange serenity pass over him. Submitting to her was easy, he told himself. She would not hurt him, she would make him happy, just like she's doing now.
"Aegon, who am I?" she asked and then Aegon finally found his voice
"My Queen," he croaked and he saw a wide smile stretch on her face at the sound of his surrender.
"Good boy," and Aegon closed his eyes and felt her suck and lick at his cock. His release was quickly on him and she finished him with her hands. His back arched off the bed and he let out a loud grunt. His release was so strong that most of it landed on his chest and some drops even landed on his face. Arianne moved up the bed and rested his head in her lap, she scooped up one of the larger drops and then teased his lips with it. Aegon opened his eyes and looked up at her.
"Long may I reign?"
"Long may you reign" He opened his mouth, closed his eyes and sucked.
The Stunted Lion
Tyrion Lannister stood on the deck of their ship and watched as they slowly sailed into the free city of Braavos. In reality, Braavos was made up of hundreds of islands grouped together in a lagoon. The islands were linked together by many stone bridges that spanned the canals in the city. To enter the lagoon, you must pass under the Titan of Braavos, a massive stone and bronze fortress built in the shape of a Titan Warrior that guarded the entrance to the lagoon. The Titan was so big that its feet laid on two separate islands.
Tyrion had also learnt that the Titan was actually used to defend the city. The bronze chest plate contained slits from which arrows could be fired and the space between his legs was filled with murder holes, from where defenders could pour boiling oil and pitch on attackers. There was also the Titan's roar, a terrible groaning noise that drowns out all the surrounding sounds. The roar was used to warn the armada of Braavos, so that their ships would be ready to defend against an attack.
He had heard impressive things about the warships of Braavos. Their ships were built in the Arsenal, a citadel of sorts. It sat just past the Titan and protected the main harbor of Braavos. It was located on a piece of heavily fortified rock, filled with scorpions, spitfires and trebuchets. Along its shores there was said to be countless docks, quays and wooden sheds, all dedicated to ship building. As they passed by, Tyrion saw an innumerable amount of warships and galleys sitting in the docks, ready to defend Braavos. The warships and galleys were impressive, and they were the reason for which Braavos was counted among one of the best naval forces this side of the narrow sea.
The King and Queen had sent Prince Rhaegar and Archmaester Marwyn to Braavos to secure the support of the Iron Bank and at the last moment, they had sent Tyrion with them. Tyrion wasn't an idiot and he quickly saw their intentions. This was a test, to see if he could provide anything of use to their cause. Tyrion had not been treated poorly, he had been given an adequate room in Volantis and he was free to move about as he pleased. However, it was incredibly boring for him, he was forced to sit idly by for weeks as they restored order to the city.
He had spent some of this time observing the King and Queen. Despite his earlier misgivings, he could see that they had good intentions. They both realised that they had great power in their hands and they both seemed to be cautious about using it. This reassured Tyrion. He had also noticed that they actually seemed to listen to their council before making a decision. Well, the King certainly does, the Queen had become increasingly short tempered and indisposed in the months leading up to the birth of her son.
Tyrion had seen the babe though they both didn't seem to care for each other, all it took was one look at him and the babe would begin to cry. Still, Tyrion had more concerning matters on his mind. If he could impress the parents eventually the babe would come round. As he thought more on the matter, he remembered that Tommen and Myrcella had been like that when they were young. It took a while for them to become accustomed to him, but eventually they grew to love him.
Thinking of Tommen and Myrcella caused a twinge of worry to pass over him. The King and Queen had wanted to help but they were powerless to do so. They couldn't just fly off to the Red Keep on their dragons and claim that they wanted to save the royal children from an assassination plot. All he could do was send an anonymous letter and hope that Tommen and Myrcella would be saved.
He was distracted from his thoughts by a loud screech from above, Caraxes was flying freely in the sky. Whilst Tyrion was still completely in awe of the dragons, he couldn't help but think that it would have been better if the dragons stayed with the King and Queen. They were here to win their support, not bully them into submission. He tore his eyes away from the dragon and looked out ahead of him. They were nearly in the port and soon they would have to disembark. Tyrion quickly headed back to his room to dress in an extra layer, it was cold in Braavos. Much colder than in comparison to Volantis.
He dressed and then they got off the ship. They were forced to dock in Ragman's harbor, a harbor specifically meant for the docking of foreign ships. It was loud, dirty and busy, Tyrion heard many different tongues and accents but all were being spoken quickly. Rhaegar led them quickly through the harbor until they found a Braavosi who could speak the common tongue. He was a young boatman, who wore worn and tattered clothes.
"Where would you like to go?" he asked as they approached,
"The Iron Bank," Rhaegar said quickly.
"Hop in!" he said with a wide smile and the three of them got into his small pole boat and he pushed them off and into the network of canals. Rhaegar sat next to Marwyn and Tyrion sat opposite them both. He still could not believe that Rhaegar Targaryen was actually alive. He had heard his story and even seen the scars but he still could not believe it. Tyrion, had only heard stories about Rhaegar. Stories from Jaime and from Cersei, two people that he could not trust.
"I heard that you were supposed to marry my sister," he said casually.
"Not exactly. Your father put forward the idea of a betrothal and my father spat in his face," he said with a slight smile.
"Yes, I heard my father was not too happy with that," Tyrion said with a small smile of his own. "I fear it was the beginning of the end of their friendship,"
"Perhaps, although he still remained as his Hand for a few years after the incident, he even brought your sister to court with him," Rhaegar replied.
"Really? Why would he do that?" Tyrion was surprised by this, he must have had the timeline wrong in his head.
"Perhaps, he was hoping that she would be able catch the eye of young Viserys," Rhaegar said after a moment.
"Do you think it would have been a good match?" Tyrion asked and Rhaegar frowned before answering,
"I did not know my brother well, I lived on Dragonstone with Elia throughout our marriage in order to get away from my father. I only knew Viserys for a short time and in that time I found him to be cruel, sadistic and weak,"
"Cruel and sadistic? Then the Seven Kingdoms would not have seen a more perfect match," Tyrion said with a laugh that brought a smile to Rhaegar's face. Tyrion then turned to Marwyn.
"What is a maester of the citadel doing so far from Oldtown?"
"Archmaester," he corrected. "I was travelling the world, studying distant lands. Learning from shadowbinders and warlocks,"
"So, you were studying magic essentially?" and Marwyn nodded. "Why couldn't you do that at the Citadel?"
"The grey sheep at the Citadel don't believe in magic. They prefer to stick their heads in the sand and ignore what is blatantly obvious,"
Tyrion agreed with this. "I have been fascinated with dragons since the day I was born. I have spent years trying to research everything that I could about dragons. I even read an incomplete copy of The Fires of the Freehold, Galendro's history of Valyria since I could not find a complete copy,"
"You won't. Even the Citadel's copy is missing some 27 scrolls," Marwyn muttered.
"Why is that? Does the Citadel not even care about this gap in their knowledge?"
"The world that the Citadel wants to build has no place for sorcery, prophecy or glass candles. Much less dragons. I wouldn't be surprised if they all have their heads stuck in the sand trying to come up with a plausible way to deny the very existence of the current dragons,"
"The Citadel doesn't have a say in it, what can they do against Dragons?" Tyrion asked and Marwyn gave a loud snort.
"Who do you think killed all the dragons the last time around? Gallant dragon slayers with swords?" he spat "Why do you think Aemon Targaryen spent all his years freezing on the wall when he should have been raised to the position of Grandmaester? His blood is why, he is the blood of the dragon and he can't be trusted. No more than I could be,"
"Blood and Fire?" Tyrion asked tentatively and Marwyn shrugged.
"Even I don't know about it. If the Citadel had a copy, it would be kept under lock and key buried deep underneath the citadel in the locked vault. Only the grand archmaester has the key, but I'm not sure it even exists,"
"My friend, any news from Westeros?" Rhaegar asked the young man who was guiding them through the canals.
"No, my friend. Nothing exciting has happened since the war they had,"
Tyrion nodded and was quiet for the rest of the journey. They had heard about Robert Baratheon's war in the Vale against Baelish. Tyrion could not believe that Baelish had actually been caught. Baelish was far too smart to actually poison Jon Arryn directly, in fact he was far too smart to even be seen with the poisoner. When they got back to Westeros, he would have to find out the full story.
He sat back in the boat and looked around him, taking in the surroundings. In Braavos, all gods are honored. There were a series of tiny islands collectively called the Isle of Gods and each different island had a temple dedicated to a different god. Tyrion saw the temple for the Lord of Light, the temple of the Moonsingers and the House of Black and White. Tyrion had read stories about the House and Black and White and their faceless men, he had been tempted to hire one to kill Cersei but they were extremely expensive.
They continued on for around half an hour before they found the Iron Bank looming ahead of them. It was a massive building made of white marble. Tyrion saw huge painted windows along the bottom floor, and there was a huge golden dome in the middle. They got out of their little boat and made their way across the vast stone plaza that stood in front of the Iron Bank. Tyrion spotted several children playing in a fountain that stood in the middle of the plaza. Rhaegar led them up the painted stone steps towards the 12 foot ebony doors that led them into the Iron Bank.
The entrance hall of the Iron Bank was grand, Tyrion saw a large marble staircase that stretched upwards and led to the second floor. An attendant came up to them and led them to their meeting. They were led to another huge hall with a high painted ceiling. Lanterns hung on the large brick pillars along the walls of the room. At the far end of the room was a table with three representatives of the Iron Bank sat on the opposite side. Tyrion, Rhaegar and Marwyn took their seats and then the meeting began.
"Welcome to the Iron Bank, my name is Tycho Nestoris. It is a pleasure to meet with the Targaryen envoy, although it does not seem like we have any current business with House Targaryen," Tycho said with a pleasant smile.
"It is a pleasure to meet the Iron Bank. Unfortunately, the King and Queen have other matters to attend to, so we will be speaking on their behalf. We are aware that you don't have any current business with House Targaryen but we'd like to start one today, please," Rhaegar said.
"Why does House Targaryen need a loan?"
"When we take back Westeros, we will need money to rebuild the country. The King and Queen have ideas for a lot of reforms that they will put in place and they need gold to implement them,"
"Ah, of course, King Aegon and Queen Daenerys, the great liberators. The abolishers of the slave trade in the East," he said and Tyrion saw his smile falter slightly, Rhaegar also seemed to pick up on this.
"Forgive me if I'm wrong, but Braavos was the only free city to never be a part of the Valyrian freehold, correct?" Rhaegar began,
"Correct,"
"Braavos was actually founded by a group of escaped slaves. They rebelled, took control of the ships they were being transported on and they travelled North. I believe it was the Moonsingers who predicted where shelters would be found,"
"That is correct," Tyrion understood where Rhaegar was going, but he did not think that this was the right way to go.
"Isn't the first law of Braavos that no one in this city should be a slave?" and Tycho nodded.
"Then why do you not wish to support King Aegon and Queen Daenerys,"
"Your history is correct, but you are missing some details my friend," Tycho said with a frown
"The group of slaves were fleeing from the might of the Valyrian freehold. They were on a ship from Valyria to a new colony in Sothoryos. It was on this ship that they rebelled and turned North instead of South. You are correct about the fact that the Moonsingers found this place, it was hidden from the eyes of the dragonlords by the high hills and the low lying fog,"
"My apologies, it has been a while since I studied history," Rhaegar said with a smile. "King Aegon and Queen Daenerys are against the act of slavery. Your interests are aligned,"
"Are they?" Tycho asked and Tyrion quickly understood. Despite being against the act of Slavery, the Iron Bank had no issue with profiting from it. When Aegon and Daenerys destroyed the slave trade in the east, this likely had a knock on effect on the Iron Bank and their investments in the slave trade.
"Yes they are, there is no more training of slaves in the place formerly known as Slaver's Bay, Volantis has freed all of its slaves. Their principles and yours align," Rhaegar said adamantly.
"I am not so sure. You see, we have heard about what happened in Volantis. The dragons came and rained their fire down from the sky, just like the dragon lords of old. They even sent a dragon with you today. Do you plan on burning Braavos to the ground if you don't get your way?" Tycho asked and Tyrion saw Rhaegar begin to grow angry. Tyrion knew that he had to step in before this conversation got even more out of hand.
"Forgive me Tycho, but this seems to be an issue about money, correct?"
"Amongst other things," he said but Tyrion continued onwards anyway
"As far as I know, the Iron Throne is heavily indebted to the Iron Bank, correct?"
Tycho nodded and watched him carefully. Tyrion looked into his brown eyes briefly before continuing,
"The Targaryens have their dragons, have you heard the story of the last time the Targaryens came to Westeros with their dragons? Of course you have. Aegon the Conqueror brought six of the seven Kingdoms to heel," he looked back at Tycho and saw the man processing what he said, he was watching Tyrion warily.
"Now, King Aegon and Queen Daenerys will return to Westeros one day and they will take back the throne. If they do and you don't support them. The Iron Bank will never get its gold back," Tyrion looked at Tycho and he saw him deep in thought.
"In fact, even if the Targaryens go back to Westeros and lose the war for the throne, you still won't get your gold back. I am sure you have met Robert Baratheon and if you haven't, I'm sure you've heard stories about his spending habits. Does he strike you as the type of monarch who will pay back his debt? Now, you're thinking that perhaps his heir will pay the debt upon his ascension to the throne. A single meeting with Joffrey Baratheon will convince you that he would be a far worse investment even in comparison to Robert. Perhaps, the great Tywin Lannister will pay the debt since he is the richest man in Westeros and bound to the throne by blood. Once again, you will be disappointed because if House Lannister was capable of funding Robert's excessive lifestyle, then why would he have bothered to take out loans from your bank in the first place? The Targaryens are your best chance for recovering the vast amount of gold that you have sunk into Westeros."
Tycho looked at him carefully, "It seems that you have raised a series of interesting points, many of which we did not consider before. Please, allow me a few moments to confer with my colleagues," he said with a smile. Tycho and his two stooges then stood and left to enter a small side chamber. Once, they were gone Rhaegar quickly turned to him,
"What are you doing? We had a plan," he hissed.
"Yes and your plan was faring terribly in case you hadn't noticed. The Iron Bank cares only about gold not families, principles or ideologies. The only thing that matters to them is if the man can pay back the gold, whether he is good or evil makes no difference. You were trying to sell them on King Aegon and Queen Daenerys and you got entangled in the complicated and difficult history between Valyria and Braavos. I sold them a way to make money, one they appear to be receptive of,"
Rhaegar opened his mouth to respond but then Tycho returned. He sat opposite them and then spoke,
"The Iron Bank will support King Aegon and Queen Daenerys. We will supply you with gold for all the endeavors necessary to win the Iron Throne," Tyrion felt a rush of pride flow through him. He tried hard not to let a smug smile form on his face but he knew he was failing miserably.
Tycho quickly pulled out a set of papers which Rhaegar signed on behalf of the King and Queen and then they stood and then left. Once they were outside, Rhaegar turned to him,
"My apologies Tyrion, it was a good idea. I will let the King and Queen know what happened today," and Tyrion nodded. This was progress. They headed back towards the canal and got into a different canal boat.
"Take us to the Sealord's palace please," Rhaegar said as they got in and Tyrion looked at him in shock.
"That is where the Sealord of Braavos lives," Tyrion said quickly and Rhaegar nodded and gave him a sly smile "I was not aware we had business with him,"
"Tyrion, they don't tell you all the plans. Yes, the ruler of Braavos lives at the Sealord's palace and no we don't exactly have business with him. Jon and Dany told me to speak with him to see if he would be willing to join their new Targaryen empire,"
Tyrion was surprised by this although it did make a certain degree of sense. "What will you be offering the Sealord of Braavos?"
"I have a list of concessions I am allowed to make and so on," Rhaegar said vaguely as he sat back in the boat. The Sealord's palace was on a small peninsula to the Northeast of Braavos. It was a huge palace with numerous domes and towers which stretched upwards into the sky. One dome in the middle of the palace had a spire with a golden thunderbolt turning on top of it. Tyrion guessed that it was slightly smaller than the Red Keep, although he could not say for certain.
They got out of the little pole boat and headed towards the gatehouse which had several guards posted outside. As they saw them approach, the guards quickly stepped forward to meet them.
"We would like to see the Sealord of Braavos please," Rhaegar said as the guards reached them.
"The Sealord is not taking visitors today, come back tomorrow," the guard said and he began to walk back to the gatehouse. Rhaegar quickly ran past and stood in front of the guards,
"He will see us. We are envoys sent on behalf of King Aegon and Queen Daenerys Targaryen,"
The guard laughed. "I don't believe you and I'm not going to let you into his palace"
Tyrion was about to open his mouth to try and convince this man but it seemed Caraxes had other ideas. The cream and gold dragon burst down through the clouds and let out a loud ear splitting screech over the palace. The dragon made a few low passes over the palace before giving a loud roar and disappearing up into the clouds. Tyrion looked at Rhaegar who had a smug smile on his face.
"Now, will you take us to the Sealord please?" and the guard quickly nodded. He led them into the palace and into the entrance hall, then he spoke to a few other guards who quickly left, seemingly to inform the Sealord of their arrival. Tyrion looked around the inside of the palace. He saw numerous tapestries that showed the various stages in Braavos's growth. He followed the line of Tapestries and saw Braavos grow from a small series of huts located on a central island to the sprawling city that it is today.
Tyrion looked up towards the wide main staircase and he saw a man slowly making his way down the stairs. He walked towards them and Tyrion noticed that he frequently had to stop and cough.
"My apologies. My name is Ferrego Antaryon and I am the Sealord of Braavos," he said in a quiet voice. Tyrion was surprised, how could such a sickly and frail man be the ruler of a powerful city such as Braavos?
"There is no need to apologize, we are here on behalf of King Aegon and Queen Daenerys Targaryen. We are here to present you with an offer from them and to discuss its terms with you if you accept it," Rhaegar said quickly. "Preferably, somewhere more private," he added looked around the cavernous entrance hall, the Sealord nodded slowly before speaking
"We will discuss this in my solar," he said and he slowly led them through his palace. His solar was a large room with a thick Myrish carpet on the floor. The Sealord slowly sat down behind the polished wooden desk and he gestured for them to sit opposite. A servant brought drinks in for them. Tyrion took a sip of his wine and realised that it was very sweet, sweeter than anything he had tasted in Westeros.
"What is this offer that you would like to discuss?" the Sealord asked,
"As you may have heard, King Aegon and Queen Daenerys have worked hard to stop the slave trade in the east," Rhaegar began and Tyrion groaned in frustration. Had he not learnt after what happened in the Iron Bank?
"The great slaver cities have all been conquered and turned away from the trade of slaves. They are now part of the new Targaryen empire, along with Volantis. They have sent us here on their behalf to try and negotiate an agreement for Braavos to join their new empire,"
The Sealord nodded slowly.
"We praise and commend them for destroying the vile practice of slavery but what does Braavos stand to gain by accepting their offer?"
"Better trade links with the other free cities. The islands surrounding Braavos are filled with pine and spruce trees that protect the city from the strong sea winds. It is illegal to cut those trees down therefore there is a low supply of wood in the city which makes the price of wood high. If you join the Targaryen empire, the King and Queen will make sure there is a steady supply of wood to the city, enough wood to make it affordable for all. If your people are spending less money on wood for their fires, they can spend their money on other things, which would increase the growth of your city,"
The Sealord nodded and Tyrion was impressed. The King and Queen had done well to identify this need and figure out a way to address it, although he was not sure where they would get this excess wood from.
"I take it we would still have to buy this wood?" The Sealord asked with a small smile.
"Of course, nothing comes free. Although you will be able to purchase it at a much cheaper rate than you would otherwise. Also, joining the Targaryen empire would not only bring vast opportunities for trade but Braavos would gain the protection and support of dragons," Rhaegar said and the Sealord sat back in his chair and considered this offer for a few moments.
"Very well. This is a good deal, one that will help the city substantially in the long run. Although I am not so foolish to think that you have come all the way here just to sell me some wood," the Sealord said.
"We would also like some of your galleys. You seem to have an abundance of warships in your Arsenal. We would like some,"
"How many do you need?"
"As many as you can spare on such short notice," Rhaegar said somewhat nervously. Tyrion was no expert in warfare but even he had noticed that they had no true warships in their navy. Dragonfire was powerful but they could not risk their own ships. Having a naval force with their own warships would be important to help clear the way for their transport ships
The Sealord nodded slowly.
"Very well. I believe that I can give you 60 galleys," and Rhaegar nodded in thanks. Tyrion was no expert in the military strength or warfare but 60 galleys did not seem like a lot, they could only hope that the dragons would make up the difference.
They stood and shook hands and then left the palace.
"Pretty successful day, don't you think Tyrion?" Rhaegar said happily.
"We managed to secure the support of the Iron Bank and the Sealord of Braavos, very successful," Tyrion said with a smile as they headed back to their ship. "What is the plan now?"
"We wait, collect the Galleys and then we sail them south to meet up with Jon and Dany," Rhaegar said happily. Tyrion thought that it was as good a plan as any.
The Mother of Dragons
Daenerys Targaryen awoke early, their cabin was still dark and the candles were burning low, she heard Jon breathing deeply as he slept beside her. Still, she realised that she would have to be up soon anyway, Daeron still didn't sleep through the night. He was getting better, he now only woke up once a night instead of twice. Daeron was a few months old now, he was born in Volantis on a very hot night. Jon had told her that when she finally held him in her hands, the dragons screeched and roared and filled the night with the music of dragons.
They had spent a few more weeks in Volantis putting the city to rights. Volantis was ruled by three triarchs and only the nobility were allowed to run for election. They changed that rule, all freedmen and women were allowed to run for election. A new government had been put in place in the same style as Meereen.
Volantis was a key player in the slave trade and when they abolished slavery, Volantis's economy had suffered badly. A few of the freedmen and women of Volantis had informed them of the sweet beets that was grown in abundance around the city. It was served in many of the foods of the city. The Volantene people used the beet to make a thick purple soup, they served it with their fruit salads and they even chewed it as they went about their daily business. Most importantly, they used it to make their sweet wine, which was famous throughout Essos.
Jon had decided to increase the production of wine so that the people of Volantis could trade it in larger quantities. Whilst they increased the production of wine, he had also made plans for them to increase the farming done on the fertile lands on the western bank of the Rhoyne. Dany didn't mind this, she had mostly spent her time resting until Daeron was born.
As if on cue, she heard a soft cry coming from the crib in their cabin. She quickly threw the soft sheets off her and then crossed over to the crib and lifted her beautiful baby boy into her arms.
"Good morning my sweet prince," she said softly as she slowly rocked him in her arms and her baby quickly stopped crying and smiled at his mother. Dany smiled back as her heart warmed and she quickly gave him a kiss on the top of his little head.
"Everything ok?" she heard Jon ask she turned and saw that he was slowly pushing himself up in bed
"Everything is fine, our young dragon is hungry that's all," she said as she sat down on the bed and began to feed him. Jon pulled her closer and she rested against his side.
"His hair is growing," Jon said softly as he stroked Daeron's silver hair. "I'm happy he has your hair," and Dany smiled at this. They had been arguing playfully over this for weeks before he was born.
"At least he has your grey eyes," Dany said to him. "Although, I think I see tiny flecks of purple,"
"Really?" Jon said quickly "Can I see?"
"When he's finished," Dany told him with a wave of her hand. She looked out the window and saw that the sun had risen. They had left Volantis a few weeks after Daeron was born. They had sent Tyrion, Marwyn and Rhaegar ahead to Braavos to try win the support of the Iron Bank and of the Sealord. Then, a few weeks later, they had left Volantis and set sail for Pentos. After Tyrion's revelation, they had both agreed to head to Pentos to speak with Illyrio. Illyrio would provide them with the truth regarding this false prince and he would also need to explain why he gave Viserys those sellswords.
"We should arrive today," Jon said, reading her thoughts.
"Good. It's time we get some answers," she said as Daeron finished feeding. She wiped his mouth and then tickled him and soon the room was filled with the sound of their babe's laughter. Dany quickly found herself laughing and for a moment she forgot that she was a Queen, it was just Jon, her and their beautiful baby boy. It was these moments that kept her going, these moments with her family
"He's strong," Jon said as Daeron gripped his index finger in his tiny hand.
"He won't be a warrior," Daenerys said quickly and protectively. "We will fight his wars for him. We will win the throne for him. We will be the conquerors. He will not need to fight. He will be like Daeron the Good. He will have a long and prosperous reign" Jon laughed.
"Daeron the Good had to work to fix all of his father's mistakes and unjust decisions during most of his reign, not to mention deal with the Blackfyre rebellions. I'll admit that we will leave our son a better realm and legacy but we can't fight all his battles for him,"
"I can try," she said determinedly and Jon laughed again as he played with Daeron. Soon, sunlight filled their cabin and Dany regrettably realised that they would have to leave soon.
"I don't want to leave him," she said softly as she held him in her arms.
"I know, but we have to. It'll only be a short while. The sooner we leave, the sooner we'll be back," he said and she agreed. They would leave Daeron with Missandei, Irri, Jhiqui, Doreah and a wet nurse. She hated leaving him with a wet nurse but she had come to accept that there would be days when she would not be there to feed him. Still, she had spent months getting to know these woman before she trusted them with her son.
"I'll go get your handmaidens, they'll take him while we dress," he said.
He quickly returned and she reluctantly handed over Daeron to Missandei. Daeron didn't seem to mind, the boy loved her handmaidens.
"I will keep him safe your grace, nothing will happen to the prince," she said reassuringly.
"We will take the city and then we will send word. Then, you can bring him into the city,"
They planned to deal with Illyrio and the council of magisters that ran the city. Even though by law, Pentos had no slaves, Daenerys knew that this was not the case. They would stop the act of slavery in this city as well. She quickly helped Jon dress in his armor, taking her time to feel his warm skin and his strong muscles. When Jon was ready, Irri helped her to dress. Thankfully, her body had quickly recovered and she was now able to wear her normal clothes. Irri braided her hair in a simple braid that she would be able to tuck into her clothes. Jon had also commissioned a set of light armor for her to wear while heading into battle. The armor design was based upon the description of outfits worn by female dragon riders of the freehold, which they had read about in one of their books. She also took her Valyrian steel dagger, she was not expecting to use it, but Jon would insist that she carry it.
Once they were dressed they headed up onto the deck of the ship. She could see Pentos ahead of her, the city was not far. They would probably be able to sail in today. They had the majority of their army with them and as she turned around she could see the majority of their ships still with them. Still, they had not planned on taking their army into the city. They did not want to sack yet another city.
She saw Missandei holding a giggling and laughing Daeron and she quickly walked over to them.
"Goodbye my sweet prince, mommy will see you later," she said sadly as she placed a kiss on his forehead. Greyworm and several of the Unsullied were on this ship, and she knew that they would guard the Prince with their life. There was also Ghost. Ghost would stay behind on the ship and she knew that nothing would get past the direwolf and this reassured her. She saw Jon say goodbye to his son and then they got into their little boat and sailed to a small neighboring island.
As they sailed to the small island she looked at Jon. He was running his silver hair through his fingers and he looked like something was bothering him.
"What's the matter, love," she asked softly,
"The Tyrells," he said simply and she nodded. An envoy from House Tyrell had arrived in Volantis a few days before they left. They had come to discuss terms of a possible alliance with the great house.
"We need allies," she said simply and Jon nodded. They both knew that they would never have the support of House Lannister, Baratheon or Stark. After Tyrion's revelation, they knew that Dorne was unlikely to join them. They had heard of the recent developments in Westeros. There had been a war in the Vale and the crown had installed a new Lord in charge, this meant that it was unlikely that they got the full support of the Vale. House Tully and the Riverlands were an option, but they were not enough.
On one hand, the crown had seemingly made enemies of House Tully when they exposed Lysa Arryn's crimes in front of the entire realm. On the other hand, House Tully had fought hard to depose their family in the rebellion and had blood ties with House Stark.
"They were loyal to our house in the rebellion," she told him
"Loyal?" Jon said with a small laugh. "Perhaps. What did they do during the entire war? They were sieging a castle that was practically empty, hundreds of miles away from where the actual fight was taking place. I was taught that Mace Tyrell sat there along with most of the Reach forces for the better part of a year when he should have been on the Trident helping my father fight the real enemy,"
"True, but that is in the past, Jon. If we are going to take back our throne, we will need allies. Right now, House Tyrell and the Reach are our best chance," she said calmly but Jon remained unconvinced.
"Jon, we will meet them properly in Westeros where we will discuss this in more detail," she said as she sat next to him and gave him a comforting squeeze of his hand. They saw the little island approaching and they quickly got ready to get out of the boat.
Anogar and Vedros were waiting for them. Their growth had slowed slightly during the last few months but they were still fearsome. Anogar growled at her as she slowly approached and she froze for a moment before she realised what was wrong.
"Are you jealous?" she asked softly and Anogar gave another growl and turned away his head. She had not really interacted with him much since Daeron was born. Dany had shown Anogar the newest member of their family but apart from that, she had not spent much time with him.
Dany slowly walked up to him and did not let his low growls deter her.
"I am sorry my child," she said softly "I was busy with our littlest one," and she gently patted his snout. She closed her eyes and reached out to him in her mind and she found that their bond was still there. She saw what he had been doing these last few days, he had flew over the grasslands with Vedros and they had devoured an entire flock of sheep.
"I see you have been eating well," and Anogar gave another quick growl before turning his head and lowering his wing. She smiled and quickly climbed onto his back and got comfortable. Anogar took a few steps before he quickly took off, taking his time to gain height. Dany quickly realised that she missed this feeling. The wind was rushing past her face and she laughed happily. Anogar dipped his wing to one side to give her a good few of the deep blue water. Dany looked up at Jon and saw that he and Vedros were flying above waiting.
"Let's find Illyrio," she told Anogar and her dragon gave a loud throaty roar in response and took off towards Pentos. Anogar quickly covered the short distance and soon they were flying over the city. She saw the red priests at the red temple, she saw people on the streets looking up towards them and pointed and then she saw Illyrio's manse.
Anogar flew overhead and gave another loud roar but she reigned him in. Jon and Vedros landed first and made sure the courtyard was clear and safe for her. Once she landed, they made their way through the manse towards the garden.
Dany knew that Illyrio likely had several cupboards and secret rooms that he could hide in but she was not expecting him to hide. Illyrio likely thought that she was married to his prince. The poor fat fool.
As expected, she saw Illyrio sitting in the garden.
"Queen Daenerys," he greeted happily. "King Aegon," and Daenerys had to fight hard not to laugh.
"Magister Illyrio, it is nice to see you," she said with as much sincerity as she could manage.
"How was the wedding?" he asked and she looked at Jon and gave him a smile.
"It was wonderful. I love my husband," and then she gave him a quick kiss and looked back at Illyrio. He was smiling proudly at the pair of him, as if all his plans had paid off.
"Please sit," he said gesturing to the bench in the gardens. He had some food on the table and Daenerys helped herself to some grapes. She popped one into her mouth and bit into it, savoring the sweet taste. "Why have you come to see me today?"
"Did Connington not write to you?" Jon asked,
"No, why would he?" Illyrio asked shaking his head in confusion and Dany had to quickly eat another grape to contain her smile. "I have heard some rumors from Volantis about a boy claiming to be the son of Rhaegar and Lyanna Stark, but that is impossible and seeing the two of you hear together confirms that,"
"We have some questions for you," Dany asked in an innocent voice "Why did you give Viserys those sellswords?" and she watched as Illyrio's smile turned into a frown.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"On the ship that we took from here to Astapor, we were attacked by a group of sellswords that were present on the ship. The sellswords attacked Rhaegar and Jon, but not Viserys. Why?" she asked and she saw Illyrio begin to sweat.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he stammered.
"Yes, you do." Jon said quickly "I saw the leader of the sellswords meet with Viserys here at the manse through Ghost's eyes. Then I saw him speaking with Viserys again on the ship before the attack. Viserys had no friends or gold to hire sellswords. Someone must have been helping him and that someone was you,"
Illyrio looked at Jon stunned, he thought Jon was his Aegon and he could not understand how he knew these things.
"No, impossible. Why would I want to hurt you? Why would I want to hurt Queen Daenerys?"
"Who is that?" Daenerys asked, pointing towards the statue. Tyrion had told them that this was a statue of his son.
"That's a statue of me, when I was a young boy," he said quickly and Daenerys cocked her head to the side and smiled sweetly at him.
"Illyrio Mopatis. If you tell the truth now, we will show mercy to you. Who is the boy in the statue?" and she stared into his eyes. She saw fear. With surprising speed, Illyrio stood up from the table and started to run but Jon was quicker. He leapt over the table and tackled him to the floor.
"The Queen asked you a question," he growled as he held his dagger to his throat.
"He is my son," Illyrio blurted out as Jon kept the pressure on him.
"And you conspired with Lord Varys to present him as the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Elia Martell?" Dany asked quickly and Illyrio quickly nodded.
"So, he is the real reason as to why you sent those sellswords to kill Jon and Rhaegar. You wanted them out of the way because they were a threat to your plan. I daresay you would have even killed Viserys when he too became disposable,"
"Jon, get off him," Jon stood up and Illyrio gasped for air.
"This is the real Aegon Targaryen. Son of Rhaegar and Lyanna Stark. He is the true King of Westeros," Dany noticed a small locket and the floor and bent to pick it up. Inside it, was a picture of a beautiful woman.
"This is the boy's mother?" she asked and Illyrio nodded. "Who is she?"
"Serra," and Daenerys raised her eyebrow at him, waiting for a better answer.
"She was my second wife. I met her in a pillow house in Lys, I took her home and then I married her," and Daenerys nodded in understanding. The pieces were finally fitting together but something was not making sense.
"Why would you do this?" she asked and Illyrio shook his head, not understanding the question. "I can see that you love her and this child is all that you have to remember her by. But why take this risk and create this great conspiracy. You could have given the boy a good life filled with luxury and comfort, growing up here with you. Instead, you have sent him off along a path filled with great dangers and many enemies. You must admit that even if your elaborate plan had worked, there was still a good chance that your son would either die fighting in the war to gain the throne or fallen prey to great game of thrones played by the lords of Westeros,"
"I promised her. I promised Serra I would do this for her,"
"You promised a whore from Lys that you would sit her son on the Iron Throne?" Jon asked in disbelief.
"Don't you dare call her a whore," Illyrio spat and she saw Jon reach for his sword. Dany quickly raised her hand to stop him. "She was the last Blackfyre, forced to live in exile because of your family. I loved her, she wanted to see her son on the Iron Throne which her family had died fighting for and I swore I would make it happen,"
"Are you saying that this false Aegon is the last heir of the Blackfyre pretenders? Are you saying that he's a black dragon?" Jon asked,
"Black or Red, a dragon is still a dragon" Illyrio said with a shrug and Daenerys felt a rush of anger pulse through her. Their house had already suffered enough pain, shame and ridicule brought on by the past Blackfyre pretenders and the Usurper, and now Illyrio had planned to sit a black dragon on their throne.
"Illyrio Mopatis. You will die today," she told him and Illyrio swallowed nervously. Dany looked around the manse. She had spent a short amount of time here but it had changed her life. She had met Rhaegar, she received her dragon eggs and she had met Jon, the love of her life and it all happened here.
"Dragonflame, or a sword," she asked simply.
"Dragonflame," he answered.
"Jon find some rope and tie him to the statue," she instructed him and then she pulled out her dagger and pointed it at Illyrio who was still lying on the floor. Jon quickly returned with the ropes.
"I suppose I should also be thanking you," she said whilst Jon picked him up and started to tie him to the statue "You gave me these dragon eggs, I met Rhaegar in your manse and I met Jon, the man that I love. All under your roof. Did you know I have a son now? A beautiful baby boy with my silver hair and his father's grey eyes. I should thank you as none of it would have happened if you had not entered my life," she said and she smiled happily at the thought of little Daeron.
"But you have also betrayed me. I could have lost everything because of you and your greed. You used me as a pawn in your game, not caring if I lived or died, all you ever wanted was for me to marry your false prince and grant him the claim and legitimacy to the throne which he has no right to,"
Jon had finished tying him up and he stepped back to stand next to her. She held onto Jon's hand and then led him backwards.
"I, Queen Daenerys of House Targaryen. Wife to King Aegon Targaryen trueborn son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, sentence you, Illyrio Mopatis to die,"
She heard Anogar loudly approach. He perched awkwardly on the wall and the watchtower and his weight caused the stone to crumble slightly. Anogar then leaned his long neck downwards and snarled at Illyrio. She saw Illyrio shaking uncontrollably with fear.
"Dracarys," she whispered.
Anogar slowly pulled back and then bathed Illyrio in his black flame. Illyrio burned for a few moments before Anogar stopped and then flew off.
There was nothing left of Illyrio Mopatis. Both, he and the statue of the boy had been completely burnt to ash.
Notes:
Next up we have chapter 17 which is called "Dragonstone" which should be out on Saturday or Sunday, probably Sunday
I have no more plans for Essos, perhaps in the future Jon/Dany will deal with the remaining free cities, but for now, we're heading to Westeros
As always let me know what you think. Comments are always appreciated, especially the longer ones
Thanks for reading
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