5 Chapter 5: KING'S LANDING

After a month at sea Jon Connington finally arrives. It had been many years since he set foot in the Capital. Exiled by Aerys Targaryen and pardoned by the Hand of the King to King Viserys Targaryen. More than that Jon wanted to redeem himself and help Aegon's plan. The boy has a head for strategy and is very cunning. A part of Jon wished Aegon was King or Daenarys even. Either would make a better King than Viserys. But if Aegon was right Viserys will self-destruct.

"Here we go…" Jon whispers, focusing on the task at hand. He looks at Rice as he likes to call himself. Rice was hired to be his eyes and ears in the streets of the Capital. "Launa, Maven, and I will go to the red keep…" he hands the man a bag of gold. "Ask discreet questions and remember be wary of little children."

When the ship docks Jon Connington disembarks with his servant Launa and Maven the Braavosi sell-sword. When they arrive at the keep they pay the guards to allow them to enter the Red Keep. As luck would have the King is holding court. Many nobles are there to make petitions, commoners to ask for favors from the King. Foreign diplomats are also in attendance to make new trade deals with the crown.

The Queen is at court and so is the current Hand of the King Jon Arryn. "Is there anyone else who has business with the King…"

"I do!" Jon says in a booming voice. The crowd parts left and right as he walks forward and bows.

"I'll be damned to all seven hells…" Robert says, "Jon Connington…"

"Your grace… May King Robert Baratheon live forever… I have come to serve my King if he will have me…"

"As I recall you fought for the Mad King… Rather poorly I may add…"

"You may your grace… I wanted to face you in single combat… and end the war to spare lives…"

He grunts, "So tell me. Why I shouldn't have your head placed on pike right now?"

"My Lord Aerys Targaryen was mad… He exiled me and stripped me of my lands… Give me a chance to prove myself to you…"

"And how do you intend to do that?"

"I have information your grace will find most interesting…"

"Well what is it?" He asks almost yelling.

"Three Targaryens yet live and have taken up residence in Braavos…" A wave of whispers cross through the gathered nobles. Jon watches as Jon Arryn whispers to the King.

"Leaves us all of you…" Robert looks at Cersei and his children, "You four as well…" Jon eyes the Queen and her children suspiciously.

"I should be here for this… I am your Queen and what effects you effects me and the children…"

"Fine stay, but be silent!"

"How did you come by this information?" Jon Arryn asks.

"Three years ago I by chance saw Aegon Targaryen in the streets… Despite his disguise I recognized him and for the next few days followed him. He had gained employment as a tavern cook…"

Robert laughs along with Petyr Baelish, Prince Joffrey, and Maester Pycell. "A Tavern cook… perhaps the Targaryen will cook us to death…" Petyr Baelish says.

"Go on!" Robert commands.

"I made my introductions to King Viserys…"

"I am the King!" Robert roars.

"Of course your grace… But Viserys Targaryen believes himself to be King… Aegon his brother advice that… his brother take me into his councils… But Viserys refused my aid… He told me to leave on pain of death… I was going to go about my business when I was attacked by four assassins… I barely survived… So I decided to bring this news to you and offer my services in hopes that you will restore my lands and titles…"

"Is that all?"

"There is more your grace, but I will keep that to myself… for the time being…"

"Guards! Escort our guest to room in the west wing and see that he and his friends are well fed…"

"Maven is Sell-sword I hired my lord… and Launa a slave I bought and gave her freedom to… She serves me of her own free will." Jon is given a three room apartment in the palace not including the sitting area. Later he is invited to have dinner with the King and Queen. Another test Jon passes with flying colors. He is allowed freedom to go where he wishes, but there is always someone watching him and his companions.

On the third day in the palace Jon is walking in the garden when he is approached by Petyr Baelish. "Baelish… I am not familiar with your House… where do hail from?"

"My House is sworn to House Arryn… Lady Arryn and I have been friends since childhood… It is because of her that I am a member of the Small Council…"

"Master of Coin…"

"Yes… So what about you Lord Connington… What adventures befell you after the Mad King exiled you?"

"Oh this and that… I became a drunk and fell to as low as anyone can go… Then a man by the name of Darson a Captain with the golden company… He helped me get my head out of my ass… and the rest is history…"

Petyr Baelish was also someone to keep an eye on and learn his weaknesses which at the moment seemed to be power. A week after arriving in the Capital Launa tells Jon about the Queen and her brother. All the king's children are bastards. She learned the information from a maid who served Elia Targaryen nee' Martell. The woman loved Elia and her children, during the sacking of King's Landing she was raped by a Baratheon soldier. Jon arryn gave her justice, but she has always had a secret hatred to the King. It was also confirmed when the King invited Jon to go hunting. Launa herself saw Jaime Lannister enter his sister's chambers and didn't leave until several hours had passed.

Not long after that Jon learned of another affair between Petyr Baelish and Lysa Arryn. In fact Robin Arryn wasn't even Jon's he was Petyr Baelish's bastard. The King himself liked to drink, hunt, and fuck women. Any three vices could be used against the fat King. But with all the information Jon was gathering he could not use it or send it to Aegon until he was deeper into the fat King's confidence.

BRAAVOS

Three months had passed since Jon left for Westeros. Aegon was very patient and soon he would be able to leave Braavos. It was night and as always Aegon walked the same route home every day. He could walk it blindfolded in the day or night. He knew the place of every shadow and he knew every smell. As he walked, he noticed that it was eerily quiet. And there was something wrong with the shadow in the alley. He stops and looks around noticing a smell on the air, "You can come out… Lets get this over with…"

A man comes out of the alley on the right behind him. Another man exits the well a few feet in front of him. Two more pop up, one from off the ledge above the door and the last walks out of a door to an abandoned house. "What can I do for you gentlemen?"

"You can die!"

Aegon draws his swords, "But I have so much to live for… I haven't even been with a woman yet…"

"Smart ass…"

"You are Aegon Targaryen… And King Robert wants you dead…"

"Owe… well my name is Egon Rivers…"

"We know you by that name as well…"

"Don't Targaryens have white hair…"

"You colored it…"

"Enough talk!" The man says armed with a spear. He rushes first with a thrust. Aegon is fourteen name days old. He had never killed anyone before, but he knew how to kill as on many occasions he had thrust his sword into animal flesh. He blocks with his left and thrusts forward stabbing the man in the gut. Aegon withdraws his sword and throws it at the man to his back on the right. He catches the man in the chest. Aegon is smaller, but he is faster than the men attacking him.

"Bastard!" The other man on the left screams.

Aegon blocks the attack from behind on the left as the other man in front runs at him. He breaks the block and goes into a spin going down to his knees. He manages to slash the man on his knee, wrecking it. As the man collapses in pain Aegon continues his spin, but his sword is knocked from his hand. He rolls to the side of the man and stops then he kicks his knee out with all his might. There is a loud crack and down he goes. He takes the man's axe and buries it in his head.

"Mercy, by the gods mercy!"

Aegon disarms him and places his foot into his throat, "Are there anymore of you?"

"Four others they went to the House with the Red door…"

Aegon gasps, "Dany!" He plunges his sword into the man's skull and runs off. He doesn't stop until he gets home. Aegon pauses as the red door has been kicked in. There are eight bodies on the floor all lying in their own pools of blood. Nanna is among them. There is steel hitting steel in the other room. Aegon walks up to the door which is cracked. He takes a deep breath, holding his right sword like a spear, and bursts in. With only a matter of seconds to react; Aegon sees Sir Cade fighting one of the two remaining men. The other has Viserys by the throat. "Sir Cade duck…" He throws his sword and catches the man in the chest.

"Let me out of here or this shit dies…"

"Let him go… and I swear to spare your life…"

"I'm not letting him go until I am two blocks away…"

"Sir Cade… stand down…"

"What!" Viserys yells.

"Be quiet!" The man says drawing blood on Viserys' neck

Aegon turns to the side and slowly backs away from the door. As he does Aegon draws a dagger and throws it hitting the man in the head. Viserys screams as the man falls to the floor trying to slit his throat. Cade rushes forward and pulls the dagger away. "Thank the gods you are alright my King…"

"You could have killed me!" Viserys yells looking at Aegon.

"If that were true why are you still alive…" Aegon looks around, "Dany!" She runs out from the locked door and leaps into his arms.

"Nanna is dead…"

"I know… the bad men are all dead…" Later after Dany has gone to sleep, Aegon sits at the table with Viserys and Cade. "Four others attacked me on the way home… Robert Baratheon sent them…"

"We can't stay here…" Cade says.

"No we cannot…" Aegon replies standing up.

"Where are you going?" Viserys asks.

"To check the gold…" Aegon returns with a huge satchel. "Sir Cade take this buy a wagon and three horses… two to pull it and one for you to ride… Also hire some sell swords…" He looks at Viserys, "Also get a sunbrella for Viserys…"

"Where are we going to go…"

"To Meereen… by land…"

"Are you mad?"

"More assassins will come and when they do they will be looking for us by ship… If we go by land they won't expect it…"

By high noon the next day Cade has enough food to last them until they reach Meereen. Everything is packed and loaded onto the wagon including clothes and gold. Aegon goes to the tavern Proprietor Ymeer to say goodbye and ask that if someone came looking for him to say that he left for Qarth by ship.

THE CAPITAL - RED KEEP

Jon walks beside the King in the garden, "Your information turned out great… but the assassins are dead…"

"I am sorry my King…"

"The next time there will be more men…"

"May I suggest you be more subtle your grace… poison perhaps…"

"We shall see…"

As time passed Jon earned the reputation the friend of the King as he would drink with him, go hunting, and whoring with him.