Chapter 2222: 17
Summary:
Dragonstone a place of dragons and dragonlords, the seat of House Targaryen - Davos VI ASOS
Notes:
In the last chapter, Ned lied to Arya, he knew that Jon was alive and that he's actually Aegon Targaryen.
As always, thanks to GOT88 for the help provided with this story
The dragons here are about season 7 size. Perhaps a touch bigger
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The Onion Knight
Ser Davos Seaworth stood on the battlements of Dragonstone looking out over the narrow sea. He looked down at the port, the usually empty port at Dragonstone was now filled with warships. After they had returned from the Vale, King Robert had ordered that the majority of the royal fleet should remain at Dragonstone. He had given Lord Stannis orders to launch the royal fleet if they saw any sign of the Targaryen fleet approaching Dragonstone.
There were 200 ships from the royal fleet floating in the port of Dragonstone, 120 of which were Galleys that dipped 100 or more oars. The flagship of the fleet was unquestionably King Robert's Hammer , a huge warship with 400 oars capable of outrunning any ship in Westeros. Davos had been on the vessel a few times recently and he was certain that he would see no finer warship in his life. House Velaryon had also provided an extra 10 warships to the fleet.
Under Lord Stannis, he had been given his own galley, Black Betha he called it, it boasted of 180 oars and his own son, Mathos , was among the crew. All of his children who were of age to fight were on Dragonstone. His eldest son, Dale captained a galley named Wraith , Allard captained Lady Marya and Maric was an oar master on Fury. Thankfully, his wife and his youngest children were back at home in their keep at Cape Wrath, he missed his family but his place was here with Lord Stannis.
Lord Stannis had been in a good mood lately, or a better mood since he seldom had good ones. A few weeks ago, the Redwyne fleet under the command of Lord Paxter Redwyne had arrived at Dragonstone, adding an extra 150 warships to their fleet. The Reach had also sent a portion of their bountiful harvest through several merchant ships to stock up the stores of Dragonstone.
Still, even the extra soldiers and supplies could not lift the dreary mood that had cloaked the castle. The skies were grey and he could see a layer of fog rolling in from Crackclaw point to the north east, he wasn't worried though. This type of morning fog was a common occurrence in Dragonstone and it usually cleared pretty quickly. Davos turned behind him and looked up towards Dragonmont, the volcano that gave rise to the Island. As usual, he could see the pale grey steam rising out from the vents in the Volcano, spiraling into the overcast sky. Davos had heard that many years ago, the dragons used to make their lairs inside the Volcano and that fact only added to the feeling that they did not belong here.
The castle of Dragonstone had been built over 500 years ago by the Valyrians and it served as the western most outpost of their freehold. The castle had been built by using magic and sorcery and Davos quickly realised that it was supposed to be a show of their power. They created fanciful, ornate shapes and figures, at first Davos thought that they were beautiful, but recently they just added to the foreboding feeling that surrounded Dragonstone at the moment. It was a place meant for dragons and dragonlords, not for men like Ser Davos Seaworth.
His hand went to the pouch that contained the joints of his left hand, they had brought him luck so far and he only hoped that this would continue. Davos pulled his cloak tightly around him and then headed back inside, it was best to get his breakfast now whilst the food was still warm. Davos headed inside to the great hall, which had been carved in the shape of a dragon lying on its belly. To enter the great hall, you had to pass through the mouth of the dragon. Davos entered the great hall and quickly piled his plate with food. The tables in the great hall were filled with nobles and knights all eating their breakfast, Davos didn't really like speaking to these men so he quickly found an empty end of a bench and sat there. Quietly eating his bacon and bread.
His quiet breakfast did not last for long as he was soon joined by a sellsail, Salladhor Saan. To further boost their naval numbers, the crown had hired numerous sellsails from across the narrow sea and Salladhor was the most prominent of them all. He was a notorious sellsail and he even called himself ' The Prince of the narrow sea'. He hailed from Lys but did not possess any of the beautiful valyrian features that was generally found in the inhabitants of the free city. He sat across from him eating grapes from a wooden bowl.
"Salla," Davos greeted warmly.
"Ser Davos," he replied grimly. The two shared a history together, when he was a smuggler, Davos would often buy cargo from the man. It was this shared history that had helped Davos to convince Salla to join their fight against the Targaryens.
"I take it you are still unhappy with me," Davos said quickly and Salla gave a loud snort.
"Unhappy, why would I be unhappy? You promised me gold. You said that if I fought for the King's brother I would have my pick of some of the treasures kept below the Red Keep. Though, you did fail to mention that we would be fighting against the dragons,"
Davos nodded slowly. Lord Stannis had instructed him not to let any of the sellsails they hired know of the enemy they would be facing, and Davos quickly understood the wisdom behind those words.
"Dragons breathe fire my friend and our ships are made out of wood. Wood burns,"
"The dragons shouldn't be large enough to use in battle as per the Citadel's assessment. However, if the Targaryens decide to use them, we have a plan in place to deal with the dragons," Davos told him and Salladhor just rolled his eyes.
"And what pray tell is the plan? You haven't told me," he said as he slowly chewed a grape and Davos sat quietly. Lord Stannis had told Davos and his captains parts of his plans, enough so that each captain would know their role in the battle, but he had kept all the major details secret.
"Either you don't know the plan, or you are unwilling to share it with me. This is a pity seeing as we have been friends for so long," Salla said to him. "Have a grape my friend, I daresay it might just be the last nice thing you eat," and then he stood up and left, leaving his bowl behind. Davos finished eating quickly before leaving the hall. Salla's words had only added to his growing fears, hopefully Lord Stannis would tell him his full plan soon and this plan would reassure him.
He headed towards the stone drum tower, the central keep of Dragonstone. Davos quickly walked up the stone steps to the chamber of the painted table, where he knew he would find Lord Stannis. The great oak doors were designed in such a way that each half of the door contained half a dragon that would fit together to form a single dragon when the doors were closed. Davos quickly knocked before entering.
The chamber of the painted table was a round room with tall windows facing north, east, south and west. He saw Lord Stannis gazing out of the eastern window, staring out across the narrow sea. He looked around the room and he saw several of the Reach lords were also present, including the famous Lord Paxter Redwyne. Lord Paxter was a middle aged man with a few tuffs of orange hair remaining on his head. He had blockaded Storms End and shipbreaker bay during the rebellion and had supported Lord Stannis in the sea battle off Fair Isle. Davos smiled in greeting at Lord Paxter and he was given a smile in return. Davos had been relieved when Lord Paxter arrived, he was an experienced naval commander and a man that they could trust.
"My Lord," he said to Lord Stannis,
"What is it, Ser Davos," he said in a frustrated voice, Davos knew this voice and he would not let it deter him.
"I was wondering about our plans for the battle," Davos said and Lord Stannis didn't respond for a few moments.
"The sellsail wants to know. Salladhor Saan is his name, correct?" and Davos nodded in answer.
"Yes, my Lord," he said once he realised that Stannis would still not turn around to face him.
"The man is a sell sail, loyal only to gold. I will not tell him our plans. The man would sooner sell this information to the Targaryens than he is to stay and fight with us," Lord Stannis said.
"Then, why hasn't he?" Lord Paxter asked.
"His galleys are closer to Driftmark than they are to the narrow sea. He knows that if he tries to leave, our fleet would destroy his. He is trapped in all sense of the word,"
"I don't think it is wise to anger the sellsails my lord, they are a fickle enough bunch to begin with, they likely don't need a reason to betray us and join the Targaryens," Lord Paxter said as he took a drink of his wine.
"We don't have a choice," Lord Stannis said as he turned around. "We need every ship that we can get,"
"Ships burn my Lord," Lord Paxter said "I don't think it's wise to engage in naval warfare,"
"A battle at sea is our best chance," Lord Stannis snapped. "They have no warships. They are most likely transporting their troops on merchant cogs or carracks. They cannot beat us at sea, we have the advantage,"
"What of their dragons?" Lord Paxter asked,
"I have spoken to Maester Pylos, he has said that it will take years for the dragons to grow and reach their full size. The Grandmaesters from the citadel have also confirmed this, the dragons are not a threat," Lord Stannis said and Lord Paxter gave a small laugh which clearly irritated Lord Stannis.
"Then, how do the Grandmaesters explain what happened in Volantis? That sounds like the work of dragons and big ones at that," Lord Paxter said evenly and Davos could almost see the teeth grinding in Lord Stannis's head.
"Unconfirmed rumors from sailors and drunkards, nothing more. I'll believe what I can see with my own eyes instead of listening to drunken gossip of sailors," Lord Stannis said after a moment. "But I will grant you your wish, Ser Davos, I will tell you our plan," he said and he gestured for Davos to take a seat.
"When we see the first sight of the Targaryen fleet, or any fleet for that matter we will sail out into the narrow sea. The Redwyne fleet will be on the port side and Salladhor Saan's fleet on the Starboard, the royal fleet will make up the center. We have 360 warships in our fleet and each line will contain 20 ships. The first 3 lines will contain our biggest galleys, behind that line we will have a line of ships mounted with Ballistas,"
"You mean the keep the Ballistas in the center of the battle?" Ser Imry asked immediately, "That is far too risky. If we lose the ballistas then what hope do we have?"
"If these dragons are as fearsome as you believe, what are they going to target first?" Lord Paxter asked "The plan is to have the Ballistas as close to their own ships as possible. That way they can't use their dragons, otherwise they run the risk of sinking their own ships in the process," and Davos nodded in agreement, he could see some logic behind those words.
"Lord Redwyne will also take a part of his fleet and wrap around and attack from the side. This will distract them and give our Ballistas more time," Lord Stannis informed the room. "If we destroy their fleet, this Targaryen invasion will end before it even begins,"
"What if they don't land at Dragonstone?" one lord asked,
"Where else would they land?" Lord Stannis replied quickly as if it was the dumbest question in the world. "Dragonstone has deep water ports for their ships and the best place to launch an invasion of Westeros. Dragonstone is also their ancestral castle, they will want to take it back to send a statement,"
Again, Davos found himself agreeing with Lord Stannis but it did not make him feel much better.
"I don't like the fog. The visibility is going to be low, we won't be able to see their fleet if the fog remains," one lord said as he pointed out of the eastern window. Davos looked out the window and saw that the earlier fog had now rolled in from Crackclaw point, but Davos was experienced.
"The fog will blow past quickly. It always does," Davos said and Lord Paxter agreed with him.
"My Lord," Davos said as he bowed to Lord Stannis and begun to take his leave. His hand reached the door when he heard a voice call his name,
"Ser Davos, let's not tell the sellsail too many details," Lord Paxter Redwyne said to him. "He might still betray us,"
Davos nodded and left the room, he walked through the hallways of Dragonstone until he arrived outside of Shireen's room. He knocked on the door and entered.
Shireen was sitting in her room at the table reading a book whilst Patchface, the court's fool, sat on the floor singing softly.
"What are you reading?" he asked as he entered.
"I wanted to read about Aegon the Conqueror but Maester Pylos took those books away," she said unhappily. Davos was thankful for this, he did not want to hear any more news about dragons today. "So instead, I am reading about King Daeron the first. He went to war and conquered Dorne and he did it without dragons,"
Davos groaned and cursed himself. He loved Shireen, almost as if she was his own child. One day he had let it slip that there were dragons in the east, and the girl had been obsessed ever since. She went through every book in the library looking for information about dragons, she pestered both Maester Cressen and Maester Pylos to tell her stories about the dragons. Stannis had wanted to keep the news of the dragons a secret, but Davos had clearly ruined that.
"Do you think we'll see the dragons, Ser Davos?" she asked sweetly. Davos looked into her blue eyes and he felt as if his tongue was tied. Shireen was still a child and he did not want to lie to her, but he did not want to tell her the truth. The truth was that she would probably see a dragon, and those dragons were coming to kill them.
He opened his mouth to speak but he was interrupted.
Ahoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Davos froze as the call echoed on and on throughout the castle, it was a loud sound that resonated throughout the castle, so loud that it was impossible to ignore. This was the call to arms. They had spotted a fleet, Davos swallowed nervously before he spoke,
"Ok my dear, there will be guards outside the door, stay in here with Patchface," he told Shireen.
"Will I see you later, Ser Davos?" she asked as he reached the door.
"Yes, I hope that you will," he said with a smile and then he left her room. Davos followed the line of shouting and running men as they made their way through the castle and out onto the beach. As Davos left the castle he looked out over the narrow sea, the earlier fog had cleared as he expected and this meant that he could see clearly out across the narrow sea.
In the distance he could see ships with black sails, they were too far away to make out any more details but he was certain that the Targaryen fleet was here.
The loud war horn was still blowing and Davos started to run towards the port in Dragonstone. Lord Stannis was Lord Stannis and this meant that he had made sure that every single captain had their responsibilities drilled into them. Every captain would know their place in the line of ships and their role in this battle. Davos quickly boarded Black Betha and within a few minutes they were smoothly sailing away. Davos and the Black Betha were on the port side of the third line, right in front of the Ballistas. Davos stood at the prow of his ship looking out towards the oncoming fleet, Davos guessed that battle would commence soon, but they still had time and there was no need to tire the oarsmen just yet. He quickly looked up in the sky at the grey clouds, he saw no signs of the dragons.
Then he looked towards their fleet, he knew that King's Roberts Hammer would be at the center of the first line in battle, she would likely be flanked by Lord Steffon and The Stag of the Sea each ship boasting a mighty 200 oars. Davos looked to his left and saw that the Redwyne fleet had drifted off, likely to begin their plan to wrap around to attack the Targaryen flank. His stubby hand went to the pouch around his neck and he whispered a short prayer.
"Father, I don't see any dragons," Mathos said to him as he approached "Does that mean they're not real?"
"Let's hope so boy," he muttered quietly. "Get back in your position, we need to be ready for the signal," he said and Mathos quickly ran back to his position as oar master.
Davos then looked out towards the fleet, they were closer now. He looked to his left and saw that the Redwyne fleet were angling themselves for their attack.
Ahooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Ahooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Ahooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
The call rolled off the waves from the rear of King Robert's Hammer . Lord Stannis had given the order and now Ser Imry was blowing the warhorn to signal the attack.
"Out oars!" Davos barked "Form the line," A hundred oars dipped into the water as the oarmasters drum began to boom. It was a slow methodical beat like the beating of a great big heart and the oars moved at every stroke, a hundred men all pulling together as one.
He looked forward and watched as the wooden oars from Wraith and Lady Marya sprung out of the side of the ship and then slowly dipped into the water, his sons were young but he had taught them well. They were good captains for their ships.
"Slow cruise," Davos shouted to his men. They had to maintain their distance. He looked out to the starboard side and saw that Bold Laughter was lagging, it had only just gotten its oars into the water. Bold Laughter was a huge galley, boasting 180 oars and it had one of the biggest rams in their fleet, however Davos had always questioned its captain's competency.
The sea was filled with the sound of men shouting, drums beating and the rhythmic slapping of oars on the water. A gust of wind whipped across the ship and Davos tugged his old cloak tighter around himself. He only had a boiled leather jerkin and a small pot helm for armor. Davos refused to wear heavy steel at sea, he believed that the steel was more likely to kill him than to save him. He looked around at the decks of the other ships and saw the other highborn captains glittering in their fresh steel. They clearly did not share his opinion.
Ahoooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"Fast cruise," Davos shouted and the beat of the drum began to pick up pace. Davos quickly looked up at the sky, if they had dragons they would have been here by now. Surely.
The speed of the strokes picked up as the oars splashed through the water, splish splosh splish splosh splish splosh. Davos looked behind him and saw the men all on the deck ready for battle. Archers strung their bows and pulled the first arrows from their quivers and soldiers banged their swords against their shields. The galleys of the first line were starting to obscure Davos's vision so he paced back and forth on the deck nervously. Battle would only be minutes away.
Ahoooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"Battle speed!" Davos yelled and Black Bertha surged forward. He looked to his starboard side and saw that Bold Laughter had caught up and was moving alongside them. The thumping sound of the drums furiously beating filled his head and Davos focused on what was going on in front of him. He looked up into the clouds in the sky, still no dragons. Davos felt reassured. Lord Stannis was right, he is always right. They have no dragons.
"Port!" Davos heard a voice shout and he looked in that direction and what he saw stunned him. The Redwyne fleet were on the port side but they were supposed to be heading out to attack the Targaryen flank. Instead, the Redwyne fleet had performed a quick turn and was now heading towards them, attacking their flank. Davos was rooted to the spot, there was nothing he could do to stop the Redwyne fleet ramming towards their side. They were too close and they were moving too quickly.
Davos stood rooted to the spot as the first iron ram made contact with the ships containing the Ballistas. Davos heard the sounds of the wood cracking and he watched as boarders quickly swarmed the ships. The ships with the Ballistas on them did not have many soldiers onboard and the Reach traitors quickly overwhelmed them.
Davos realised that they were powerless to stop the attack going on in the rear, they could only go forward. Black Betha continued onwards, the sound of the oar masters drums thundering loudly in Davos's ears as he looked for a victim for their ram. His eyes settled on a Targaryen galley not too far ahead of them. He opened his mouth to issue the command but then he heard a loud roar coming from the clouds above and the words were lost on his lips.
The seconds seemed to stretch into minutes and then into hours as Davos desperately looked into the clouds for the source of the noise. Davos had just managed to convince himself that he was imagining things before he heard a second high pitched screech. The noise was so loud that it drowned out all the sounds of the battle. Davos knew that it could only be one thing. He lifted his eyes to the clouds as he heard a third roar and then he saw them.
Three dragons descended from the clouds above the battle, one midnight black, the other green and the third a pale cream. Lord Stannis was wrong, he quickly realised. Lord Stannis was very wrong. The dragons were huge, monstrously big. Davos's eyes followed the midnight black dragon as it flew low over the starboard side and released a jet black torrent of flame. The black dragon quickly pulled up into the sky as the green dragon made a low pass of its own. Davos watched as the green dragon released a swirling blast of emerald green flame from its mouth and onto the poor galleys that happened to be in the dragon's path.
Davos then heard a loud roar that could only have come from the third dragon, which had flown far behind them, releasing short blasts of golden flame onto their rear.
"Father!" Mathos shouted and he turned to look at his son. "What are our orders!" and Davos just looked at his son. The Ballistas were their only hope, if they could not take out those fire breathing monsters then the dragons would burn through the entire royal fleet within an hour.
"We need to protect the Ballistas!" he shouted. "Get us out of here! Backwater!"
He felt the boat jerk and then slowly move backwards. Davos knew that this was a very risky and difficult maneuver. It would be very difficult to turn the ship but at the very least they could use their own ship as a shield. The air was quickly filling with smoke and the rhythmic sound of the oar masters drums had been quickly replaced by the panicked screams of men as they desperately tried to avoid the dragonflame.
Davos heard a loud whistling noise and he saw a long bolt shoot into the sky towards the black dragon. Davos watched with bated breath as the slim silver bolt flew through the air towards the dragon, Davos was sure that the bolt would hit, the dragon was not looking in that direction. Davos heard a screech from another dragon and then the black dragon rolled out of the way with unbelievably agility. The dragon then released an angry roar that resonated loudly across the water. Davos watched as the dragon turned its great black head from side to side before it found the Ballista and then gave out another roar.
He watched as the dragon quickly took off towards the ship containing the Ballista. Davos hoped and prayed that the crew had managed to load a bolt and that they were ready to fire, this was an easy shot, their best shot. If they could just kill one dragon, then King Robert and his forces would have an easier job later on.
Davos watched as the dragon closed the distance with ease, all it took was a few lazy flutters of its wings and then the dragon was upon the ship with the Ballista. The dragon flew overhead and then released its black flame. As they were closer now, Davos could feel the terrible heat from the dragon flame on his face.
Davos scanned the sky for a few moments, desperately hoping to see some more Ballista shots but he couldn't find any. They had two lines of Ballista, one in the front, the other in the rear. Davos quickly realised that the dragons and the Redwyne fleet must have made short work of the first line, but what about the second? Those Ballista were placed on ships provided by House Velaryon, had they been betrayed again?
Davos did not have time to think about it as he heard a loud clapping noise like thunder coming from behind him. He quickly turned and saw the green dragon coming towards him. The dragon released a loud roar that caused the Black Betha to rock and sway heavily. Davos stared at the dragon at its approached, the sight of it seemed to stop his heart.
The dragon opened its mouth again and Davos could see the molten green flame bubbling and building down its throat. Then, Davos felt a shove in his back and the dragon vanished from his vision and the seawater smacked him hard in the face, filling his nose and his mouth with saltwater.
Davos forgot everything that he had learned and he just wrestled with the sea in a blind panic as he desperately tried to reach the surface. His arms flailed from side to side and his chest tightened until he finally broke the surface. He spat out the salt water, sucked in a large gulp of air and found the nearest piece of debris and clung on to it.
Black Betha was reduced to a burning hull that drifted aimlessly in the sea. Plumes of dirty black smoke trailed upwards into the sky, mixing with the clouds. He watched as burning men jumped into the water to escape the fire only to end up drowned instead . He saw Fury and Kings Robert's Hammer listing heavily whilst Lord Steffon and the Stag of the Sea were burning freely. His eyes searched for Wraith or Lady Marya but he could not find them. They were somewhere in that thick smoke, either burning or sunk. His sons were dead.
Davos was carried by the sea aimlessly through the wreckage, the sea seemed to be boiling with the heat from the dragon flame. He could hear the hiss of the steam and cackling of burning wood. The battle appeared to be over, as the dragons were roaring and screeching victoriously. In between their roars Davos could hear the shrieks of dying men, some were burning to death, some were drowning and Davos was powerless to change his course. It was almost as if the sea was letting him know how foolish they were for daring to challenge the dragons.
"Father!" he heard a loud voice shout and Davos quickly turned towards the noise. He saw Mathos drifting on a similar piece of wood and waving towards him. Davos did his best to work with his current to try and move towards his son.
"Mathos," he said as he arrived "What happened to you?"
"I saw you staring at the dragon so I pushed you into the water and then I jumped after you," he told him and Davos was very thankful for his son. He surely would have been dead otherwise.
"What happened to our Ballistas?"
"We were betrayed. The Redwyne fleet took out the first line and I don't think the Ballistas in the second line ever got fired," Davos said bitterly and Mathos slowly nodded.
"Father, what do we do now?" he asked after a few moments and Davos didn't have an answer. They were floating through the wreckage of their ruined fleet. They would have to be picked up by the Targaryen vessels and end up as captured prisoners otherwise they would float aimlessly in the sea and eventually die, and truthfully, Davos was not sure which option he would prefer.
Live, he would have to live. For Mathos, for Shireen, for Marya and his boys back at Cape Wrath
"We find a ship and we live,"
The Golden Lion
Ser Jaime Lannister leaned against the wall outside the King's door in the Red Keep, he was on guard duty with Ser Meryn Trant. Neither man spoke to each other, Jaime found Trant to be sly and cruel, although he probably didn't have kind thoughts for him either. They were 'guarding' King Robert as he took his pleasure from today's selection of whores. Jaime had seen 5 girls go in there with him and for the past however many hours all he heard was loud grunts and moans as the King took his pleasure.
King Robert was not a good King, Jamie had known that straight away. Whilst he didn't have the same cruelty and sadism as Aerys, it was clear to see that Robert had no desire to rule. The man would rather hunt in the Kingswood and have his whores rather than rule. Fortunately, Robert had poor Jon Arryn and then later Ned Stark to do most of the work for him. The worst part about it was that Robert was married to his sister.
It was Cersei who had gotten him this position on the Kingsguard. She had heard that their father had been discussing terms with Hoster Tully to betroth him to Lysa. Cersei had told him to do nothing but trust her to resolve the matter. That had been easy for Jaime, he had always trusted Cersei and listened to her plans, it was she who had started things between them. Within a few weeks, a raven had arrived at Casterly Rock informing him of his selection to the Kingsguard. His father had been furious, but as Cersei had deduced, he could not object to it publically. Instead, he did what he could, he resigned his position as Hand and took Cersei back to Casterly Rock and left Jaime alone to guard a mad King.
He remembered the day that he had knelt before the King to say his vows. It was at that tourney at Harrenhall, where it all started to unravel. He had knelt in the mud before the King, young and full of pride. There was no higher honor for a knight than to be named to the Kingsguard, and Jaime had done it at 15, he was the youngest ever. The moment had been so sweet but Aerys had been quick to turn it sour. That very same night, he had sent him back to Kings Landing to guard the Queen and little Viserys who had been left behind in the capital. The Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. Ser Gerold Hightower had even offered to head back to the capital in his place so that Jaime could participate in the tourney but Aerys had refused.
"He'll win no glories here," the King had said "He's mine now, not Tywin's, He'll serve as I see fit. I rule and he will obey," and Jaime's moment had been ruined. It was not his skill with the sword or lance that had won him his white cloak but instead his white cloak was meant as a slight to his father. It was the first time that Jaime understood the hard truth of the world.
"In the name of the Warrior I charge you to be brave." The sword moved from his right shoulder to his left. "In the name of the Father I charge you to be just." Back to the right. "In the name of the Mother I charge you to defend the young and innocent." Then left. "In the name of the Maid I charge you to protect all women. "
Those were the words that Ser Arthur Dayne had said to him as he knighted him after they had defeated the Kingswood brotherhood. Ser Arthur Dayne, the finest Knight that he ever knew. The man that he had desperately wanted to be growing up had knighted him and told him his vows.
What a joke it all was. No one had told him it would have been like this.
His time with Aerys had been short, but it only served to add to that feeling of disillusion that he felt. Aerys was mad and cruel and yet he was sworn to protect him, to guard his back and to protect his secrets. Worse still was his treatment of Queen Rhaella. Whenever Aerys gave a man to the flames, the Queen would have a visitor in the night.
Jaime remembered one time he was guarding the Queen. He heard her sobs and her screams through the door and he was powerless to stop them. He was sworn to protect her, but not from him, those were the words he was told. He was charged to protect all women, but he was also charged to protect his King. No matter what he did, he was forsaking one vow or the other. The entire thing was a cruel joke.
So, Jaime started to shut himself off from what was happening around him. Content to let it all pass him by and this is how he found himself going from guarding one bad King to another. He was happy to move from post to post and sneak between Cersei's legs when he had the chance.
Jaime heard a faint noise and saw Ser Barristan walking towards them, Jaime leaned off the wall and allowed a small smile to form on his face. Ser Barristan would relieve him of his duties and he could do something slightly more enjoyable.
"Lord Commander," he said in greeting.
"Ser Jaime, Ser Meryn," he said in return before nodding to both men.
"Any news of the Targaryens?" Meryn asked and both Jaime and Barristan quickly looked at him before looking towards the King's door. They all knew how dangerous it was to say that word in his presence.
They had all heard the rumors of the Targaryen children in the east. They had heard how the boy was claiming to be Rhaegar's son by Lyanna. Jaime had not been in the meeting when Robert received that news but he had heard that the King had gone into a dark rage, he had heard that the King nearly destroyed half the small council chamber in his anger. Jaime had looked into the small council chamber after and it looked like a summer storm had raged inside. He saw broken chairs and shattered cups strewn around the room.
Jaime had heard that Lord Varys eventually calmed the King down by saying that it was most likely that Viserys had crafted this lie because he knew that it would hurt Robert since Lyanna had been his betrothed. Lord Varys had also proposed that they spread rumors to the common folk. Letting them know that these dragonlords believed in foreign gods and they were coming with their dothraki horse lords to rape their women and to enslave their children. Still even these measures could barely calm the King. King Robert had only calmed down enough to head into the woods for a week long hunt. He had also called his banners in the Stormlands and had ordered Renly to bring the vast majority of them to the capital, leaving only a small amount of men to garrison the castles.
"Nothing. We know they have left Volantis and that they were headed west but there is nothing new," Ser Barristan said once they were certain that the King did not overhear. Jaime nodded and then he thankfully left.
As Jaime wandered through the castle, he thought more about the rumors that they had heard. Rhaegar had run off with Lyanna Stark, they were missing for nearly a year so Rhaegar could have managed to sire a child on her? But then, where could have the child been all these years? Robert would have surely heard about such a child from Varys and promptly snuffed him out, so it was impossible. Rhaegar could not have had another child.
Jaime reached a battlement that overlooked the main courtyard of the Red Keep and he remembered that this was where he had said goodbye to Rhaegar. It was a windy day and he had begged him to let him join the fight but Rhaegar had refused him. He said that Aerys wanted him close, so that his father would not betray House Targaryen, he was a hostage yet again. Jaime felt bitter about this until he remembered that by staying behind, he had been entrusted with the task of protecting Rhaegar's children. Aegon and Rhaenys. He had failed to protect Rhaegar's family, just like he had failed to protect his own brother.
Jaime walked through the castle and he pushed those thoughts out of his mind. Rhaegar was dead and his children were dead. It wasn't his fault, none of it was his fault
Even killing Aerys wasn't really his fault. Sure, it was his hand and his sword that had done the deed, but he had to do it. An entire city was at stake. He killed his king and in the process, he protected a city full of innocents from a mad man's plans. He had done exactly what he was supposed to do as a knight and where did that get him?
Nowhere that's where. He was given the title of Kingslayer, ridiculed by the entire realm. Jaime had learned to live with the name by now, the people wanted a villain so he gave them one, but he couldn't deny that it bothered him.
He walked past the great hall that contained the throne room and as Jaime stopped to press his ear to the door, he heard that it was empty. That was a change. In the past few weeks, the small folk had flooded the great hall begging for food but there was scarcely any to give. Unsurprisingly, the river lords had not sent any of their harvest to the capital, saying that they had barely enough to feed their own. So now, they were waiting on the Reach lords to share some of their harvest. Lord Stark would have done something to appease the smallfolk, but he was still in that frozen wasteland that he called home.
Lord Varys had urged the King to summon the Hand but Robert had said no. He said that Lord Stark would return after the autumn harvest and they would begin preparations for the royal wedding.
Tyrion would have probably figured something out. He would have found a way to persuade some of the lords to share their harvest but Tyrion was dead. His body was an unrecognizable bloody mess that Lord Varys discovered at the bottom of the battlements near the Blackwater. Jaime was sure that he was the only one who had mourned him. Cersei and their father had just carried on with their lives as normal, they hadn't even mentioned his name. The only person in their family that had cared was their Aunt Genna who had come to the capital to pay her respects.
It was this most recent failure that stung Jaime the most. Tyrion was his own brother and he should have done more to help him. Smuggled him out of Kings Landing in the dead of night, if he had to. Instead, he had sat idly by and saved himself. He had put his own comfort over the life of his own brother.
Without realising it, he had found himself outside of Cersei's apartments, the ones that used to belong to Queen Rhaella. He knocked twice and then entered. He walked through her lavish apartment to her balcony where he found her sipping wine.
"How is my Lord Husband?" she asked. They both knew what the King was doing and it didn't bother her, it usually spurned them on.
"The King is fine," Jaime said as he went over to pour himself a drink of wine. "What do you think of the rumors?"
"What rumors?"
"About this Aegon who is claiming to be Lyanna's son,"
"Lies. Although why anyone would want to be the rape child of that northern slut is beyond me," she said bitterly. She then took a long drink of her wine.
"Exactly, why would anyone want to be her son so why would anyone make this up?"
"You heard what Lord Varys said, it is a lie created by that mad fool Viserys to anger Robert,"
"Do you trust, Lord Varys? The spider has a way with words, he knows what to say to get what he wants,"
Cersei gave a frustrated sigh, as if she was explaining this to a child.
"If that northern whore had a child, where has it been for the last 18 years?" she asked as she turned to face him. Jaime didn't have a good answer.
"Lyanna Stark has caused me enough pain for one lifetime," she said and Jaime did not truly understand what she meant. "He still loves her. The fat drunken fool. On our wedding night he stumbled drunk into bed and called me Lyanna," she said softly and if Jaime hadn't known better, he would have thought Cersei was about to cry.
"Rhaegar kidnapped her and raped her and it was no more than she deserved. She ruined my marriage before it even began," she said and her voice grew hard. "Now, this fool Viserys wants to throw her in my face," she spat out his name angrily and Jaime was silent for a moment, content to let her anger fade.
"When are they going to get here?" she asked.
"We don't know. We know that they have sailed from Volantis,"
"So, they could be here any day now?"
"Yes, Dragonstone is our best guess. Robert will want you to leave the capital, you and the children" Jamie said and Cersei snorted.
"Good. I'll gladly spend some more time away from that fat drunken fool. The months that he was off at war were the happiest that I've ever been in the capital," she said as she finished her wine. Jaime noted that Cersei was so happy at Robert being away in the Vale that she did not even miss him.
"It's dirty, it's ugly and it stinks, and I'm not talking about the city. Every day the peasants come to our gates with their bowls out begging for food. If they stopped their whoring and their drinking they would find the coin to be able to feed themselves,"
"There's no food from the Riverlands or from the Reach. We need them,"
"There is plenty of food for us here in the Red Keep and I imagine father keeps Casterly Rock well stocked," she said. Jaime didn't care much for the smallfolk either.
"Do you miss him?"
"Who?" she asked
"Our brother, Tyrion,"
"No. Of course not. The day I heard that they had found his body broken and mangled on the rocks in the bay was one of the happiest days of my life," she said with a wide smile that made Jaime sick.
"He was our brother and we conspired to kill him, that makes us no better than kinslayers,"
"Is Ser Jaime Lannister the Kingslayer , going to give a lecture on what's right and wrong," she said with a sneer.
That stung and Jaime found himself taking a step backwards. Cersei, however was completely oblivious to the effect of her words.
"He was our brother,"
"He was no brother of mine. He was a deformed, evil, spiteful little man who took my mother from me,"
"You can't blame him for that,"
"Yes I can, who else can I blame?"
Jaime was silent for a moment.
"Come with me to Casterly Rock," she told him
"Casterly Rock? Why would I go there?"
"To be with me, to be with the children," she said as she stepped closer to him.
"Father is there,"
"So? He is part of our family," and so was Tyrion, until they decided that he wasn't. Rhaegar had trusted him with his family, but he had failed him.
Cersei stepped forward and cupped his face, so he was able to look into her emerald green eyes. On days like today after conversations like this, Jaime would often allow himself to get lost in her eyes and to take comfort in her, but not today. His mind was filled with thoughts of Rhaella, Rhaegar and his children and his failures. He looked into her eyes and saw that she held no remorse for how they treated Tyrion and he pushed her away.
"Where are you going!" she demanded as Jaime walked forward. "Don't walk away from me!"
Jaime froze at the door handle and then for the first time in his life, he walked out the door and away from his sister.
The Mother of Dragons
Daenerys Targaryen flew high over the dark blue sea, surveying the battle below. Large plumes of smoke trailed up into the sky as fires burned through the ships beneath her. The naval battle was nearly over, Paxter Redwyne and his fleet had betrayed the crown and joined their side. They had spent a few weeks in Pentos awaiting Rhaegar. Whilst they were there they had met with the magisters of the city and had them outlaw the practice of slavery in all forms and got them to join their new empire. The laws of Pentos limited them to have only 20 warships in their navy and prohibited them from hiring too many sellswords, as a result of this, the magisters quickly agreed to their terms when they were faced with their vast army and dragons.
Whilst they were there, they had received another message from House Tyrell, informing them of the crown's defences on Dragonstone and their plans to betray them. Daenerys and Jon both agreed to this plan as a test to prove their loyalty.
Daenerys had heard of Ballistas but she had no idea what they looked like and so she had no idea which ships she needed to target. Vedros had spotted the ballista and warned Anogar, likely saving them from a hit. Once the Ballistas were removed from the battle, the rest of their armada had an easy time picking off the remnants of the royal fleet.
Anogar took her towards the rear of their fleet, over the ship where they had left little Daeron. Dany did not like having him this close to the battle but she could not leave him all the way in Pentos. She looked over the side of her dragon and saw Missandei and her handmaidens waving up at her in reassurance, letting her know that everything was fine.
Anogar gave a loud roar and then he took off again, this time heading towards Dragonstone. She turned and saw Jon to her left and Rhaegar to her right. Dany kept looking forward as she saw the castle of Dragonstone approaching. She felt a strange feeling inside of her as the castle grew bigger and bigger. This was the place where she was born, it was the first piece of Westeros that their family had ever owned and it was the last piece that they had lost.
Now, they were taking it back.
Dany had read all that she could about Dragonstone in the days leading up to her arrival. She had learned that the Valyrians had used their magic to shape the stone to look like dragons. As she got closer to the castle she could see that the first part of their fleet had arrived and their soldiers were now on small boats making the short journey to shore.
Anogar flew a couple of low laps around the castle, allowing Dany to take a good look at her birthplace. Then, she looked out over the sea and saw that the majority of their fleet was ready to dock in the port of Dragonstone. Anogar gave a happy roar and then he took her lower until she landed on the beach in front of the great stone steps that led to the castle. She slowly climbed off Anogar and gave him an affectionate pat on the snout and whispered her thanks before he took off again, likely to explore his new home. She reached down and ran her fingers through the sand, getting her first feel of the place. She looked up at the castle and it reminded her of the palaces and buildings they saw in Valyria. She turned and saw Vedros making a slow descent before she landed next to her, once Jon got off his dragon she began to lead them up the stone steps that led them towards castle of Dragonstone.
"Dany wait," she heard Jon call out. "Let the Unsullied go first," she nodded and then let Grey Worm and Hero take the lead up the stone steps.
"They will still have some men in the castle, guarding the women and children. They should come out and surrender when they realize that they have no chance of escape," Jon told her and she nodded. On cue, Anogar flew over the castle and gave his loudest roar and then the castle doors opened and the remaining men quickly hurried out.
Jon stepped forward and spoke to the first man.
"Who are you?"
"Maester Pylos, one of the maesters of this castle,"
"How many men remain in the castle?"
"Only the 100 that you see here. The rest are women and children,"
"Bring them all out onto the beach," Jon said firmly and the maester went to carry out his orders. Within a few minutes, the remaining people in the castle had all lined up on the beach below them.
"I am King Aegon of House Targaryen and this is my wife Queen Daenerys. I am sure Robert Baratheon has filled your ears and heads with lies about us. We are not here to burn down your homes or murder your children," Jon began.
"We are here to build a better world. We have already improved the lives of thousands of people in the east, and we are here to do the same in Westeros,"
"The battle here today is over. The royal fleet has been destroyed, there is no need for more blood to be spilled. Bend the knee and you all will live," Jon said and slowly, every person in front of them fell to their knees.
"Stalwart Shield. Take their weapons. They will camp outside amongst the Unsullied. Ensure that they are fed and that no fights break out," Jon instructed the Unsullied guard who quickly left to carry out those orders. Daenerys turned and she saw Missandei holding Daeron who was flanked by Rhaegar, Irri and Ghost. She smiled as she walked up to them and quickly took the sleeping baby from Missandei's arms.
"Thank you for looking after him," she said to the women as she held her son.
"He was no trouble, your grace," Missandei said with a smile. "He slept through the entire thing,"
Dany then turned and began the ascent up the stone steps towards Dragonstone. The steps seemed to be made out of that same black stone that they saw in Valyria. After a few minutes of steady climbing, they finally reached the top of the staircase. Two huge stone dragonheads flanked the giant wooden doors. Jon began to walk up the steps towards the doors but she quickly stopped him, this was her birthplace and she needed to see it first.
She walked through the doors and for the first time in over 18 years, Daenerys Targaryen was back in the castle of Dragonstone. She walked silently through the hallways, taking in her surroundings. She remembered the story Viserys had told her, of how she was born during a raging summer storm, that's how she got the name Stormborn.
Dany was interrupted from her thoughts when she heard a soft cry from Daeron.
"Shhh, don't cry my child, I am here now," she whispered. She rocked him gently and the babe quickly stopped crying at the sound of his mother's voice. Dany pressed a quick gentle kiss on his forehead and was rewarded with a small giggle. She smiled and continued to walk until she entered the great hall.
All the tables had been cleared away to one side and the great hall was empty. At one end of the great hall stood the throne, it seemed to be carved into a piece of dragonstone in the wall, or was it dragonglass? Daenerys walked closer and saw that the throne itself was indeed made of dragonstone. It was of a similar quality to the dragonstone they had seen in Valyria all those months ago.
She walked up the throne and touched it with one hand, feeling the smooth stone under her fingers. Then, she took Daereon and carefully placed him on the throne.
"Daeron Targaryen, you are the Prince of Dragonstone and one day, this will be your seat," she whispered to him. His grey eyes seemed to open wide with excitement as he was shown his new home She tickled him gently before picking him up again. He was still young and she didn't want him to fall on the hard floor.
"Daenerys," she turned and saw Rhaegar walking towards her. "Grey worm said that they have found Stannis Baratheon's daughter,"
"Bring her here," she commanded.
"Give Daeron to me, you sit the throne," Jon said as he held his arms out for Daeron and she handed him over, she then walked over and sat on the throne of Dragonstone to await Stannis Baratheon's daughter. Jon stood to her right and Missandei, Marwyn and her handmaidens stood on her left. She sat patiently on the throne but before they arrived, Tyrion entered the throne room.
She had heard from Rhaegar that Tyrion's quick thinking and wits secured them the support of the Iron Bank and because of that, she and Jon were more trusting towards him.
"Your grace," he said in greeting. "A few survivors from the naval battle have been captured by our fleet. They are outside of the hall now, should we send them to dungeons?"
"No. Bring them in. We will speak to them," she commanded.
Tyrion left and then quickly returned with the survivors. There were only a handful of men and they were all huddled in blankets to ward off the cold.
"You have fought on the side of Stannis Baratheon in the name of the Usurper. You fought and you lost. Now, bend the knee and you will live," she said and she looked each and every man in the eye. Most sunk to their knees immediately, whilst two remained standing. An older man and a younger one, they looked to be a father and son based on their resembling features.
"You will not bend the knee?" Jon asked
"Not until I hear of your plans for Shireen," the man said quickly. Dany took a good look at him, he was an ordinary man with slightly greying hair. He did not look like a warrior.
"Shireen?" she asked,
"Lord Stannis's girl," and she nodded in understand, wondering when Rhaegar would return.
"We will not harm her. We do not hurt children," she informed the man. "What is your name?"
"Ser Davos Seaworth," he replied.
"Where are you from?"
"Cape Wrath, in the Stormlands," and Dany nodded. Then, the doors to the great hall opened and Rhaegar returned with Stannis's daughter. The girl looked around the hall nervously before she spotted Ser Davos. When the child saw him, she smiled and immediately ran towards him and jumped into his arms, not caring if he was still a little wet. Rhaegar took this moment to walk over to her.
"We could not find the girl's mother,"
"Is she dead? Where could she have gone? Find her," she said quickly. Rhaegar went to speak to some of the Unsullied who then left the throne room to search the castle. Rhaegar then stood on one side of the hall.
"Your grace, if I may have a moment," Marwyn said as he stepped forward. "Are those scars from greyscale on her face?" and Davos quickly nodded.
"Your grace, in the books you brought back from Valyria, there was a book which contained detailed instructions on how to cure greyscale. I believe that I can remove the scarred and damaged tissue from the girl's face."
"Is it a difficult procedure?"
"Not really. I would have to create a special salve that softens the skin and then I would be able to cut through the damaged skin. Then, I could create a second salve which will speed up the healing and restore her skin tissue" Daenerys winced, it sounded painful. She looked at the girl and then back at Marwyn.
"Very well, I will speak to the girl if she agrees to the treatment, then you have our permission. Seek out the maesters of this castle, I am sure they will be able to help you find the necessary supplies," Marwyn nodded and then he left the throne room. She turned back to Ser Davos
"Ser Davos, do you still not wish to bend the knee?"
"What are your plans for Shireen? Do you intend to use her as a hostage?" he said as he protectively stepped forward in front of the girl. Before she could answer, Jon stepped closer to her and looked at her for permission to speak. She smiled and nodded,
"Ser Davos. You seem to care for the girl as if she was your own"
"I do,"
"Rest assured. We are not evil butchers like Robert Baratheon or Tywin Lannister who revel in pleasure at the sight of murdered children. We believe that children should not be held accountable for the crimes of their parents."
"I have a proposal to assuage your fears and show everyone that we are indeed fair rulers. Stannis Baratheon is dead at sea or even if he has survived, he will be punished for his crimes and he will lose all his rights and titles. His wife is also missing. So, until she is found, you will act as Lady Shireen's guardian. After we win this war, you and Lady Shireen will return to the Stormlands and you will hold Storms End for us in her name. That is of course, if you swear fealty to us,"
Dany thought the offer was generous and it was a good solution to the current problem that they faced.
"I cannot hold the Stormlands for you. I am only a landed knight, I know nothing of ruling,"
"You will only hold the Stormlands until Lady Shireen comes of age. You will be her guardian, helping her as she learns her duties and responsibilities. We will also help you if you are faced with problems that you cannot solve on your own," Dany said and she watched as he considered the offer.
"Please, Ser Davos," the girl said as he tugged at his arm and his face softened. Dany smiled at the relationship they had.
"Very well. I will accept your offer, you have been generous and kind, more than I expected," he said as he sunk to his knees and the man next to him quickly joined him. "Although I should warn you. I am not much of a fighter," he said as he flexed one of his hands.
"Why is that?" Jon asked
"I met Lord Stannis towards the end of the rebellion. I smuggled onions and salted fish into the castle. If it wasn't for me, the castle might have fallen. Stannis awarded me with a knighthood and lands as a reward for my bravery and then chopped off my fingers as punishment for the crime of smuggling,"
Daenerys thought that this was exceptionally harsh, but she appreciated his honesty.
"We will not need you to fight. We only need you to help Lady Shireen hold Storms End once the war is over. In the meantime, you will remain in this castle in rooms befitting your status," she said.
"Lord Tyrion, see to it that they are assigned to appropriate rooms,"
"Guarded rooms," she nodded. She looked at Jon and she saw that he agreed. They were not foolish enough to let these men walk around the castle unguarded.
"Is that all?" she said to the room and she saw that no one else came forward. She took this as her cue to leave. She left the great hall through a back exit and then she made her way through the castle. She walked through a courtyard and into the main keep which she knew was the stone drum tower.
Dany walked up the stone stairs to the top of the tower. The hallway went in two directions. She went to the left and found that the hallway led to the Lord's chambers. The hallway led to a large antechamber with the Lord's chambers behind the main doors in front of her. Dany pushed open the door and was amazed at what she saw. A thick myrish rug lay on the floor underneath the massive bed that lay in the center of the room, the bed was large enough to fit seven. She walked over to the bed and touched it, realising that this is likely where she was born all those years ago. The bed was made of ebony and a large red canopy hung overhead. She saw a fireplace on one wall that was shaped like a dragon's gaping jaws.
On the left side of the balcony was a wooden door. Dany walked towards the door, opened it and stepped out onto the balcony. The balcony was huge and she saw several stone dragons spaced out along the railing. Dany walked out to get a closer look and saw that these dragons had been made using magic. As she walked back inside she looked up and saw Anogar lazily resting on a ledge below the top of the tower.
"Are you comfortable, my dear?" she asked and Anogar let out a small puff of smoke and blinked at her. He closed his eyes and let out what could only be a content sigh. She smiled before heading back inside. She found Jon walking around the room and Daeron was sitting on the floor, seemingly playing with Ghost.
"Jon, what is he doing?" she asked quickly.
"He kept wriggling around so I put him down on the floor and then he crawled over to Ghost," she watched as Daeron put his tiny hands on the sides of Ghosts face. Ghost stuck out his tongue and gave Daeron a little lick which caused the boy to break out into laughter.
"I have given orders for the room to be cleaned. There are several rooms in this wing through those other doors in the antechamber where your handmaidens can sleep. There is also a nursery through that door," he pointed to another door in their room.
"Let me guess, like everything around here, it's designed to resemble dragons in some form?"
"Correct my love," he said with a smile. "Shall we see what is down the other hallway?"
Dany nodded and then quickly crossed over to scoop up Daeron. The boy started to squirm but she gave him a few quick kisses and he quickly settled down.
"He never does that for me,"
"Call it a mother's touch," she said with a smile. She led them back down the hallway and into the other hallway. At the end, she saw a great oak door with a metal dragon on each one. Jon opened the door for her and then she entered. She found herself in the famous chamber of the painted table, where Aegon the Conqueror planned his conquest around 300 years ago. Daenerys walked around the table and she saw the famous cities and castles in Westeros carved into the table. Sunspear, Oldtown, Lannisport and Winterfell. She took a seat at the northern end of the table and she settled Daeron in her lap. She watched as the members of their council all started to file in and stand around the table. Rhaegar, Tyrion, Missandei, Ser Jorah and Grey Worm all took their respective places. Jon sat himself in the special seat at the table. It was an elevated seat that gave him a perfect view of the entire map, Aegon the conqueror must have sat there, once upon a time.
Marwyn came in last, accompanied by two maesters.
"Your graces," he said addressing both Jon and Daenerys. "These are the maesters of the castle, Cressen and Pylos,"
"I thought that each castle in Westeros was assigned only one master, then why does Dragonstone have two?" she asked.
"Maester Cressen is Dragonstone's official master. I was summoned to the castle by Stannis Baratheon to help treat his daughter after she had contracted Greyscale and stayed on to help check on her health due to my great knowledge on the subject, your grace." the master answered calmly.
They had met Pylos earlier but not Cressen. Maester Cressen was an old man with thin grey hair, he gave a small bow at both her and Jon, and then his eyes widened in shock.
"Am I so old, that my eyes are playing tricks on me?" he whispered.
"Your eyes are fine, Maester Cressen," Rhaegar said with a smile as he reached offered his hand to the maester who eagerly shook it.
"Prince Rhaegar, how are you still alive?"
"It is a long tale, one that I will tell you another time. We should not keep the King and Queen waiting,"
Dany nodded in thanks.
"Maester Cressen and Maester Pylos. We would like you to send a raven to every single house in the realm, letting them know that their rightful King and Queen has returned. The messages should contain an invitation for a great council which will be held at Harrenhall within the next three months. This council will provide the opportunity for both sides to present their claims to the throne and decide the issue through words rather than violence. For those who acknowledge and support our claim, let them know that they should come to Dragonstone and swear fealty to us." Jon began,
"Even the great houses?" Pylos asked.
"Yes, especially them. House Baratheon of Kings Landing and Storms End. House Lannister, House Tully, whoever is in charge in the Vale, the Greyjoys, the Martells and of course, the Starks. I will actually compose the letter to Winterfell myself. There is no need for a raven to the Reach since they are on their way to meet with us,"
She looked at Jon and gave an encouraging smile. They were hoping that House Stark would peacefully bend the knee although they both knew that it was very unlikely.
"My Queen?" Jon asked. "Would you like to add anything?"
Her eyes wandered from his face down onto the table until they settled on Kings Landing.
"Today, was the first step. With your help, we have taken back our ancestral home, but this is only the first step. This is only the beginning. We have plenty of planning and preparation that needs to be done, both for the council and then for the war if all does not go according to plan. So for the rest of today, I want you all to relax and get comfortable in the castle," she said as she looked at each and every person in the room.
Then her eyes went south and they settled on Kings Landing.
"And tomorrow, the second conquest of Westeros will begin,"
Notes:
So, we're heading to Harrehal. The council will take in chapter 20 which I should start writing soonish. I'll give you a word of warning in advance, I won't be able to do every single character interaction. I'll probably forget a few. As you can imagine it's a pretty busy chapter.
We will find out more information about the council in the next two chapters. Chapter 18 is called "The Wolf's Secret" and you can guess what happens there. It should be up in 4-5 days. So Wednesday or Thursday
As always, let me know what you think. Comments are always appreciated, especially the longer ones.
Thanks for reading
Sleepy
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