96
----
207 AC
Qohor
Aerion Targaryen
----
Sharp blade to my neck I lean my head back against the blades wielder's abundant chest as she looks down at me. I hesitate to even gulp as I lock eyes with a more than they should be pair of mischievous eyes.
"Don't sneeze." Shiera taunts before she drags the blade slowly upwards and I close my eyes resting my head on her breasts.
"The same could be said to you." Mya absentmindedly responds for me as she awaits her 'turn'.
Why it has become some kind of passing amusement for them to take care of my hair... I will never know but I don't mind as it needs to be done anyway. Shiera is shaving my stubble that has managed to grow in the last few days and then Mya is getting the 'real prize' that is cutting my hair. I used to let it grow to my shoulders but since I started wearing a crown I have liked having the sides shaved with the top remaining finger length long that I slick back and let my crown hold in place.
It looks like some fuck boy haircut but I am quite literally the most powerful man in the world and if I decide something looks cool then that is just what it is.
...my sons have all seemed to copy me as well, so at least I don't look like a fuck boy alone.
"What do you think of Danny's plan?" Shiera asks while tightening her legs around my stomach as she sits on the bench in the bath that lets her be a bit higher than me. "I know you have been thinking a lot about it..." She trails off as she lifts the blade allowing me to speak without it cutting my throat.
I should have tried to reinvent a safer razor...
"She would succeed, there is no doubt about that." I know she could take the bay, she did it once she could do it again with far bigger dragons and with far more wisdom and experience.
She has mind-gamed it countless times, I know for a fact in our early years she planned to retry her conquest and planned how to do it efficiently.
"Then why not... approve?" Mya chooses her words carefully knowing full well that Daenerys has been quite annoyed with me being against the idea thus far.
We have not fought over my 'hen pecking' but Danny has certainly been annoyed lately with me seemingly 'doubting' her. Even when I tell her it's just a matter of time of repositioning men and resources like food... she seems eager to fly Drogon off to take the Bay of Slaves and make it once more the Bay of Dragons.
"She would be alone, besides the other dragons and their riders that would go with her." I sigh and watch as Shiera cleans off the blade as she also listens to me. "I did not plan for any troops to be there so we have no one other than spies and some merchant allies. She could easily acquire an army in the form of the Unsullied and use 'Breaking the chains' as a way to recruit more slaves into a free-man army. But she would have no resources to feed and provide for those troops until the ships I sent word to sail around Valyria and into the bay." I wish I knew how 'easy' it would have been before I started this Conquest.
I knew we were fighting a won battle... so to speak.
But fear gripped at my heart of seeing a dragon taken down with a lucky bolt... and so I just wanted to use sheer numbers to ensure a swift victory. But in reality, Moonfyre and maybe like two thousand men are enough to take any Free City in Essos with little difficulty and almost no causalities among my men.
So long as I am disregarding the life of the enemies at least...
"So she will end up going to take the Bay before we thought we would?" Mya asks and I nod before Shiera pulls my head back to her silky smooth breasts that my head sinks into as they rest half submerged in the bath water.
"I can't wait to see the children fight over who goes where..." Shiera smiles with her mischievous look returning as she brings the blade back to my neck and works on the last side before moving to my jaw and face.
There will be a 'dance of dragons' getting to see who gets to go with Kepa or Muna...
But I will let things stay peaceful a few days longer as we just took over Qohor and I don't want anyone absentminded thinking about what comes next. We establish order in this city and set up a similar temporary ruling council like we did in Norvos and then we will discuss splitting up.
Likely a third of the dragons will go with Danny and the rest will go with me and or patrol the Great Grass Sea as word has reached me about the Dothraki. A 'great meeting' of sorts has been called and the Khalasar's are heading to the Horse Lord city. I want to know as soon as possible when they are all there and then I will deal with them while they are grouped up instead of hunting them across the Grass Sea.
The Great Grass Sea is the size of multiple Westerosi Kingdoms and I do not want to have to hunt down the Khalasar's even if they are apparently easy to track with how big they are.
----
207 AC
Qohor
Valarr Targaryen
----
"Hello, Lady Cerelle." I greet the Lannister outcast that has latched onto House Targaryen to escape being married off to a bannerman of her grandfather.
I still wish I was there when Daenys stormed Casterly Rock and essentially stole away a Maiden to be her own... sounds like something from a storybook.
"It is nice to once more see you, Prince Valarr." I smile and nod as she bows her head a bit and gestures to the meal she has prepared. "I hope you are hungry." I might would fear her words, thinking she was planning to kill me to get rid of the man who was after her 'good friend'.
But Cerelle is likely my best ally toward that 'goal' if one could even call such an important match such a name. In reality I am leagues happier pursuing Daenys than any other Lady I have ever been guided toward at Dances or Feasts. She is pleasant to be around and speaks her mind without worrying about anything but also is able to keep a secret and is easy to trust.
Wait... am I in love?!
"Are you alright?" Cerelle asks as she stands back up after only sitting a moment ago and she slips around the table to place a hand on my shoulder. "You look quite flushed... did you already drink some wine?" I shake my head and take a cool breath of air before gesturing for her to return to her seat which she does hesitantly as she takes concerned looks at me.
I can see why Daenys has affection for her, she is either one of the kindest people I know or a good actor based on my many experiences with this golden-haired woman.
"Sorry, I was just lost in thought." She nods and does not ask any questions as she instead serves herself some of the food that has been prepared. "I suppose you have thought about my... offer?" I hate to put it this way, but I have befriended and grown close with Daenys and it feels like I am doing something against her will even though she would likely not see it that way.
Oh, how confusing things have been since I set off from Kingslanding.
"I have and I have spoken with Daenys about this before and more than once hinted to you about how I expect for things to go. I know Daenys will marry just as she knows she will marry and she even looks forward to her own children as she has told me... many times." Cerelle flushes and shakes her head before placing her hands flat on the table. "Children that she wants to be related to my children." I hum and nod as I expected as much from how we have been teasing around this conversation.
"Should we wait to finish this until we can have Daenys join us?" I ask forwardly even as I feel a pit in my stomach knowing if Cerelle denies me then Daenys will as well.
Father... you sent me off to woo a wife and I have to aim for two, I am not sure if I should be angry or celebrate.
"I think it's fine if we simply talk with one another about options and our opinions but we should not decide anything without Daenys. She herself knows about this meeting and decided she was fine with us talking alone about the potential of a relationship similar to her own parents. She wants things to work out how they have for her own parents and I think it's a wonderful idea but... I have concerns." The worry in my guts almost bleeds away as she speaks and seems to be thoughtful which means I might seriously have a chance but soon a ball of ice seems to form in the worry place.
"Concerns?" I myself have none... which might be obvious if anyone simply looked at Daenys and Cerelle.
"I would like to spend more time with both you and her along with us before I decide to jump into anything." Her blush returns as she looks anywhere but at me and I slowly understand what she 'wants'.
"I see." Sweet Mother above, if Uncle Aerion found out I did something like that... I might as well prepare the pyre.
"I would also like to discuss what the inheritance of my children would be should we end up married along with Daenys." I purse my lips quickly pushing aside the thoughts of bedding the Lioness and Dragoness.
"The Iron Throne." I tilt my head in confusion. "My firstborn child will be my heir and if it's a boy then it can marry a girl from my other wife and if it's a girl then it marries a boy from the other." It is quite simple when it's just two wives and we are Targaryens, I have no clue what Uncle Aerion plans to do with his many children. "I suppose the children with Daenys will be better off in the end though... one or two might be given lands in Essos but your children will not go without." I can't promise her lands in Essos but in Westeros, there are lots of opportunities that Father has been talking with my Father about.
More castles and keeps for House Targaryen along with maybe a shipyard or two like the one in the Whispers that Aerion built his fleet from.
"That's... I will have to think about this." Cerelle does not look eager nor against the idea which I am sure she is focusing on how her children or at least one child would marry their half-sibling.
But I am sure the idea of her blood being on the Iron Throne eventually is a tempting idea even if it's because of House Targaryen's almost traditional incest. Any grievance her House has with her and House Targaryen would also be smoothed over and we would even gain their direct support. It could become a more common occurrence for a King to take multiple wives, Valyrian tradition is certainly going to be on the rise with all that is happening in Essos.
In my mind, it's a decent idea even if it needs to be watched carefully to not let the blood spread too far. If a King marries two of his Lord Paramount's Daughters like a Stark and an Arryn then he secures two major houses to House Targaryen through marriage and then they could wed with that heir then marry two more houses.
Blood purity for dragons would become a concern... but a consort from the Essos Targaryen family could fix that every few generations. This would make everyone happy so long as the 'game' is played properly and we ensure no other Houses steal away dragons. They can marry to the dragon but can not marry a dragon into their family. That is at least the plan I have once my children have dragons of their own one day if Daenys decides to marry me.
But that is still in the wind and I have a lot of work ahead of me...