AN: I'm back from my vacation, and as promised here's another chapter. Let me know what you think, reviews fuel the writing process :).
Daenerys II
Dany sat the Iron Throne, gathering herself in anticipation for Jon's arrival. An hour ago scouts had reported sightings of the King in the North leading a small party down the Kingsroad, so she expected him to arrive any minute.
She thankfully hadn't encountered Aegon that day, and she hoped it would stay that way. He was still in the Tower of the Hand, only coming out twice since the Small Council meeting. Both times he had come to her and asked her to reconsider marrying him, and both times she had refused. The rage that followed could only be quenched when she promised to find him another highborn woman, but even still he held a grudge against her.
What did he expect? I've refused his advances countless times and still he refuses to give up. He's determined, I'll give him that.
She was interrupted from her thoughts when Tyrion and Varys walked through the doors of the throne room. Following them were Jon and his direwolf along with three women, one of whom was a giant warrior. What she assumed to be a squire walked beside the large woman, and she took note of how beautiful the woman beside Jon was. Worry grew inside her as the blonde woman kept trying to bump into him, but he avoided each of her attempts at getting closer much to Dany's relief.
The King in the North's eyes were only for her as he stopped before the foot of her throne. He bowed before standing with his back straight, looking straight into her eyes. She found heat going to her core and spreading up through her chest before reaching her cheeks.
This man has no idea what he does to me.
Jon spoke. "Your Grace, it's a pleasure to see you again."
Dany said, "It pleases me to see you as well, Your Grace."
Jon looked surprised. "There's no need for that, my Queen. I just rule the North…"
"And I just rule the Seven Kingdoms… well, six now that the North has declared to be sovereign from the rest of the realm. I seek to change that starting today. However, first I would like you to introduce me to your companions." Dany raised her eyebrows, looking pointedly at the pretty blonde woman.
Jon saw who she was looking at and stammered, "That's Val, a wildling princess. She wished to… ah… see the southern kingdoms and experience their… delights." He looked up at Dany when he said that last word and Dany felt a tingling sensation between her legs. She took some satisfaction when Val turned her scrutinizing eyes from Jon to Dany towards the end of her introduction before scowling.
Jon gestured to his right, where a woman stood who looked similar to him with the same long face and grey eyes. "This is my cousin Arya Stark, who I've known as a sister throughout most of my young life."
He gestured behind him, where the warrior woman stood vigilant with the young man beside her. "This is Brienne of Tarth, my cousins' sworn sword and beside her is her squire Podrick Payne." Jon patted his direwolf's head and said, "You've met Ghost."
Jon turned his dark grey eyes up towards Dany, and she swallowed a lump in her throat at his burning gaze. "I'm glad to meet you all. I'm assuming you want to know the real reason I requested you here?"
Jon and Arya looked at each other in confusion before Arya asked, "Why's that, Your Grace? I thought we were to enter into an alliance?"
Dany smiled at the dark-haired woman and her smirk turned playful when she looked at Jon. "What's the best way to forge an alliance, my King?"
As Dany's words registered in Jon's head his expression turned into a weird mixture of hope, surprise, and embarrassment. "Would you please clarify what you mean?" he asked.
"We are to be wed in a fortnight, Jon," Dany announced, forgetting the formalities because of the excitement bubbling inside her. She stood up from her throne and began walking down the steps towards him.
Jon looked puzzled and dumbstruck at her words. She noticed that his right hand was shaking, which he clenched into a fist. Lust swam through his eyes and she could have sworn the temperature in the throne room got warmer. Meanwhile Arya laughed in joy, Val's expression darkened, Tyrion smirked and Brienne gawked in surprise.
"I thought you were betrothed to Aegon?" he managed to pose the question despite his profound look as she stopped a foot before him.
Dany responded, "He likes to think we are, and despite his attempts to woo me I have rebuffed him. Do you accept my hand in marriage?"
Please say yes, please say yes, please say…
"Yes! Of course I accept." She was overjoyed at how happy he sounded, but also surprised.
Does he have the same feelings for me as I do for him?
As if in answer to her thought, Jon threw away all propriety and pressed his lips to hers while he wrapped his arms around her waist. His tongue delved between her full lips and entwined with hers and she felt lust practically radiating off the two of them. Her core burned with need as she ran her hands across his chest and his palm slid down to cup her bottom through her silk gown.
All at once Jon pulled away, leaving her breathless and dazed. The look on his face was horrified as he looked around at everyone staring at them in shock, although Tyrion and Arya just looked amused.
He turned to her and uttered, "I apologize, my Queen. That was inappropriate of me…" His apology was interrupted as Dany leaned in and kissed him.
It was a short kiss, with a promise of more to come as she pulled her head back and stared into his eyes. "Don't be sorry. I quite enjoyed that."
Jon looked at her, amazed at her reaction. He let out one of his rare laughs and he held her hands, pulling her in for an embrace when the throne room doors suddenly burst open. Both of them looked up in alarm as Aegon strolled down the throne room followed by a dozen men of the Golden Company. Harry Strickland flanked the dragon prince on one side and on his other side walked Ellaria Sand.
"I see you two lovebirds are about to bed each other right here before the Iron Throne," Aegon spat out in a scathing voice. That's when Dany realized that Jon's stiff manhood was pressed against her belly. Jon unwrapped his arms from around Dany and moved in front of her, facing Aegon.
"Oh don't mind me, bastard brother. Go ahead and bed your aunt, I've sure longed to. Why not have her spread her legs to receive your rotten seed. Cursed Stark blood runs through your veins. If it weren't for your mother my father might have never died." He stopped talking for a moment, as if thinking. Then he smiled cruelly as he continued his tirade, passing Jon's companions as he did so and growing ever closer to Jon and Dany.
"Come to think about it, Robert's Rebellion and the War of Five Kings would have never happened if it weren't for your bitch mother." Jon bristled at that and Dany seethed with anger at Aegon's audacity.
At this point Aegon was standing right in front of Jon, his two companions hanging back behind him.
Dany attempted to get past Jon to face Aegon only to be pushed back gently but firmly. She peered from around his shoulder at Aegon's smug face and then arched her neck to look up at Jon, who was staring stone-faced at his brother. Dany could feel him trembling in rage and when she pressed her face against his back she could hear his heart beating a fast staccato rhythm.
This isn't going to end well.
Growing dread flowed through her as Jon wouldn't allow Dany to stop the situation from spinning out of control further, so she could only stand back and watch.
Aegon's eyes were alight with malice and hate as he took a step forward so that he was right in Jon's face. "How does it feel, knowing that you're the product of an illicit affair that killed thousands upon thousands of people and nearly destroyed the realm. Seven Hells, my grandfather was a chivalrous man compared to you." Jon clenched both his fists, shaking with rage and trying to hold his emotions in check.
Dany finally found her voice and bellowed, "Aegon, you are not welcome here. I will have my men escort you out of the keep if you don't stop this madness."
Ser Garlan grabbed the hilt of his blade, as did the other six members of her Queensguard. Red Dirt and his three sergeants leveled their spears and were about to march forward when Aegon held up his hands.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you. As you can see, I've brought my own men who are loyal only to me. Not to mention the Martells who are interspersed throughout your soldier's ranks. We wouldn't want to cause bloodshed, now would we?"
Dany swiveled her gaze to Ellaria and asked, "Is this true?"
The bastard woman openly glared at Jon as she hissed, "It is. I don't want to see the living embodiment of Rhaegar's betrayal to House Martell ruling the Seven Kingdoms. It would be disrespectful."
Throughout all of this Jon stayed silent, still staring at Aegon. Arya made her presence known to the newcomers by shouting, "If I'm not mistaken, you're a bastard yourself. You're the ones being disrespectful. This is the King in the North you're prattling discourteously about. He helped save the Seven Kingdoms by leading an army of men hundreds of thousands strong against the White Walkers and their thralls. Without him you wouldn't be standing here!"
Ellaria scoffed and Aegon shouted, "It was dragons that saved Westeros, not this Bastard King! And who are you to raise your voice against me and my allies?" He turned to regard her.
"My name is Arya Stark, and you've just earned a name on my list." Aegon began walking towards her, seemingly forgetting about Jon completely.
"You must look just like your aunt, little bitch. I pray one day you'll be just as traitorous as that whore so I can gut you," Aegon scorned. Arya gripped Needle as Aegon advanced closer, but she had no need for it as Brienne blocked his path and Jon's self-control snapped.
Before Dany or anyone else could process anything Jon tackled Aegon to the hard floor and began pummeling him, his fists raining down as blurs. He growled, "You dare threaten Arya and speak ill of my mother! And if you ever hurt Daenerys I'll…"
Dany lost track of how many times Jon punched Aegon before the prince smashed his forehead into Jon's nose and punched him with an uppercut. Jon fell back from the force of the hit and Aegon got to his feet as his men rushed forward to attack Jon's friends and her guards.
Before bloodshed could ensue she and Aegon both shouted, "STOP!" in unison and everyone backed down. Everyone that is, except for Jon. Dany could only stare in wonder and horror as her betrothed scrambled to his feet and rammed Aegon to the ground shoulder first. Jon seemed to regain control after he looked up from Aegon to Dany.
She met his eyes and said, "Trust me, Jon, his words here will have consequences. Please stop this before it gets worse." Jon's gaze moved from her imploring face to Aegon's blood-spattered one. All of his resolve dissolved at once and he walked away from his half-brother, grabbing Arya by the arm and escorting her and the rest of his household out of the Red Keep.
In the ensuing silence that followed, Aegon wearily got to his feet and coolly regarded Daenerys. Tyrion muttered, "Well, that went splendidly. I for one am excited for the further festivities leading up to the wedding."
Dany ignored her Hand and bore her piercing eyes onto Aegon's angry face. "I suggest you apologize to the Starks, especially Jon. He is my betrothed and I will not have you mucking this up further than you already have."
Aegon all but sputtered, "You can't be serious, Dany. He's not worthy of you; I will rip his heart out if that's what it takes. I'd rather see you dead than wed to that man!"
Dany's hot blood seemed to cool in her veins as her stomach sank at her nephew's treasonous words, and she said the next words without pause. "You are hereby banished from King's Landing. I expect you and your mercenaries out of the city by nightfall, or you will be imprisoned and put on trial."
Aegon's laughter was half-mad as he stalked towards her. Ser Garland and Ser Paxter Redwyne stepped in front of Dany, keeping Aegon from advancing further. When his laughter died down he spat on Garlan's face and glared at her.
"Who, pray tell, will judge me? The Faith went up in wildfire and there are no more Septons in the city."
"I will judge you," she responded in a cold voice.
"Will you now? Would you sentence one of the last Targaryens to death and marry the other one? I wonder what my father would think."
"I'm sure Rhaegar would be appalled. He held a Stark dearly while you spout nonsense about killing his son and Arya. Now I want you out of my presence."
Aegon bowed mockingly with his arms open at his sides. "As Your Grace commands. Just remembers our words next time we meet. Fire and blood. I'm sure it will be a dance for the ages."
With that, he led his men outside the throne room and Dany sighed. Her day was going so good until Aegon ruined everything.
"Varys, have your spies find out what Aegon's foolish plans are. Ser Bronn, have the city watch make sure all of Aegon's forces leave the city and make sure order is kept in the streets. I will not have blood shed during my first month on the throne."
The two men bowed and left to do as they were told. Tyrion spoke up, "Aegon's men likely include the forces of Dorne. I never did trust those Sand Snakes, and the mother is even worse."
"What would you have me do?" Dany asked in exasperation, her unease growing by the second.
"There's nothing you can do at the moment other than seeking out your King in the North, or is he now the King of the Seven Kingdoms? Anyway, he seemed quite distraught." Her Hand's statement sent alarm racing through her.
Jon needs me right now! What if he does something rash. He might confront Aegon. He could get himself hurt… or worse!
These thoughts spiraled through her head as she raced out of the throne room and into the streets of King's Landing, her Queensguard rushing after her.
AN: What did you think about the Jon/Aegon confrontation? Let me know what you think about the story thus far and whether or not you like the direction it's heading :)