87 87
----
207 AC
Myr
Aegor Bittersteel
----
"Take what you are owed and not a coin more." I grit my teeth waving off the latest annoyance, honoring these cutthroats for their bloody work is a bitter thing.
But with their help, I have managed to take Myr without any problems besides a few small fights that the Golden Company quickly dealt with. The eight thousand men of the Golden Company were eager to take the city once they heard the meager pay that we were offered. They offered a pittance for the Golden Company to stand against the dragons that are soon to lay waste to Essos.
Fools.
But it offered a unique and timely opportunity, one where my men were rightfully angry and also motivated enough to do something with their anger. Any other time if we sacked a city or aimed to take it over we would be met with the anger and steel of other Free Cities. But right now none of the Free Cities can afford to send men to aid or capitalize on the fall of Myr, they have to watch their own back... or rather watch the skies.
So taking Myr and claiming it myself is perfectly within the realm of possibility thanks to the positioning of Aerion and his dragon horde.
Not to mention I know for a fact that Daemon will be aiming to take Tyrosh with or without Aerion's help. He aims to raise his family higher and a Free City right now is the perfect way to do that with the direction Aerion is heading. So with me leading the way and soon to bend the knee to Aerion I also am helping Daemon and he himself will help me just by pushing for wanting Tyrosh.
If only I was reaching for power then Aerion likely would swat me away or maybe even burn me to ash... but with many hands all reaching at once that chance is far less.
No doubt Brynden will also be going for something along the same lines, I heard he accompanied Aerion with his Ravens teeth and will want to earn titles or lands.
Now I just need to go about approaching the oncoming meeting in the best way, putting the city in order, and having everything settled here will help. If Aerion sees I can manage Myr effectively and keep it pacified then he is more likely to agree to leave me over it. He won't want to waste time on a Free City that is already quelled and not a problem, he will want to focus on the ones, not under the dragon banner.
I will have Targaryen banners flying along with my own banners and the Golden Companies, to show my position even from a distance.
----
207 AC
Pentos
Daemon Blackfyre
----
"Wife." I greet my Wife as she enters the room after joining Aerion's Wives in a mid-day meal. "How did it go?" I ask while sliding my hand over Blackfyre feeling a bit anxious about her next words.
"Well." She looks hesitant but at least she is not saying things went horribly, 'well' is far better than 'bad'. "Empress Daenerys is firm on her view of slavery and will only allow a slow dissolution of the practice... five years at most but she wants noticeable results within a year of taking Tyrosh." Taking a deep breath I slowly nod while going over in my mind all the plans toward slavery we had discussed.
We knew it was a for sure thing, breaking the chains and freeing the slaves is a huge motivator for this Conquest... at least on the surface. Whether it's just an act to make them not look so bad for the history books I do not know but I do know they are 'acting' well if it's an act. On the surface it looks exactly as they claim it to be, slavery will be broken with their actions and it will be done quickly.
"That will be fine..." I purse my lips wondering how things will actually be once we have the city.
The fleet I bought years back from Aerion is strong and the men I have are skilled in naval combat... or at least as much as they can be from combating pirates in the Stepstones. I am confident in keeping the city safe from attacks so long as it's not a dragon attacking, which there should not be any dragons attacking so long as we keep our word and serve the new Emperor of New Valyria.
So it will come down to how well we can crack down on the people who will no doubt miss slavery and will seek to bring it back...
"Your Brother seems eager to wed our Daughter." My Wife once more brings up a topic I have been avoiding.
I do not want to seem eager myself to have my Daughter marry a Son of Aerion... I know how he deals with the people seeking dragons. I will not end up falling from a blade from one of his shadowy assassins or how the Tullys ended up... Riverrun will be haunted till the end of time.
The Riverlands being annexed by the crown happened swiftly and without much trouble thanks not only to House Bracken and House Blackwood supporting the decision but also because of the other River lords fearing how the Tullys got wiped out.
"He needs only his father's support, I already agreed she can marry for love." Not that I could stand against the marriage even if there was no love, I would rather not call down dragon fire upon myself and my House for denying the marriage.
Jacaerys is a good man though, I enjoyed his company the few times we have talked and even went hunting a few times together. His dragon is one of the larger ones and is friendly letting my Daughter rub his snout when it visited Blackfyre keep.
"It may happen sooner than you think then..." My Wife mutters but I do not hold out any hope or expectations toward the royal marriage as many other Houses would.
If it happens it happens, I have things to focus on and I won't be caught pursuing something that could ruin my other plans. Tyrosh is a big enough prize and will likely earn House Blackfyre royal marriages in the future, either from the Emperor's family or from the King in Westeros.
----
207 AC
Pentos
Brynden Bloodraven
----
"I do not know how to feel about that." I truthfully reply to my Sister as she seemingly tries to sell me an idea.
"It's not like it will kill you." Mya rolls her eyes at me and I can't help but notice the cat sitting in her lap watching me curiously.
Visenya.
"Being the Lord of Lys could certainly kill me..." I shake my head at her as I lace my fingers together.
"You will have our support and all you have to do is have your Son take your spot as soon as things are stable." She looks at me as if enjoying talking about my Son, how she can draw amusement from me having a child to this day after he was born eight years ago is confusing.
Did she really think I was not capable of having one and therefore finds it humorous?
"Brandon only has an interest in books and his pet wolf." I respond by dismissing the idea of putting my Son in charge of a Free City, at least not until he was far older.
"If you are really against it then just say so... I am sure we could find someone else to pacify and rule from the 'Island of Pleasure'." She huffs and looks ready to leave if I do not give her the confirmation she seeks.
"Fine." I will be Lord of Lys if only so there is something for Brandon to inherit when I do decide he is ready.
I would hate to leave him nothing...
----
207 AC
Pentos
Aerion Targaryen
----
"Nervous?" I ask Danny as she leans against me as we overlook the city.
"No." She shakes her head and runs her hand up my side to find my arm which she slips her hand down to grab my own and laces our fingers together. "Just thinking about how different this place will look in almost a hundred years." I nod while subtly looking around the room behind us from over my shoulder.
Her words could have many meanings so no one reacted to them and probably just assumed she was thinking about how it would look in a hundred years. But obviously, I know differently and the closer we get to launching the conquest and jumping on dragon back to take the next city the more she seems to think about the past.
I know she looks forward and dreads our trip around Essos, going from Free City to Free City like she and Viserys did when they had nothing. Then we will go to the Great Grass Sea and Slavers Bay... it almost seems like following her old footsteps. So it's no surprise it's drudging up both the good and the bad about what she has already done.
"Well, I am quite nervous." I shift the topic and she looks up at me with a tilted head, her eyes conveying slight amusement at my confession.
"Scared someone will beat you?" I snort and shake my head quickly.
"No, I am just nervous because something 'new' is about to happen and that leaves me with more questions than answers and makes me uncertain." It's not like I have a guidebook on how to take over the world and pacify and unite what is left after I burn the old world to ash.
Would help a lot if there was a guidebook...
I mean even Old Valyria never got around to taking over all of Essos in five thousand years and they presumably had thousands of dragons over that amount of time. I see no reason beyond pure laziness that they could not have done what I am about to do with my family and our dragons.
"Well, whatever happens, we will face it together." I purse my lips at my Wife as her reply nearly bounces off of me It is so bland and unsatisfying to my current nerves.
"I would sure hope so, if I get left behind to deal with a shit storm I am going to be very angry." She rolls her eyes before turning her attention back to the city but at least this time she is smiling instead of having a far-off look in her eyes.
I guess I got her out of her funk and it only cost putting myself into one... and this comes right after having to pull my younger children by the ear to once more explain they will not be fighting on dragon's back.
They seem convinced they can do anything anyone older can do... which leaves me half-tempted to just chain their dragons down. But instead, I will take them at their word and let them circle the battlefield as a scare tactic, even with them not actually attacking the added terror of seeing so many dragons will surely affect enemy morale.
Half the time these slave soldiers and sell swords in Essos cut and run the moment the battle looks lost anyway. Seeing the full family on dragon back coming at them with the biggest ones diving down to spit flames on them... well I doubt anyone is going to actually try to fight back. Even with Ballista or scorpions, they will realize the fight is already long lost, a lesson the Rhoynar learned when a ton of dragons swooped down and burned them alive so many years ago.
