Chapter 45

Chapter 45

VISERYS TARGARYEN

Viserys Targaryen, rider of Balerions, King of the Seven Kingdoms, yet the man had been blind to the dangers sprouting right beside him. Even now, days later, his mind has failed to grasp the implications of Aenys's words.

A dreamer. Blessed, or as some would say cursed with visions of the future. It had been nearly a hundred years since a Targaryen had been born with this gift, with the Conqueror rumored to be the last who passed down his vision through his Song of Ice and Fire, a prophecy that had been passed onto him by his grandsire.

Yet the prophesized winter lay in the distant future, and there was another tragedy looming at their doorsteps one which appeared more and more imminent with each passing day. And as he looked up at the people sitting across him at the table, his gaze ignored the rest as it landed on Rhaenyra, his dear daughter, as she conversed with Aenys's lady wife in a hushed tone, his heart wrenched as he imagined the tragedy that the fates had set for her to face.

Was she ready? Could she overcome the tribulations that the Gods had in store for her? And what could he do to aid her?

And so, in these desperate times, Viserys missed the love of her life, for she would have known the answer. Yet she was not here, and it was up to him to ensure the safety of her last reaming symbol.

And so, he coughed slightly and spoke up as everyone turned to face him.

"I have something to say," he began and saw three sets of eyes turn towards him as he told them what he had told the Council earlier in the morning.

"After much deliberation, I have decided that I shall not take a second wife," he said in a single breath and saw Aenys's eyes tighten at her words. However, he didn't miss a brief sense of relief passing over Rhaenyra, gone as soon as it had appeared as his brother cut in from the side.

"What do you mean you are not taking a second wife? Hadn't you decided on marrying Laena Velaryon?" Aenys questioned, and Viserys nodded, wincing internally as Aenys mentioned the name so causally especially infront of Rhaenyra.

"Yes, and after much deliberation I have decided against it, he began as he turned to face Aenys, his voice becoming much quieter as he added rather silently.

"-especially after some rather illuminating discussions," and saw Aenys still at those words, as he understood the hidden meaning.

"But what of the Council?" Rhaenyra questioned from further ahead, as Viserys turned to face his daughter.

"You told me that the Council was pushing for you to take a second wife?" she questioned, and he nodded.

"Yes, indeed the Council was insistent over the matter, yet you forget that it is not the Council who rules over the realm but me, and so it is my descion not theirs and I have decided against it,"

"Yes, indeed, the Council was insistent over the matter, yet you forget that it is not the Council who rules over the realm but me, and so it is my decision, not theirs, and I have decided against it," he replied with a smile.

"And with your upcoming nuptials, their reasoning becomes void," he added and saw her look down with a blush, and wasn't that a sense of relief for him?

Gwayne Hightower was a young lad, honorable and chivalrous from what he had gathered from Lord Lyonel, and most importantly, the young genuinely cared for his daughter.

More importantly, this would strengthen her ties with Alicent and, in return, Aenys, who was still looking at him with a complicated gaze. And after the wanton display of brutality from Daemon at the melee, the least he had reasoned was that for her safety, it was essential for her that she had Aenys's support, for he was the only one he could trust to shield her from his brother's clenches.

"And with your marriage and subsequent children, the succession shall take care of itself," he added and saw Rhaenyra look down abashedly.

There were whispers growing in the court about the power now held by House Hightower, and though they were mostly malicious, Viserys knew that he needed to deal with this issue before it got out of hand. Otto had served him loyally for years, and he considered the man a close aide and a friend, yet he was King, and it was time for him to let go.

He already had an idea of whom to appoint as the man's replacement, and given the man's history

The lighter mood of the room was broken by Aenys's icy voice.

"Are you sure of this, Viserys? And have you told this to anyone else yet," his younger brother questioned, and Viserys turned to face him and nodded.

"I have," he answered and saw Aenys's eyes narrow as he questioned.

"How did Lord Corlys take the news?"

And Viserys sighed as he remembered Corlys's reaction.

"The man, of course, did not take it well and left the Council room, leaving his Master of Ship badge right there as his resignation," and the whole room's atmosphere shifted instantly, and he saw Aeny's mind race as his eyes widened seconds later as he added.

"A man as prideful as Corlys will not have taken the news well; the man's ambition knows no bounds, and I am afraid your refusal would not deter him," Aenys added, his voice grave and somber as he looked towards him.

"And I believe in achieving his ambition. The man will try and make an alliance with someone else, someone who shares his own ambition," he added, and Viserys stilled as he realized Aenys's implication.

"You cannot mean!" he gasped. "But the man already rejected Daemon once. Why the hell would he accept a match between him and Laena now," Viserys argued, despite knowing in his heart that such an outcome was highly likely given Corlys's ambitious nature.

"He rejected the match, for he thought he had a better opportunity of marrying Laena off to you, though I doubt after the rejection he will not reconsider the match," Aenys replied and Viserys became quiet as he thought of Corlys and Daemon.

"Then so be it. Let the man marry his daughter to Daemon. It will do naught to change the succession," he roared, getting tired of all this. He had already made his decision.

"Rhaenyra shall rule after just as her children shall do so after her!" he roared and saw Rhaenyra looking at him with a complicated expression contrary to the one of pride he had expected.

"Perhaps you could talk to Lord Corlys to deter him against such a match," Aenys's lady wife added from the side, and Aenys frowned.

"And why would the man listen to me," Aenys questioned.

"Because you saved his daughter," Rhaenyra cut in from the side, and Viserys nodded.

"Indeed, despite his ambitions, the man is indebted to you," he said to Aenys.

"Caution, the man against the match, talk to Rhaenys if he refuses to budge," and Aenys nodded.

"I shall try," and then there was a small knock on the door. Viserys frowned as a servant entered the dining room and gave a bow.

"Your grace, a retinue has arrived from the Vale and seeks an audience."

And Viserys frowned at that.

"A retinue from the Vale," and the servant nodded. The relationship between the Crown and the Eastern Kingdoms had been rocky since the annulation of the marriage between Lady Royce and Daemon, so the arrival of a retinue from the Land of the Knights seemed rather ominous.

"Lead them to the Court, and have the Court assemble. I shall meet them in the Throne room," he ordered.

0000

RHAENYRA TARGARYEN

Rhaenyra stood at the heel of the Iron Throne and its hundred thousand swords, besides Aenys and Alicent as the court prepared to welcome the retinue from the Vale. The courtroom was on edge for supposedly the retinue had ridden hard and was headed by one of Lady Jeyne Arryn's leal men.

She was a cousin to the lady of the Vale, the Blue Jeyne as she was famously called, and their situations were similar. Her own claim upon the Eyrie had been challenged twice now by her cousin Arnold Arryn.

Her eyes went towards the Iron Throne, the seat of power of their own house, and her father, who sat on the said seat regally, wearing the Crown of his Grandsire atop his head as two of the Kingsgaurd stood by his side.

All this fighting and hunger was for that one seat. A misshapen hunk of blood and steel forged in Dragon fire out of the blades of Aegon's enemy. And now, for the first time in a long time, she found the throne not grand but ugly as she recalled the extent to which its hunger had driven Daemon.

"Announcing, Ser Donnel Arryn, from the Eyrie and Ser Edmund Royce, of Runestone," the herald announced as the gates to the throne room were opened, and the two said men walked in. Both of them clad in their armors, adorned with their sigils as the blue eyes Arryn man walked infront of the brown-haired knight from Runestone.

The two of them walked up to the base of the throne and knelt down to one knee.

"Rise, Ser Donnel, Ser Edmund," her father said from the throne and two rose up.

"Thank you, Your Grace. First of all, I bring well wishes of Lady Jeyne Arryn for the Princess over her upcoming nuptials," the man began as took out the official missive and gave it to the servants.

"Her wishes are well received, but couldn't the Lady Arryn have come to the capital herself, after all aren't we kin," her father questioned regally, putting the two knights on the spot.

Ser Donnel Arryn, perked up and was quick to answer.

"She wished to your grace, yet House Royce of Runestone is set to join blood with the House of Arryn," he remarked, and she felt the whole Court perk up, much like herself at those words, for there could only be one potential match that came to mind.

"Lady Rhea Royce is set to marry Ser Joffrey Arryn, the Knight of the Gate," and her eyes widened at that.

Joffrey Arryn was a cousin to Lady Jeyne, one whose relationship was much more distant than the one shared between Jeyne and her first cousin Arnold, who coveted her throne and wished to dethrone her.

In this context, this match was very interesting, specifically when one realized the importance of Runestone, which was a major House in Vale.

"The Crown congratulates the House of Arryn and Royce on this auspicious match," her father replied stiffly. There was still bitterness between the Crown and House Royce over the annulation of the marriage between Daemon and Lady Rhea.

"Apart from that, I bring another request from my liege lady, your grace," the man began as her father motioned for the man to continue.

"After Prince Daemon conquered the Stepstones, many of the pirates escaped the war and have now merged forces with the pirates of the Three fingers, they are now harassing our ships, enslaving our men. The Mountain clans gather as well. In this situation, the Vale seeks the Crown's aid in dealing with the pirates. For all our valor and honor, we lack the ships necessary to eradicate the pirates that were driven to three feet by Prince Daemon's war."

And she saw her father's eyes narrow at the mention of Prince Daemon, though it was tactful of the knights from the Vale when they had called it Prince Daemon's war, yet with the recent tensions between Lord Corlys and her father, sending aid to House Arryn would not be easy for House Velaryon controlled the most ships.

"The Crown will consider your request, Sers. In the meantime, you and your companions should rest well and enjoy the hospitalities of the capital."

0000

LARYS STRONG

Power was fickle, Larys thought as he walked through the streets of the capital, returning from a rather genial and measured talk with the Rogue Prince's mistress.

The woman was rather smart and had planted herself to Prince Daemon's side, soothing his worries and wielding his power as the Prince tried to gather support for his bid for the Iron Throne. A perilous task in which he had given the man his unspoken support when he had told the Lyseni woman of Lord Corlys's two bastards.

He smiled as he looked at the common folk, trudging along like sheep and cattle, unaware of the war brewing infront of them and how marvelous the war would be now that Princess had finally begun to realize that the reality which of sitting on the Iron throne. A glimpse of it had already appeared, much through his own machinations when he had helped Prince Daemon enter the castle, and had led him to nursery where the young Prince Aenar lay.

The subsequent clash between the two brothers had now set the stage for the conflict to come, and was simply a prelude. And what magnificent prelude had it been. Even now, days later their clash was on everyone's mind, and this clash had been one of metal, just how magnificent would it be when their dragons would join in as well.

Larys had grown up hearing tales of the Prince Aenys's intellect from his father, who had known the Prince from their times together in the citadel, and his father's words had never been more true. Yet his skill with a sword had been just as great, if not greater.

Of all the people set to be involved in this conflict, the Prince was the biggest enigma, his intentions hidden behind a veil of virtuous reputation that he refused to believe, his power and influence greater than any other man. Larys often wondered what went behind those Amethyst orbs, yet he could never approach the man, for his gaze was too cautious, too powerful, for he knew with one wrong everything he had built could unra….

"KUKKKG!" suddenly, pain rippled through him, searing pain, and he glanced down and found an arrow coming out of his chest as he lost the strength in his legs and fell to the ground as the guards rushed towards him, shouting.

His vision blurred, and the last thought he had was of the very man who had most definitely arranged this.

It seems that he hadn't been able to escape the Prince's gaze in the end, the Prince who had apparently decided to show his true colors.

0000

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A/N: I told you, didn't I? Aenys is a father now, and this shows the shift in his temperament. Previously, he may have spared the man for the virtue of being related to Lyonel Strong.

Aenys may tolerate an attack on himself, but if you go after those he loves. He will end you!