บท 3: A Tempered Soul
112, Kings Landing, 10 Years Later
A great tourney had been called by King Viserys, a celebration of the Prince and Princess's shared 16th name day. Lords would soon arrive in the capital as the small folk already made preparations, merchants setting up stalls, bards arriving and already preforming their ballads in the streets.
Rhaenyra had grown into a beautiful young woman, while Aegon into a strapping young man the maidens swooned over and the bards wrote about. The two twins had always been two sides of the same coin, but as Aegon squired for Daemon, he couldn't help that she was in his every thought. She had been for a long time now. Many lords amongst the kingdoms jumped at the opportunity for their heirs to be married off quickly, whether to secure the line of succession or for personal gain through the dowry, but Aegon retorted the idea at every turn, allowing Rhaenyra to grow into a woman and decide for herself when to commit to such things.
The battering of fists on breastplates akin to drums of war is all that could be heard outside the main guard garrison of the city, a place Aegon had spent much time in recent months with his uncle.
"COMMANDER AND PRINCE ON THE FLOOR!!" A gold cloak captain shouted, quelling the noise to only what could be heard in the surrounding bustling streets.
The watch immediately fell silent, with only the bustle of the surrounding being heard. The gold cloaks had become like a cult behind Daemon. He gave them far better pay, respect and the fear of all the scum that clung to the boot of the city like a disease.
"When I took command of the watch you were stray stray mongrels , starving and undisciplined. But now, you are a pack of hounds, SATED AND HONED FOR THE HUNT!!"
In unison all the gold cloaks howled into the night as an amused smile spread across Aegon's face. This was the respect he one day wished to receive from his people. It was a valuable lesson, that you received what you've given.
"My brothers city has fallen into squalor. Crime of every breed has been allowed to thrive. No longer my friends, for tonight, King's Landing will learn to fear the color gold!" Daemon spoke as he motioned for Aegon to move beside him with all his men cheering, riling themselves up for their own kind of festivities.
Hundreds of gold cloaks broke off into groups well formatted, rounding up all known wrong doers from simple thieves to rapists and murderers. They rounded them all up like sheep in one of the squares, a staging ground for the law. The punishments dealt out befitted the crime. Thieves had their non-dominant hand removed and sent to the nights watch, rapists were gelded, and murderers were dealt the same hand.
One of them in particular who had been stirring trouble was brought before Daemon. He was known as Garron the Red, a well known predator of woman who he'd leave dismembered pieces of scattered around for all to see. It had been difficult to track him down, but Ser Harwin Strong completed his task, as he always had. Daemon slowly drew dark sister, one of the two ancestral Valyrian Steel swords of their house, but instead of taking the stroke of death himself, he gestured for Aegon to step forward, leaning in to speak with him.
"There will always be filth to be cleaned, but with the new watchers, it will be some time before they need another lesson, especially if their future king provides it with fire and blood" Daemon subtly suggested with his nephew immediately understating his intent.
Slowly Aegon approached the two men holding Garron in place. Of course even a mind as wormed with depravity as his begged to instead be sent to the watch, it was human nature before they were shuffled off into wherever, a feeling only the contentment of old age could stifle.
"All these fine men would agree that you don't deserve this, but I will ask it regardless. Do you have anything to say?" Aegon asked as he removed his gauntlet from his right hand before handing off to one of the watchers to hold for the moment. Sparks flickered from his hand as Garron's face distorted with terror as he tried with all his might to escape, but he was held firmly in place regardless.
"No? I'm sure your victims would have something to say. They can voice their grievances with you personally in a moment" He said before holding his hand out as a torrent of flame erupted from it, engulfing the murderers head. He bellowed out a primal scream, only for it to be drowned amongst all the others. The gold cloaks holding him in place slightly recoiled at the heat, but the intensity had been purposefully kept low, to not only keep the men from harm, but to allow for that extra, brief moment of punishment before he was allowed the mercy of death.
Garron's charred head was added to the pile of growing gore that would sate the pigs as the two carriages were hauled away by midnight.
"You did well, now come, the night is still young" Daemon ushered his nephew to a part of the city that was unfamiliar to him, but was obvious in it's purpose. The street of silk.
Here dwelt the middling and highest quality establishments in the city, bustling with affording commoners and nobles who come to sate their basest desires. Rare it was for a man what he's seen to feel uncomfortable, but as girls and men alike took notice of his identity, both pined for his attention and services while still keeping a respectable distance, likely due to the presence of his uncle.
"Tonight might as well be your first night alive" Daemon patted him on the shoulder as he escorted his nephew into his favorite establishment he frequented. Few people were present, likely because few people could afford the finest Lysenes in the kingdoms.
It remained a little uncertain to Aegon whether this was a test, or if his uncle truly believed this would work.
"My Prince, always returning for more. And with someone special I see" Mysaria, a familiar face for those in Daemon's company said before locking lips with his Daemon.
"Do you know anyone befitting a dragon rider?" Daemon murmured humorously, getting a laugh out of his paramour.
"I believe I might take my leave to the keep, uncle, the hour grows late. You've taught me a great many lessons today. I'm sure to reflect on them" Aegon dismissed himself with a bow, getting a small smirk out of Daemon as he looked back to Mysaria.
"You were right, he is a fine young man. I envy the princess" She chuckled as the two then locked lips before partaking in their own 'reflection'.
Opting to take the side streets with less traffic, Aegon was stopped by four men, two Infront, two behind only a few streets from the first portcullis of the keep.
"You, and your bastard gold cloaks killed my BROTHER!" The biggest and most stupid looking screamed as he brandished an admirably sharp knife.
"Was it the one who I burned? Otherwise they all blended together. My guess? You can find him in the pig pen, where they'll likely be turning him into shit" Aegon smirked.
All four pounced towards Aegon, who with a stump of his foot turned the ground round him to thick mud, bogging them thigh-deep in it.
"Admirable of you to have escaped the culling tonight. You might have been sent to the watch if you were lucky, but attacking a Prince? *tuts in disappointment* Means death" He said, stomping the ground again, this time sending ejecting the column of stone from the ground beneath him, allowing him to leap onto a nearby roof to be free of the alley.
Jumping to a stone wall parallel to another side of the building, he slid down it's face as though he was partially attracted to it, softly touching to the ground at the bottom. Simply walking out onto the street, he quickly flagged down a gold cloak, giving him orders and directions to more ilk that needed rounding up.
"Of course my Prince! May I ask where the commander is?" The man who appeared no older then himself asked.
"Enjoying himself. As should you" Aegon smiled as he took the mans hand into his own, putting something into it before taking his leave with a pat on his shoulder.
Looking down at what his prince had given him, the guard smiled as three shiny gold dragons gleamed back at him. Quickly pocketing them, he took off into the alley, calling over two other brothers to administer the kings justice.
Sometime later in the Red Keep.
"My Prince, are you well?" Ser Harold Westerling, a trusted member of the Kingsguard asked.
"Quite well sir, just a long night. Is the Princess in?" Aegon asked.
"Of course my Prince" Ser Harold answered. "The hour is late. There is much to be prepared in the coming days"
Of course. Good night ser" Aegon smiled before opening the door.
"Good night my prince, sleep well" Ser Harold replied before the closing of the door.
It was dark in Rhaenyra's room, with only the scent of jasmine making itself known. Both her and their mothers favorite scent. Slowly, as to not disturb her slumber, he made his over to a nearby chair. It was only the second most comfortable one in her room, but that one was her favorite, so he would not risk spoiling it with mud and grime.
With a deep breathe Rhaenyra stirred regardless, looking around her room only dimly lit by the remnants of embers in the hearth. She knew with Ser Harold at the door, it could only be one person.
"Aegon?" Rhaenyra called out in a groggy voice, a tell-tale sign she was sleeping well.
Pinching a nearby candle on a side table, it lit with a dim light, just enough to illuminate his face.
"I hoped to not disturb you" He replied with a smile.
"What's wrong?" She asked, ever the empathetic one.
"I killed someone tonight..."
A long moment of silence filled the dimly lit room before the sudden rustling of bedsheets could be heard, followed by the tapping feet on a stone ground.
"Tell me what happened" She spoke as she knelt before him, taking both his hands in hers.
"Daemon has been bolstering the gold cloaks for months now. With the tourney on the way, he mobilized them, rounding up all the criminals deserving of punishment. Theives...and worse. I burned a man who had been dismembering people, he said it would send a message. By the end of it, there were two whole carriages filled with bodies and their parts. I know it was necessary, for some people have to suffer for others to not...but if this is what war is like..." A single tear shed from his eye as Rhaenyra took him into a hug, disregarding how filthy he was.
"You did nothing wrong" she replied as she sat up on his armored lap, ignoring the creaking of the clearly one-person chair.
"I know I don't have these powers for peace" He said" But for times to come when I must bring and preserve it"
"And I will be there with you, as I am now" She replied, followed by a long and passionate kiss that washed away his strife like the morning tide.
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Ilikefords44445555
Ilikefords44445555 Apologies for the time skips. I could come back to these some time later and add more scenes between these skips, but I simply wanted to detail his life with broad strokes before the time where the cannon would start. Thanks everyone for the stones, and know there are 5 chapters waiting. I haven't felt this motivated to write in some time XD
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