Chapter 3: A Web of Lies
354 AL, King's Landing, One Day After Last Chapter (Davos Barathon) …
A large crowd had gathered in in the Outer Yard of the Red Keep, Lords and Ladies alike intrigued by the commotion and the sound of clashing swords and war cries. In the Outer Yard, the Bodyguard of Davos Baratheon trained with their new weapons, on a long table lay their discarded sabers, weapons no longer useful in a now foreign land. Where the saber lent itself to cavalry in combat against lightly armored opponents, it was inadequate against heavy infantry or knights, with no blade able to cut through the hardened steel of plate armor the saber was useless and so new weapons had been chosen to replace them. On various tables around the impromptu training ground were arming swords, longswords, one-handed warhammers, two-handed maul warhammers, daggers, short spears, as well as both heater and buckler shields. It had cost Davos a pretty penny for all these weapons from the Street of Steel, but it would be worth it when his men finally got to test their steel against real foes in Westeros.
That was something Davos felt was inevitable by this point, sooner or later someone would do something stupid, and when it happened he wanted his men to be ready with weapons that didn't put them at a disadvantage. Currently he stood in his full armor and watched his men as they spared, all twelve of his Bodyguard were here, they'd been here since early morning and it was just past noon. In those few hours most of them had gotten the basics of the new style of fighting, relying on wrestling, grappling, and aimed thrusts at chinks in the armor rather than the fast swipes of the saber. Still they had a way to go, even Davos had realized his own shortcomings, after years of using a saber and other cavalry weapons the longsword on his left hip felt foreign to him, the dagger hanging sideways on the back of his belt intrusive, and the single-handed Warhammer on his right hip was downright heavy. It would be a few more days before he'd used to these weapons again, but Davos was confident he'd regain his proficiency with the weapons, they were after all the ones he'd used most his life.
As he watched one of his Bodyguard was knocked to the ground and was forced to yield to his opponent as they leveled the tip of their longsword at the downed man's throat, the crowd cheered and clapped at the move, when the victor looked to Davos the Lord came over and pat him on the shoulder.
"Good job." Davos stated before turning to the man on the ground and offering him a hand, pulling him up and saying, "You too, next time remember to keep your balance when you go in for a strike, that way when they counter you stay on your feet."
It went on like this for another hour, with Davos winning a few practice duels in that time and getting beaten once when he'd gotten too cocky, however the men and he were starting to tire and so Davos gave them leave to refresh and rest. Davos himself was about to do the same when suddenly the crowd around them parted and the Queen herself made her way towards him with two white cloaks flanking her.
Davos bowed deeply and upon raising himself up asked "Your Grace, to what do I owe you the honor of this visit?"
The Queen for her part looked over Davos's assembled bodyguard and nodded before asking "Keeping them sharp I see?"
Looking to the men and then back to Daenerys, Davos replied, "Aye, best to train with sharpened blades, otherwise you grow used to banging them off armor without a care in the world."
Daenerys rolled her eyes and stated, "I meant the men."
Davos smiled playfully at that and explained, "Aye, that you did, and they are sharp…just not with the weapons that they need to be sharp with. Give me a few days and they'll be master swordsmen in no time."
Daenerys returned the smile before asking, "If I may, could I ask you to walk with me to the gardens, I'd like it if you could lend me your ear along the way."
Davos replied, "Of course, your Grace, I'd be happy to."
The Queen kept her smile at that before turning to her two white cloaks and saying, "You may go now, Lord Baratheon will be my escort for the time being."
The two knights nodded before turning and walking away, the crowd was dispersing too, and Davos's men were already on their way back to their barracks, leaving the two to walk to the gardens as alone as two could be in the Red Keep. As they walked up towards the Middle Bailey which housed the Throne Room and the Gardens, Lord Davos remained silent, knowing that whatever Daenerys needed to say would be said without his prompting. The silence between them was therefore filled with the sounds of the Red Keep, hammers banging, armored boots patrolling, gossiping Lords and Ladies, and all the rest of the hustle and bustle of the seat of power of Westeros.
Finally, the Queen broke the silence and asked, "During the ceremony, how much did you have to drink?"
Davos cocked his head to look at the Queen and raised an eyebrow underneath his helmet at the question be thought over the question a moment before answering "I wasn't drunk your Grace, if that's what you were asking."
Daenerys slowly nodded at that answer before then asking, "Did you not know then that Princess Rhaenys is already promised to another man?"
"I was aware, your Grace." Davos stated flatly before adding "She wanted to dance with her betrothed too, he declined, I believed it was only chivalrous to offer to dance with her."
The Queen sighed at that but stayed silent a few minutes as the two made their way into the gardens themselves, once they were further behind hedges and away from peering eyes she stopped and turned to face Davos, Davos stopped and turned to face her…standing at attention like a good soldier.
"Do you know how that looked though?" Daenerys asked.
"Didn't look good at all, I brought dishonor to my family with how poorly I danced." Davos jested.
That earned him another sigh and an annoyed look from the Queen who then put on a sterner tone as she pointed out "I'm being serious Lord Davos, I do not have time for your jests."
Davos didn't reply immediately, rather he lifted his hands to his helmet and removed it, revealing he'd shaven yesterday so that he held only a small goatee on his face like his Grandfather used to prefer.
Taking a breath that went unlabored by the helmet Davos then replied "You need to learn not to be so serious Daenerys. I'm well aware that it looked bad for Ixidor, but I was not concerned for his image, I was concerned that Princess Rhaenys wouldn't get to dance that night."
"My granddaughter not dancing that night is not as important as you are putting Ixidor in a good light for the Lords of Westeros." Daenerys shot back "Davos, I need you to stop the dissent, not flame the fires."
"And why do you need me to do that?" Davos questioned pointedly before answering it "Because he's created the dissent himself, and not just him being foreign, but rather through his actions and words. I told you I couldn't support him if my conscience wouldn't allow it, and I promise you that my conscience tells me to denounce him…not support his claim. I don't know what you see in him Daenerys, but whatever it is…it better be worth what he'll create once you're gone."
That…that crossed a line…Daenerys had been a mother to Davos, perhaps that's why he felt so comfortable speaking so freely to her…but when her anger surfaced he knew that perhaps it would've been best if he had just bitten his tongue off instead "So you're a traitor now? You believe you know better about a man you've not even spoken more than a few sentences to than the Queen who's been grooming him for the Throne for three years? What do you know that I do not Lord Baratheon? Where in your seemingly infinite knowledge did you find the reason to hate my Grandson…MY Heir."
Davos held his ground, he raised his head to look above and past the Queen to make sure no one was overhearing their conversation before looking her back in the eyes and replying "I heard what I needed to from a reliable source, not the Snake, not a scheming Lord, but someone who'd know these things. I cannot tell you whom it is but what I can tell you is that I have no reason to doubt them, they have done for me a great deed that I cannot forget, and their moral fabric is clean. Daenerys…I don't know what you see in him or if he holds some terrible thing above you, but I still believe in breaking the wheel…Ixidor will not do that nor do I believe he hopes to do that. However, I am still committed to that cause, it's why I did what I did in New Ghis, it's why thousands of slavers were butchered without mercy, it was why I kept my promise to you, and it's why I cannot support Ixidor Targaryen…either you replace him in the line of succession with Rhaenys or you do it with someone else who's sympathetic to the cause. I don't personally give a fuck who you choose, but mark my words, I would sooner die than watch what you made be torn down brick by brick…and Ixidor will do exactly that."
Daenerys's reply was surprising, her anger seemingly abated somewhat by Davos's conviction in her vision, her shoulders slumped and she shook her head before saying, "I cannot choose who is my blood Davos."
Davos looked down at her and replied, "Neither can I, doesn't mean I can't do the right thing though."
"It is the right thing, whether you realize it or not. Ixidor is the blood of my blood, and since his father is dead, he is therefore the rightful heir of the Iron Throne by law. If you are determined to break the wheel Davos then work with Ixidor, advise him well and point him down that path, if you simply refuse to work with him…then the wheel will never be broken." Daenerys shot back, her shoulders coming up slightly again.
"There's a different path and we both know it. You are the Queen, change the damned law and pick your successor, whoever is best suited for sitting on that Throne based on their merits…not their blood." Davos countered.
"There is no other path for me Davos." Daenerys stated forcefully before continuing "What I did to my own son, a son I wanted more than the Iron Throne itself, was terrible. Ixidor is my chance to make things better, I've turned my back on family before and it was the wrong choice, I won't make the same mistake twice."
Davos sighed and looked down his feet, shuffling them a moment before considering his next words, he looked back into Daenerys's eyes and said "You had me too…we may not have been blood…but you became my mother. You taught me a great deal and that made me into the man I am today, I owe what I am today to you. And what you made me into, what I am today, it cannot help you with Ixidor and his claim to the Throne. I'm loyal to you Daenerys, I'm sworn to kill your enemies, but I cannot sell my soul to back Ixidor…duty will not allow it. I hope you can forgive me of this transgression, I hope you can understand how I see these things, and I hope most of all that if you do only one thing it'll be that you listened to the council I gave to you today."
"Davos…" Daenerys said softly, pausing a few moments before continuing "I love you, I've seen you grow from a quiet little boy into the strong man you are today, and I know you mean only the best…"
She trailed off and Davos used it to interject "I'm sorry your Grace, it's not going to happen. I can promise you that so long as you hold the Throne I'll stand by you publicly, I'll defend your right to rule until my dying breath, but do not ask me to do the same for Ixidor. The Lords of Westeros will need to make their own decisions on him, I've made mine, I can promise you that I will do everything in my power to keep the peace but I cannot promise you that it'll be enough. I hope you understand my position, it's not one I particularly like."
Daenerys nodded slowly before replying "I understand, and I am disappointed in it, but if there is nothing I can say to change your mind…then perhaps you could do one thing for me?"
"Anything within reason, your Grace." Davos replied.
"Stay in King's Landing for a while, I want you to stay until Prince Ixidor and Princess Rhaenys are married in the new Sept of Baelor in two months, while here try and talk to Ixidor…perhaps wait for him to forgive that dance but talk to him. I am certain that if you do, you'll change your position." Daenerys asked of the Lord.
Davos sighed and considered the proposition before nodding and saying "As you wish, your Grace. If alright with you, I'd like to take my leave now."
"Go Davos, I wish you good fortune." Daenerys replied before she turned to leave.
Davos looked up into the sky as if it would hold some sort of sign of what to do next, it of course didn't, and so he put his helmet back on and began on his way to his chambers. Unbeknownst to either of them however a small child scurried out from behind a hedge they'd been near during their conversation, he turned for the keep and ran, he ran into a tower, up its steps and towards a door guarded by two Targaryen Black Cloak men-at-arms. They let him inside to report on what he'd seen to the sole occupant of the chambers behind the door, a man busy reading a book on battlefield strategy, a man who went by the name of Ixidor Targaryen.
/
That Night (Rhaenys Targaryen) …
Rhaenys had been relaxing in her tub, the water burning hot for those without the blood of the dragon, but comforting for Rhaenys as she let out a sigh of appreciation for this moment to herself so she could relax. She sank into the water until her breasts were fully submerged, going further until only her neck stood above the water, it felt good and Rhaenys knew she needed this. Things were going to be more stressful soon with Davos joining her in plotting against Ixidor, with their work together maybe he'd be out of the picture before she had to marry him, that would be best Rhaenys thought. Ever since they were children Ixidor had known that Rhaenys was his, she knew that he was hers…and it terrified her. She knew it wasn't normal for siblings to hate each other like she did him, and she knew Ixidor didn't dwell much on her unless it was about his future "conquest" of her on their wedding night, she attributed it mostly to who they idolized within their family.
Where Ixidor dreamed of being the next Aegon the Conqueror, Rhaenys dreamed of being the next Mother of Dragons, where he wanted to rule through martial might, she wanted to rule through love and peace, where he saw the Westerosi as below them, she saw them as equals. So, on and so forth their differences went, their ideals so radically different from each other, both wanting to change the world but neither agreeing on how to go about it or what the end goal would be. Such differences didn't lead to much love between them or a healthy relationship, Ixidor took his life view to heart and so he enjoyed bending Rhaenys to his will, she hated it…but she knew what disobeying him meant. Suddenly her right side hurt at that thought, Rhaenys winced at it and the memory of last night, Ixidor had paid her a visit to teach her a lesson about humiliating him in public. He'd gotten his point across easily enough, at least he kept to the places her dresses hid, it would be a nightmare to find the amount of makeup needed to cover up any of those bruises if they were on her neck or face.
Rhaenys shook her head, trying to hide those thoughts away, now was her time to relax and catch her breath…not to dwell on her brother. And then there was the sound of her chamber's door being unlocked from outside and opening, Rhaenys's eyes shot open and she looked at the open door of her washroom, a few seconds later in came her brother…Rhaenys cursed her luck.
"Brother…what are you doing here?" Rhaenys asked in surprise, using her arms to hide the sight of her breasts under the water.
Ixidor didn't respond at first, rather his violet eyes roamed over what parts of her body he could see through the water until they finally trailed up to meet his sister's own violet eyes, he smirked before answering "Well, I had come to talk to you about a way you could make up for that humiliating dance you had with Lord Baratheon…but now I'm thinking of what those pert little breasts would feel like in my hands."
Rhaenys glared daggers at her brother for that, before saying with venom, "Save it for the bedding ceremony."
Ixidor grinned at that, "Oh, and what a ceremony that will be. Ah, but you're right, we'll have a lifetime to be together, what's another couple months? So…what was it I wanted to talk to you about again? Ah, that's right, something you can do for me…you owe me for that night still, those bruises are the least of it."
Rhaenys watched him carefully as he began to circle around the tub, stopping behind her and simply standing there, watching her. Then he placed both his hands on her shoulders, she shivered at his touch, she shook a little as one of those hands came up around her throat and her brother knelt until his face was inches away from her left ear.
Finally, he began to speak again "A little bird told me an interesting story about the Lord you danced with…do you know what he said?"
A few moments passed and Rhaenys realized Ixidor wanted her to actually answer his question, "Lord Baratheon isn't happy he's no longer Prince?"
Ixidor raised an eyebrow at that and his hand on her neck returned to her shoulder, before saying in faux pride "Well, isn't that a surprise, for once my sister nearly hit the target…nearly. That's most likely a part of it, but you see, he's asked the Queen to remove me from the line of succession…only me, not you…in fact he named you a possible replacement…although he put you in along with any other 'fucker' in his words…so not the highest of praise I suppose. Still, you must have left a good impression on him for his recommendation for the Iron Throne, weird how'd he get that from a single dance."
Rhaenys shut her eyes tightly at that, she wanted to cry, she wanted to scream for help, certain that Ixidor's spies had found out about her actions with Davos…but then Ixidor continued "Unless…unless he has greater ambitions, unless he plans to use you to seize the Throne for himself…do you see where I'm going with this?"
"Yes." Rhaenys answered almost too quickly, she wanted to sigh a breath of relief at his words, he still didn't know of her betrayal.
"Good…so sister, how about we get his hopes up?" Ixidor asked curiously.
Rhaenys opened her eyes and turned her head to consider her brother's scheming eyes, asking "What do you want me to do brother?"
Ixidor smiled at that, more than likely pleased by Rhaenys's submissiveness to him, "First, stand up so I can point something out…then I want you to spend as much time as you can with our dear little Lord, I want you to lie and complain of how unfair this marriage of ours is, I want you to lie to him and tell him you don't love me, I want you to get his affection…and more importantly his trust. I want you to do it by any means necessary."
Slowly Rhaenys raised herself up out of the tub, keeping one arm over her breasts and keeping her legs closed as best she could to hide her slit from her brother's sight. After she'd gotten up she used her free hand to cover that nether region as best she could. From there the room was silent, Rhaenys knew he was watching her intently, studying her bare body and committing it to memory, it made her sick and fearful.
Finally, Rhaenys realized her brother wanted her to speak up and so she asked the one question she had "Any means?"
Ixidor smirked before correcting himself "Almost everything, let me show you what I'll allow."
Rhaenys held back a squeal as he grabbed the arm covering her breasts and wrenched it away, grabbing at her small orbs with his free hand as he explained "Seduce him with these perfect little tits of yours, let him play with them if you need to."
Ixidor let go of her breast before bringing his hand up to her mouth to part her lips and slide a single digit into her mouth before explaining "Suck his cock if need be with those perfect little lips of yours, kiss him if he wants it."
Pulling out his finger he then moved his hand down her flesh, bypassing her breasts before moving slowly down towards her navel and down her flat stomach. His other hand let go of her first arm but then wrenched away the one covering her slit, this gained him a sob from Rhaenys who couldn't fight the stronger sibling back.
Ixidor didn't seem to mind the sob those as his free hand ran down pass the navel and brushed against his sister's soft folds as he ended his correction with this "The only thing you aren't to give him is your maidenhead, do you know why?"
"Why?" Rhaenys choked out between sobs.
"Because that belongs to me, not him, and not you…it's mine." Ixidor answered before then asking "Have I made clear what you're allowed to do with Lord Baratheon to gain his companionship? Do you understand?"
Rhaenys nodded her head rapidly before replying inbetween choked sobs, "Yes brother…I understand."
"Good." Ixidor replied, getting up and walking to the door of the washroom, he stopped by it and asked "Rhaenys?"
"Yes…brother?" Rhaenys sobbed out.
"Don't ever tell me to save it. You are mine, everything about you is mine, and I will have what is mine when I want it and not a moment later. Now cover yourself up, your indecent, what would father think if he saw you like that?" Ixidor stated before walking through the door, soon the sound of him slamming the chamber's door could be heard followed by silence as Rhaenys stood alone in her washroom, trembling and naked.
After a few minutes of just standing there and sobbing suddenly the tub wasn't so relaxing but rather tight and fear inducing and so with haste she got out and dried herself before slipping on a simple black gown once dressed she didn't even move to make her hair or do anything else but turn for her door and begin running, her mind was stuck on one thing and one thing alone and the whole world seemed to be squeezing in on her, darkness surrounding her, and she seemed so very alone and small. She kept running though, maybe if she ran fast enough this would go away…maybe she could find someone to make it go away.
/
A Few Minutes Later (Davos Baratheon) …
Davos sat looking out at the sea while swirling wine about aimlessly in his goblet, all day he'd spent thinking on his conversation with the Queen, it hadn't gone as well as he'd hoped…but at least she didn't have him thrown in a black cell so that was a plus. As he took a sip of his drink Davos appreciated the scene before him, the Narrow Sea was unusually calm tonight, and the half-moon's light reflected off the tiny waves in the water. If he had any skill at it Davos would've tried to paint the scene, but alas he was a hopeless artist, truly he'd spent little time in his life on anything except warfare, fighting, and leadership…it had left him a poor financier, administrator, and most certainly a poor excuse for a painter. Davos chuckled at the thought of him painting, it seemed strange and so unlike him, far too…peaceful. The chuckle died at that word, peace, he hadn't had a moment of peace in five years, even here at home he was fighting a battle not all that different than the one he'd fought in Essos. Sure, thousands weren't dying by the sword, spear, and hammer…but this Game he was playing was just like it in that although the weapons were often words they still held life or death consequences when used improperly.
Davos frowned at that, he hadn't thought much on how he might actually lose his head should his plotting be discovered, he supposed it didn't frighten him. After two years of being lucky in the fighting pits and three years of being skillful in warfare he supposed he must have gotten used to the idea of his own death, the idea of him dying just seem…natural…maybe even right. Davos shook his head at that, that kind of thinking would be dangerous, it would lead to cockiness and cockiness got good men killed needlessly. Besides, he needed to live for the time being, he'd given Rhaenys his promise to fix things…that meant he couldn't die until then. Suddenly, a knock on his door interrupted his thoughts, it was light…almost hesitant, an unusual thing for Davos's guards.
He turned and made his way to the door, unlocking it before pulling it open, he found that his guards were not there…rather there in a simple black gown was Rhaenys. Her eyes were wide with fear, and without a word she pushed herself into the room even before Davos could make room for her, he poked his head out to see his guards were a few feet from the door looking in his direction, one nodded before muttering something to the other. Davos shook his head and pulled back to close the door behind him, locking it before turning to see Rhaenys pouring herself a glass of wine from the pitcher on his desk and eagerly gulping at the drink.
Davos raised an eyebrow at that and jested, "Make yourself at home Princess, whatever's mine is yours."
Rhaenys turned to face Davos and gulped nervously before she began to stutter out "I-I'm sor-sorry. Davos…"
She trailed off and began breathing heavily, Davos rushed over to her and placed the back of his palm to her forehead, she pulled back but not before Davos could tell she didn't have a fever and so he questioned, "Princess, what's wrong, you're acting like you're in a fever dream."
"Davos…he knows…HE KNOWS." Rhaenys managed to get out, her breathing getting more ragged and turning into sobs, her eyes darting to and thro as if expecting a threat to appear before her.
He'd seen this before, men whose senses had been shot from battle, men whose minds became their own worst enemies.
As Rhaenys simply kept whispering those words Davos bit his lip before he approached her and brought his arms around the little lady, he brought one of his hands to the back of her head and stroked it slowly like he had done with one of those soldiers years ago, he placed his mouth by her ear and whispered gently "It's ok, it's ok Rhaenys, shh…shh…everything's ok. I'm here, let it out, let it out, I'm here."
Slowly she hugged him back and the sobs grew slower and slower until finally her breathing returned to normal, after a few minutes she softly whispered out "Thank you, my Lord."
Davos pulled back at that, keeping the Princess at arms' length with his hands now on her shoulders, he studied her face carefully which had gone red and puffy with streaks from tears down her cheeks. He reached into his leather jerkin and pulled out a small cotton handkerchief, wiping the marks from Rhaenys face gently before crumpling the thing into his hand and throwing it onto his desk to be discarded later.
Finally, with a frown Davos asked "What happened my Princess? I haven't seen a person act like that since the Sack of Yunkai."
Rhaenys shook her head and replied softly "I don't know if I could tell you Lord Davos…it's just…don't mind the why of it. Just…thank you for getting me out."
Davos shook his head before then saying "For this time only will I accept that, if it happens again I need to know why, we're fixing this mess together and I need you calm and collected. Now, you kept saying 'He knows'…what did you mean by that?"
Rhaenys sighed in relief it seemed like to Davos before she answered "Ixidor…he knows about your conversation with the Queen."
"Fuck." Davos swore, he took his hands off Rhaenys shoulders and turned around before he began pacing "Goddess damn it all. I should've realized there was a spy nearby."
"It's worse." Rhaenys added…gulping at what she needed to say next.
Davos stopped his pacing at that and looked at Rhaenys before asking "Is he going to try and kill me? If so he's a madman, my sister…let's just say she wouldn't stand me dying in this city so soon after coming back."
Rhaenys still shook her head before saying, "It's worse still, he wants me to gain your 'affection' and 'trust'…by most means available to a woman short of losing my maidenhead if you have any understanding of that."
Now it was time for Davos to shake his head and sigh before replying "I know what you mean…I had Tyrion as a mentor to help me with that."
Davos then realized that didn't sound right and so he added quickly "Not that I learned from experience mind you, just what he told me from his stories…I'm still pure in that regard."
Rhaenys gave a small, sad smile at that before replying "Me neither, I've never had any lovers to seduce, and ever since I was a little girl I'd been promised to Ixidor."
She shuddered visibly at that, Davos's eyes narrowed and he asked "That…mental lapse…did he do that to you?"
Rhaenys said nothing but looked away, giving Davos the answer he needed as he pressed "What did he do? I need to know, need to understand…did he beat you?"
Rhaenys bit her lip and shook her head "No…that was last night…the beatings don't do that to me anymore unless they're really bad…not since I was a little girl did the normal ones do that."
Davos shook his head in disgust and replied "There is no such thing as a normal beating. But…if it wasn't that, then what?"
Rhaenys looked down at her feet and pondered the floor, she was silent like that a few moments before saying "It was my fault, I talked back to Ixidor, I know what happens when I do that. Certainly, you've gotten angry at your sister when she didn't obey?"
Davos's gave a grimace at the accusation before responding "My mother would've cut my hand off if I touched my sister, the Queen would've fed it to a dragon, when she angers me I walk away and come back when I'm calm and thinking clearly. Now…what did he do to you?"
Rhaenys looked at Davos with some mixture of disbelief and surprise at that answer before replying "Sorry, sometimes I forget that people had mothers in their lives…I barely even knew my father before it was just me and Ixidor…I guess he didn't get to learn from them."
"You're dodging." Davos pointed out before saying "If you can't be honest with me Princess, then how can you expect I can be with you, like I said we're in this together. I need to know what Ixidor is doing so I can get a sense of him, plan around that, and when we and the Lords strike I'll be able to anticipate his actions because I'll know how he thinks. More than all that though, I need to know you're alright, if you aren't then just tell me and I'll do everything in my power to make things right for you."
A single tear escaped Rhaenys's right eye at that, her expression changed to something angrier, she shook her head before exploding "He…he groped me, ran his hand over my body, stuck his finger in my mouth, squeezed my breasts, and ran his hand over my womanly place…does that satisfy your curiosity Lord Baratheon? Would you like to know how often he does things like that too? Or perhaps more details, how his hands felt on my bare skin perhaps or how it felt when he parted my lips? Now you tell me Lord Baratheon, how are you going to make that right? How are you going to make things right for me?"
Davos looked down in shame, but then shame turned to anger, and anger conviction, he looked up at her with steely eyes and replied, "I can promise you two things that'll make this better…that I'll kill your brother…and that until then should you ever need a safe place to hide or should you have another episode like tonight then you will always be welcome here in my chambers. If you want you can stay here tonight if you don't feel safe back in your own chambers, I don't have a spare bed so you can take mine, I can sleep on the floor just fine out here."
Rhaenys seemed to calm down a little at that, she bit her lip before saying softly "I'm sorry…but I've had to deal with this for years now…I can't hide from him. I can't run, I can't hide, he is my future husband…I need to learn to live with that."
Davos shook his head, pointing out "It doesn't have to be."
"Doesn't have to be what?" Rhaenys asked, considering his steely blue eyes.
"That doesn't need to be your future...it shouldn't be your future…you don't deserve that. What you did for me, it tells me that you're a good person, and good people don't deserve to be tormented by monsters like him." Davos clarified.
Rhaenys smiled sadly at that, shaking her head softly before replying "You're an idealist Lord Baratheon, that's not the world we live in, that's not a world that we'll ever see."
Davos sighed at that before correcting "It will if we're willing to make it that way, maybe not in a day, but it is possible...I made a nation based upon protecting the good from monsters…how hard could it be to do the same here?"
Rhaenys kept her sad smile as she replied, "I hope to see that day, Lord Baratheon."
She turned to leave before Davos called out to her "Davos…my name is Davos."
Rhaenys stopped and called back "Good night Davos. I'll see you tomorrow…thank you, for tonight."
The lithe, little beauty of a woman walked out of his chambers then, Davos's eyes never leaving her until she was out of sight. A strange feeling in his heart that he hadn't felt since before he sailed for Essos made itself known to him as he watched her retreating form, he frowned before he turned to look out at the sea once again, the once peaceful image he'd been looking at before replaced by storm clouds on the horizon, slowly coming towards him and covering the once calm waters in darkness. Davos took a deep breath at the sight, it fit his mood well, and an omen for the things to come.
/
The Next Morning (Davos Baratheon) …
He'd met with Lord Florent of Brightwater Keep this morning, the two had spoken softly over breakfast on the topic of Ixidor, with Davos making his dislike of the man plain to the Lord. In return, he found out something rather interesting, a gathering of Lords was to be held in a fortnight's time, officially it would be to celebrate the coming wedding of the Prince and Princess…in truth though it would be a meeting of Lords both High and Low who wanted the Targaryens off the Throne. At least two Lord Paramounts were supposed to attend, including Florent's Lord Hightower and Davos had been invited to join them. In Florent's words Davos was a "Champion of Westeros" by some within the circle of plotters and if he could convince the assembled Lords of such a notion then surely, he'd be the next King to sit upon the Throne. Davos hadn't tried to dissuade the Lord of that idea, after all he didn't know whether he or Rhaenys would sit upon the Throne when Ixidor was deposed, time would see to how that played out. What he did try and dissuade was the idea of deposing Queen Daenerys, saying pointedly that while Ixidor was not loved by many, Daenerys was…and so it would not be wise to make unnecessary enemies.
That was the reason he gave at least, truthfully it was his loyalty to the Queen that prevented that option being considered by Davos, he'd never betray her so long as he could help it. Lord Florent thankfully seemed open to the idea of keeping Daenerys but pushed the topic aside by saying that was to be discussed at the meeting. By the time their breakfast was finished and the two parted ways Davos had left a good impression on the Lord, a good thing in the Stag's eyes, he needed Lords to back him for what he was going to do to the Prince. Now though as he walked through the gardens of the Red Keep he had to think about that plot, with luck the first plan would work and the Queen will back down…but if she didn't then things would get bad fast, and war might be unavoidable. But war was preferable to letting Ixidor sit upon the Throne, Davos knew that, quite a few Lords of Westeros knew that…and maybe even the smallfolk had some sense of it too…they certainly hadn't made any songs in the Prince's honor.
"Lord Baratheon?" A small voice broke Davos's train of thought, he looked over to the source and saw a young handmaiden, she couldn't have been more than six and ten.
"Aye m'lady, that would be me. Is there something you need?" Davos asked politely.
The handmaiden smiled before answering "Princess Rhaenys asked me to fetch you, she saw you walking the gardens and said she wished to speak to you."
Davos looked around the two of them, trying to spot out if anyone was listening in but all the Lords, Ladies, and Servants seemed too preoccupied with their own business, looking back to the handmaiden Davos replied "Of course, lead the way."
He followed the girl towards the edge of the gardens, near where a few pavilions sat that overlooked the sea under the cliffs that held up the Red Keep. In one such pavilion was a single figure sitting alone by a small table, two White Cloaks a few yards away watching Davos as he approached, him wearing his longsword probably had something to do with that. As he neared he confirmed that it was Rhaenys, she was wearing a tight dress in her usual black color, the dress had patterns of what looked like roses and thorny vines sewn into the dress…all of them as raven's black as the dress itself.
As he entered the pavilion Rhaenys looked over to him and he bowed "My Princess, you called for me?"
Rhaenys smiled and replied, "I did, Lord Baratheon, I saw you walking the Gardens alone and thought you looked like you needed some company."
Well, she can play Ixidor's game well enough, Davos thought before replying "I appreciate it Princess Rhaenys, do you mind if I take a seat?"
"Of course," Rhaenys responded before looking to the handmaiden and saying, "You are free to go Elinor, thank you."
"Of course, my Lady." The handmaiden said with a curtsy before leaving the two alone aside from the watching White Cloaks.
Rhaenys kept her smile as she asked "So, Lord Baratheon, do you find yourself strolling through the gardens all alone often?"
Davos smiled back, playing along he replied, "More often then I used to, it's rather calming when much is on my mind."
"Oh, do you ever bring someone along on those strolls? A lady you trust perhaps?" Rhaenys asked suggestively.
Davos shook his head before responding, "No, I take those strolls alone, the silence helps…it gives my thoughts sound. If only in my head."
"I find silence helps me as well when it comes to thinking, I usually find myself here every day just to think, about the past, about the present, and especially the future." Rhaenys commented.
Davos saw where this was going and so he asked, "If we're both out looking for silence to just think, then why'd you ask me here, Princess Rhaenys?"
The Princess's smile got a little warmer as she replied, "I also think better when I have an ear that can lend itself to me, I'm afraid I don't get that much with my husband-to-be."
"Well, you may have my ear should you desire, my Princess." Davos replied with a wry smile.
Rhaenys looked over to the Lord and smiled warmly at him before asking "You wouldn't mind that?"
"Of course not, I'm more than happy to help you in this predicament of yours." Davos answered.
With that the two spent a few hours talking of various topics of little real importance, certainly nothing like the conversations they had in his chambers, still Rhaenys was certainly playing a good act out even when Davos found himself stumbling a few times with the small talk. But the two got away with it, eventually parting with the promise to make these regular meetings, exactly the thing Ixidor would've wanted…if only he knew it was all a lie Davos thought.
/
One Week Later (Davos Baratheon) …
Things had been quiet once more, Rhaenys and Davos had held their daily meetings in the gardens but otherwise she had held off on visiting him in his chambers, he suspected that Ixidor must have had his spies watching her and so made such a meeting impossible. Besides those Lord Florent and Davos had met twice more along with several other Lords of the Reach, Dorne, and the Westerlands, all pledging support to his goal of removing Ixidor from the line of succession but none going as far to say they supported his claim to the Throne. Davos thought that smart, it was best not to push for such a thing until after Ixidor was gone, and only then if Rhaenys wouldn't push her own claim. Davos had come to that decision a few days ago, he'd been thinking more and more about the issue of succession as the meeting of Lords grew closer and closer, and he'd decided that Rhaenys certainly would deserve the Throne if she wanted it…he held faith that she would continue wherever Queen Daenerys left off. However, a small part of his mind wondered if there were other reasons for that, perhaps he felt she deserved it because of her deed in Mereen, a sort of paying of the debt he owed her.
Yet another part suggested something more sinister to Davos, that he was falling for the little Princess, that he wanted her to have whatever she desired because he was losing his rationality around her. Davos shook his head at that thought, love was a stupid concept to pay any heed to when one was a Lord or King, Tyrion had bashed that point in his head many years ago. His feelings for Jenei though, hadn't they been those of love? Davos knew they were but the rational part of his mind told him it was when he was younger and more naïve then he was today, today he was a man who'd proven his strength in war and back then he was a weak boy playing at being a Prince. That same part of his mind told him to smother those feelings, drown them out with rationality, he was in the Game now and the Game had no time for love…only cold rational thought and politics.
A knock on his door pulled him out of his thoughts and it soon opened, Davos turned to see who was entering before promptly bowing at the sight of the Queen.
"Your Grace, what do I owe this visit?" Davos asked in his most polite tone.
"It's alright Davos, the walls are thick here, formalities can wait." Daenerys stated before she shut the heavy wooden door behind her, one of his bodyguard then locking it from outside.
Davos nodded and motioned over to his desk, sitting down and pouring two glasses of wine for the Queen and himself, he took a sip first as was customary when serving royalty before asking, "Daenerys, I wasn't expecting you, is there something I can do? Is something wrong?"
Daenerys shook her head before replying, "No, nothing wrong, I actually just wanted to talk to you…we haven't talked in over a week and we left off on a sore subject."
Davos had to agree on that point as he replied "Aye, that we did, was there something in particular you had in mind?"
"Actually yes, I'd been speaking with Prince Ixidor today when he asked if I knew how you escaped the fighting pits of Mereen, I realized then that I hadn't actually listened to you about what happened over there." Daenerys answered, sipping her wine as she awaited Davos's response.
It didn't surprise Davos that Ixidor would ask the Queen that, who would've been most likely to know the answer and tell him it than his Grandmother the Queen? However, that left Davos in a bit of a bind, on one hand he could be truthful to the Queen and tell her everything, betraying his promise to Rhaenys…or he could lie to the Queen and in a way, break his oaths of loyalty to Daenerys. Neither option was right, neither option was good, and silence on the subject wasn't an answer.
Davos bit his lip as he realized what choice he had to make before speaking, "Well, it's all rather a long story, more fit for a book than a conversation…are you sure you want to hear it?"
Daenerys gave a small smile at that and replied "Despite your politeness on this…yes I would, it's changed you quite a bit, Essos…just like it did me all those years ago. Everyone knows my story, the least I can do is give you the time to tell yours."
Davos nodded before taking a long sip of wine and saying "Alright then, I guess we'll start after the landings, you know how those went already. They gathered those of us who survived and led us off into the desert, from there they began asking our names and houses to separate the nobles from the regular men, when I told them my name though the Legionaries grabbed me and dragged me away from all the rest…I figured it was because I was the Prince so they wanted to keep me under close supervision. But that didn't happen, I never saw another Westerosi after that, instead I was brought to Mereen…and there I was auctioned off to a room of high-class masters. One of them won it, I forget his name, promised myself to do so after I killed him…but when he won me he immediately went to work training me for the fighting pits…maybe a month passed before my first fight…poor son of bitch looked terrified when I drove my spear into his gut. A lot of my opponents did after that too…no matter the weapon I used, when their time came they almost always were terrified when I delivered the final blow."
Davos stared off as some of those faces came to mind, he stopped on the last one, that woman who'd been sent to die for a backroom deal…he reached for his glass and took a long, needy sip from it before looking back to Daenerys and continuing "Sorry…anyway, it went like that for two years, eventually I found my weapon in the saber…a great weapon against unarmored opponents…most fighters were anyway. I kept myself alive by a little skill and a lot of luck, early on I was given the name 'Stag', not because anyone knew who I was…just because of the brand my master gave me when he bought me…he had it specially made to reflect my family's banners. After two years and killing over a hundred people I was a legend in some circles, everyone wanted to watch me fight, wanted to watch me kill…unfortunately for them they'd soon get to see it all too well. You see, I didn't escape your Grace…I was freed."
"Freed? By whom?" Daenerys asked, intrigued.
Davos shrugged before he lied "I don't know, she had a covered face, all I ever saw were her brown eyes and all I ever heard from her was an accent I couldn't place."
Davos felt guilty at that, he'd just lied as easily as he breathed, and to the Queen nonetheless…he sighed before continuing with the lie "She bought me from my master and brought me to the docks, told me to get on the next ship to Westeros and live my life…I didn't do that. Instead I went back to the pits, killed the few guards in the underbelly of the pits and began freeing the slaves inside, we took the armory as the crowds above cheered at a fight that was going on the whole time. And then, we swarmed them, killing men and women without hesitation, slaughtering the guards and freeing any other slaves in the pits we could find. From there I led several raids on the armories of Mereen, then we went house to house, cutting people's throats and freeing their slaves…by the time the sun dawned upon the city it was ours. I was made the leader of this makeshift slave army I'd created, and with it I took the bulk of the army out of the city, it was the right call because an Iron Legion showed up to siege the city.
"They must've thought we'd all been in Mereen, they never guarded their rear flank like they should have, and so…one night we crept a few thousand souls into their camps and began cutting their throats in their sleep. By the time someone raised the alarm it was too late, they had only a third of their Legion still left at most…and it was too disoriented and too small in numbers to resist us effectively. When we'd killed or captured them all, we stripped them of their weapons and armor, and then I ordered that they and any remaining Masters be impaled upon stakes a mile or two from the city upon the road to Yunkai. When two more Legions showed up, they turned around at the sight of twenty thousand bodies impaled before them, the men of the Iron Legions refused to march forward despite their officers' demands…I heard quite a few were executed for that embarrassment. That gave me the time to truly turn the war in our favor, a former merchant turned slave named Ryszard told me of a nation to our east that could aid us…the Polskan Commonwealth it was called.
"I went with him and for the better part of a year I spent my time in their royal court trying to convince the nobles and their King that my rebellion was worth backing. I learned their language and customs, and took faith in their religion, and eventually they put their faith in me. I was given two thousand volunteer cavalrymen, ten thousand lances, thousands of pikes, and many more weapons and pieces of armor to arm and equip my army. When I returned I spent the rest of that first-year training that army, the Polskans helped greatly in that, and by year's end we were ready to march on Yunkai. It was there that we met those two Legions who'd fled all those months ago, and we faced them in open battle…it was a decisive victory, the Iron Legions didn't believe in cavalry…thinking they were the soldiers of barbarians like the Dothraki…that thinking got them killed in the end.
"Yunkai opened her gates after that, perhaps her leaders thought I'd show mercy if they surrendered…I didn't. Once again I ordered the Masters to be killed and the Slaves freed, this time I didn't need to leave twenty thousand people impaled in the desert as it was us who marched forward, this time on Astapor. They didn't open their gates, and so I began a siege that would last a year before finally they sallied forth their army."
At the thought of that army Davos chuckled, the Queen gave him a strange expression before he moved to explain "The Masters had thought it wise to recreate the Unsullied…and to use it on an army of slaves, led by a Westerosi coming to free them. Regardless, when we began chanting your name in defiance of the army before us, when we threw broken chains at our feet…the Unsullied turned on the Masters of Astapor and helped us sack the city in the same way we had Mereen and Yunkai. Now all that had been left was New Ghis, we had seized the navy of Mereen, and using it to great effect were able to land the army on the island the city was built upon, I sieged it for six months before ordering an assault on the walls. It wasn't supposed to actually work, but we'd underestimated the city's food supplies, most of their soldiers were half starved, their people even worse…we took the walls easily and before the day was over the city was awash with flames and the screams of Masters being slaughtered. I spent a few more months over there, helped them craft a new government, and was offered to be crowned king of that nation…I refused and put my backing behind Ryszard, he'd backed me all that time and was truly my closest advisor…I could think of no better man to lead the new Commonwealth."
Davos paused, finished his glass of wine before pouring himself a new one, and then finished "After that I sailed back here, like I said, a long story and that's without the more…explicit details."
Daenerys seemed to mull all that information over, she looked up at Davos and opened her mouth to say something, but the words never came…she looked at Davos sorrowfully and simply shook her head.
That was all Davos needed to see, he gave the Queen a sad smile before saying "The past is the past, it cannot be changed, I need no apologies or pity for what happened over there…in the end I kept my promise to you and that's what matters most."
Daenerys sighed at that before saying "Thank you for that, Davos, I can't imagine how hard it must've been to be able to sail home but choose not to in favor of three years of war…it makes me wonder how you're able to sleep at night, doing the things you had to do, it would've broken most other men."
Davos licked his lips as they suddenly felt dry, he knew why he slept at night, he had secretly enjoyed those last three years…he learned to love to kill, to fight, and to conquer. It had felt so…natural. And while he still had nightmares, they weren't of those he killed once free, but those he killed as a slave…and those he couldn't save.
But the Lord knew he couldn't say that to his Queen and so Davos simply replied "I'm not most other men, Daenerys…I pride myself on that."
"That must be why Rhaenys likes you so much…you're extraordinary in some ways Davos, in ways I couldn't fathom." Daenerys let slip.
Davos raised his eyebrow at that and asked "Princess Rhaenys? Surely you must be mistaking her with someone else, did you mean Jenei Lannister?"
Daenerys sadly smiled at that before saying "No, I meant Rhaenys, I've seen you and my Granddaughter in the gardens this past week. At first I wanted to take you both by the ear and separate you…but…there was something about Rhaenys that stopped me. She looked so much more different than her usual self, she didn't seem shy towards you or quiet like she is with everyone else, but rather I watched her smile and laugh with you…I saw her happy for the first time in the three years I'd known her…certainly happier than she is when she's around her future husband."
Davos thought back on those talks, Daenerys was right, Rhaenys seemed to come out of her shell during them…in fact he'd noticed her smile whenever she saw him ever since that…night. Still, he knew he had to find a way to play this off, and unfortunately he saw only one excuse that might work.
"Perhaps she sees me like an older, protective brother?" Davos questioned.
Daenerys shook her head sadly before replying "No…I think not, those looks she gives you, those smiles on her face whenever she sees you…those are not things I'd of given my brother if he was like you. They're the expressions and smiles I gave Jon all those years ago…before the world knew him as Aegon Targaryen, the hero who saved Westeros from the White Walkers. It breaks my heart in a way, to see her so happy with you…and yet to be promised to her brother instead."
That caused Davos to frown, what the Queen had said made sense, too much sense for him…and that sense made him angry more than anything else, that anger slipped into his voice as he spit "And yet you choose to let Ixidor force her into a marriage with him, her own brother, who does nothing to make her happy?"
Daenerys's eyes narrowed at that accusation before she pointed out "That decision was made long before I knew them, it was made by their father, my son…who am I to question his decision for his children?"
Davos looked at the Queen and replied "The daughter of the Mad King…the product of a bloodline of incest between Brother and Sister…a madman who burned people to death for amusement. That's what you are, that's why you have a right to question that decision…that's why you have a duty to keep your promise to Westeros that House Targaryen would no longer entertain such archaic ideas."
"You care for Rhaenys?" Daenerys asked pointedly.
Davos looked away a moment, considering the question, before looking back and answering vaguely "I care about a great many things, your Grace, her wellbeing is one of them. A good Lord should care for the wellbeing of the Royals."
Daenerys sighed before looking Davos in his steely blue eyes with steely violet eyes of her own as she stated "Then stop teasing her, and leave her be…she is already promised to another, and she doesn't need to love another man except her promised."
With that Daenerys stood up and turned for the door, but as she walked away Davos couldn't help but say "For a woman who'd been traded to a barbarian like a piece of meat by her brother, with the full knowledge that she'd be raped, you are awfully in favor of the barbarian and brother being the same thing in this case."
Daenerys tensed at that before spitting out without turning to face Davos "I came to love Drogo, I came to want his child…Rhaenys will come to do the same with Ixidor."
"If she hasn't done so after knowing him her entire life, how do you think marriage will change that?" Davos shot back.
Daenerys kept walking for the door as she simply warned "Watch your tongue my Lord."
"I never have." Davos stated as she reached for the door handle before adding "And I never will…someone's got to point out reality here after all since you seem so determined to live in a fantasy regarding your Grandchildren."
Daenerys turned at that, her patience worn as she shouted "The reality is that Rhaenys will marry Ixidor and you will never see her again after the marriage, because the moment the ceremony is completed you will leave this city and never come back, you will spend the rest of your life in the Stormlands. Far away from the Red Keep, and far away from her! You can either torment yourself with her memory or you can move on and marry any of the other Ladies of the Realm…in fact marry twelve while you're at it, maybe they'll all fill whatever void she'll leave in that naïve heart of yours!"
With that the Queen stormed out of his chambers, his two guards poked their heads in to see him, he nodded that he was ok and then returned to their posts as they shut the heavy door, leaving Davos alone once again.
"Huh…Tyrion told her about the twelve wives and twelve husbands…what an odd conversation that must have been?" Davos asked himself, taking his glass and downing its contents before going to refill it once again.
That Night (Ixidor Targaryen) …
"You need to be more patient with him grandmother, he's been here just over a week, he's not used the way things are over here." Ixidor consoled his grandmother as the two conversed in her chambers.
"That's rich from you." Daenerys sourly stated as she held her head in her hands before adding "He's just so thick headed. Can't realize that he isn't in some sort of idealistic poem or song, he's not a shining knight, and she's not a helpless princess in need of rescue."
Ixidor smiled at that, though not for any reasons his grandmother would know of, he smiled because everything was going just as he had planned. In fact, they were going better than planned, Ixidor had to remind himself later to congratulate his sister. She had far out performed his expectations, and she deserved some appreciation from him for it. Somewhere inside, Ixidor hoped that maybe this was a sign that his sister was starting to learn the way of the world how he saw it, that she was starting to see reality for what it is. He could only hope, he'd been trying to nail it into her head since they were children, and though she'd resisted and remained passionately idealistic…maybe this was the first sign of cracks in that resistant skull of hers? First though, Ixidor needed to convince his grandmother to cease her meddling in Rhaenys's work with Davos…if she could hold off just a month Ixidor was confident that at this pace he could set the trap for the Baratheon Lord and remove that thorn from his side.
Finally after a few moments of choosing his words carefully Ixidor pointed out "I'm not supposed to be the patient one Grandmother, my sister was always so much better with that than I…and it's something that maybe she could teach you."
Daenerys shook her head and said "She's the one who needs teaching, if she had any idea what she was doing, any idea at all then she'd avoid Davos like the plague."
Ixidor tried his best to act calming as he replied "Maybe not, the wedding's in less than two months, and while I'd like to be able to make her happy now I know that won't happen. There's no harm in her finding happiness in Lord Davos, it'll be hollow compared to the happiness I'll give her when she bears a child, and someday when she looks back on those meetings in the garden he'll be little more than a footnote in history for her…nothing compared to the man who will father her children."
Daenerys sighed and replied "It's because of moments like this grandson, that I know you're a good man, I just wish some Lords and Davos would take the time to get to know you and see it for themselves."
Ixidor had to hide a smirk at that before responding "They'll get to see it in due time, once I'm King, may that day be far away…but once I'm King they'll learn that truth too. Truly though, for the time being, let them whine and let them seethe…they are sheep and we dragons. If the Stag wishes to waste his days with my sister then I will let him, you should too, acting harshly will do nothing but ingrain the hatred he has for me."
Daenerys gave a small smile at that before saying "Very well, if you trust your sister to not put herself in a compromising position with Lord Davos then I will not intervene…she's your wife-to-be after all, not mine. In the end the say is yours."
Ixidor nodded at that before smiling and saying "Thank you grandmother, I trust her to make the right decision, she's smarter than she lets on sometimes."
/
Author's Note: Thank you all for reading this far, I know, it's a lot of words and can be dense at some points. For those here for action and adventure instead of the politics and intrigue, well next chapter should be up your alley. However I wanted to take the time to just clarify what happened to Rhaenys after Ixidor left, I'm not sure if I portrayed it too well but she was suffering from a panic attack from too much undue stress from being sexually assaulted and from learning that Ixidor was plotting to kill the only man she could trust to help get rid of Ixidor, it wasn't her showing Targaryen Madness or anything like that. Of course such a thing wouldn't really be understood by the people of Westeros, so it would look like she was losing all sanity, thankfully Davos recognized it thanks to his time on battlefields both during and after the battles, plenty of soldiers would've fallen into attacks like that after the adrenaline wore off and the realization of what happened hit them...so that's how he knew what to do to help her out of her particular attack. With that said, thanks for reading, feel free to follow and leave a review. Appreciate it!