Hello again! Like I said over a month ago I will resume posting new chapters for this story. While I can't tell you when I will publish next chapter I think I will do it quickly because next chapter will be rather short. As always reviews are welcome.

Chapter 6

The King's Plans

In the meantime, Daenerys finally managed to calm herself. Rhaenys was really insistent trying to figure out what happened to her aunt but Dany wouldn't say a word so she let it go. The silver-haired girl couldn't hurt Viserys, the truth would ruin him and despite of his terrible behaviour she still loved him like a brother (in the typical Westeros sense, as opposed to her family's usual romantic involvements of siblings). At that moment Dany hoped that maybe Rhaegar could force Viserys to marry- and that maybe he would have to leave her alone.

Rhaenys finally changed the topic but, judging from the looks she gave, Daenerys knew that she wouldn't forget about it. She knew that she would have to figure out what to tell her, eventually. At that moment, though, Daenerys and Rhaenys went to eat breakfast together. When they finished, one of the guards came to them and announced that the king requested their presence in his solar. The girls exchanged looks but obeyed and went to meet him.

When they arrived they saw that rest of their family was also present. Next to the king sat his wife, Aegon was standing right next to the king and sent Rhaenys a questioning look. Viserys, for a change, paced nervously around the room. Instantly when he saw Dany he fell silent, glanced at her and resumed his pacing. Younger children were absent- it was clear that it was an important matter which children should not witness.

The young women took their seats, and Rhaegar spoke slowly with a serious voice:

-You are probably wondering why I summoned all of you here. The case is that, for some time now, I wanted to put my plans in motion. These plans will change Westeros significantly, if I will have it my way. Before I start implementing them I need to gain more support from the most powerful families in Westeros. Also, all of you are unmarried and you are in the marriageable age or close enough to that age. I decided to solve these problems all at once. I want you to hear my announcement and have some time to prepare yourselves for this prospect.

Dany and Rhaenys exchanged worried looks but said nothing. They were fully aware that they had nothing to say in that matter, unless the king told them so. After a long moment of dead silence, Rhaegar cleared his throat and spoke again, that time directly to his oldest daughter:

-Rhaenys, I found you a good match. Your future husband will be Thomas Royce from Vale. Since the time of the rebellion his father was a great supporter of the crown, and he even chose to put his loyalty to us over his oath to a liege lord. Now they rule the Vale and thanks to this marriage our families will be brought even closer. Don't look at me like that- he added when he saw her expression- This boy is only two years older than you, it could always be worse. You won't be married right away. Lord Royce and myself, we came to an agreement- when the affairs which are currently happening here will be over, you will came to the Vale with the Royces to be the ward of the lord Paramount of Vale. You will have one year to get to know each other. After this time, you will return here and if you won't have any objections you will marry. Yes, if you find out that this boy is cruel, arrogant or displeasing for you I will rethink the arrangement. I didn't give you a choice in that matter but the final decision will be yours.

-Then I consent to your proposal. Thank you, father- she said and run to hug him. Rhaegar was a bit surprised but smiled, held her tight and murmured something to her ear. His daughter only smiled weakly and nodded, and she went back to her place.

Rhaegar saw that that case was closed so he turned to his brother Viserys:

-I also found a match for you, brother. It wasn't an easy task because there are not many families which are significant enough to at least be considered worthy of you. Yet my research turned out to be successful and you will marry Myrcella Lannister. She's only fourteen but you won't marry her right away, too. She's young but it's clear that she's a real beauty, like her mother, and...- the king wanted to continue but was stopped when Viserys lost control and shouted:

-You can't do this to me! I'm a dragon and I won't accept this whore as my wife. Father didn't want her mother to be your wife and that means something, right? So why do you force me to do something like... like ... like this?

-Silence!- Rhaegar raised his voice- You are lucky that the Lannisters are not here, they wouldn't tolerate such behaviour. I'm being quite understanding now but they certainly would not be. It's all settled and you should be happy that I found you a worthy bride.

-It's against our tradition- Viserys started but the King quickly cut him off.

-We won't have this discussion again. I see that you won't listen to the reason so I have to do it the hard way. Viserys, you have two choices. The first option: you accept my proposition and I give you the land, the title and you live happily and peacefully. The second option: you refuse and the Night's Watch gains a new member. Our kinsman Aemon is the maester in the Castle Black and he would gladly see the member of the family visiting him, but I doubt he would be happy if you choose to live on the Wall for the rest of your life. So I ask now- what is your choice?- he finished angrily. Daenerys held her breath, she had no doubt that that time Viserys crossed the line and Rhaegar probably wouldn't back down.

Viserys looked like he would explode from rage. After an agonisingly long moment he took in a breath, stood up from his seat, and told Rhaegar in a blank voice:

-So be it, brother. I will marry that... woman- the King's brother agreed and opened his mouth again like he wanted to say something more but he stopped himself. Before any one could reach him he turned around and left the room, slamming the doors.

Rhaegar didn't seem to care much about his brother's behaviour. He stated only:

-He will get over it. I'm sure he will calm himself down, he doesn't have any other choice.- Then the King turned to his son and told him:

-Aegon, my son. What shall I do with you? You are my heir and when I'm gone Westeros will be yours; you will also be the head of our family. You will need a strong and good queen. I have a great match for you but before I will speak about her I want to hear your opinion.

Daenerys stiffened when she heard those words. She was quite sure what she would hear in the next few moments.

Aegon spoke slowly:

-Father, I know that you're an enemy of the old ways of our family. I want to point out that Daenerys and I are not as close as it was usual in the history of our house, we are not siblings like she and Viserys. And if you have nothing against it, I would like to marry Dany.

Rhaegar frozen, musing his son's words. After a while, he turned to Daenerys, who felt really uncomfortable by then, and spoke:

-The tradition of our house brought madness and misery both to Westeros and our house. However, the Targaryens survived many hardships in our history. The state of affairs of Dany and you, Aegon, is not as unacceptable for me as Viserys' and Dany's would be. So I am willing to accept this solution- Aegon smiled and Dany's heart froze- but before it could happen I want to hear what my sister thinks about it. Daenerys, what is your opinion? Do you want to marry Aegon and become the future Queen of Westeros?- the King asked calmly.

The silver-haired girl thought intensively. What could she do, especially when Rhaegar put it that way? On the one hand she wasn't very happy at the prospect of becoming Aegon's wife. She knew him for many years and she didn't have any special feelings towards him. He liked her very much and for a short time he openly showed his affections. On the other hand, he was a good man and she knew that he could take care of her. Maybe she would grow to love him? And, more importantly, she would be the queen in the future! Daenerys never thought about it but just then she came to the conclusion that she could make a change if she was the queen. She realised that she could be much more than only a mother of her children and a wife. That kind of life probably wouldn't be enough for her and as the queen she could do so much more! Yet, even with that prospect in mind, Dany was not thrilled at the thought of being Aegon's wife. Maybe it would change with time?

Daenerys was unable to decide when suddenly the image of a certain boy with his blue eyes and dark-red hair flooded her mind. He smiled to her and she smiled back. The vision disappeared as quickly as it showed to her but Dany comprehended right away what she should tell.

The young woman turned slowly to Aegon, who watched her nervously. She felt sorry for him but that couldn't change the fact that she wasn't interested in him. And although the perspective of being the queen was tempting, she knew that she didn't need power. She wanted a peaceful life with a man, and a real family- something that she never truly had. Yes, Rhaegar and Ellia were good to her, Rhaenys and her friends too, but she longed for something more. And since she did not want to have power, she did not regret rejecting the life of the king's wife.

-Aegon, I can't marry you. You have to forgive me but I can't bring myself to do this. Also, even though this isn't a problem for you, we are still family; we look very similar and I see this. I can't do this, you are my family and it feels wrong. I don't know how the rest of you feel- she added speaking to the people in the solar- but I think that the tradition of marriage in our family is dated. I'm glad that you decided not to continue the old customs- she ended, staring boldly at her brother.

Aegon sent her a somber look, but Rhaegar only nodded.

-Well, Daenerys, you made your choice. Son, in this situation I can't agree to your proposition. Nevertheless, I found a good match for you- her name is Margaery Tyrell. She's a prefect lady and she will be a good wife and queen for you. She's here for some time so you two should probably get acquainted. The wedding won't happen right away so you have a chance to know her properly.

-Yes, father- Aegon said with a hollow voice, and followed Viserys' example but instead of slamming the doors, he left the room quietly. Despite of his calm attitude Dany couldn't help but be worried- when he wanted something, Aegon could be very stubborn and persistent and she suspected that he wouldn't give up without a fight. He would try to do something to persuade her to change her mind.

Eventually, Rhaegar called her name, bringing Dany back to the reality.

-What am I supposed to do with you, dear sister? You cost me so much trouble- he finished dramatically and the girl smiled a bit. After a moment he continued, only that time in a serious tone:

-I have my doubts when it comes to you. You are the youngest from all four so I can give you a bit more time. I have my eyes on a few potentially good matches but if you have a fairly reasonable proposition I will gladly hear it. Rhaenys, you and Aegon are my children and that makes you more desirable than Dany. She's also a bit younger -he finished his sentence and Rhaenys, even though she looked like she wanted to argue, did not say a word.

Dany smiled sadly and Rhaenys looked at her with compassion. Of course Daenerys knew who she wanted to marry but she was not sure how Rhaegar would react. And, more importantly, would Robb himself would be interested? Her rational side seemed to tell her that she was delusional and that she should accept Aegon's proposal but her heart was set on the heir of Winterfell. Also, as far as she knew he was not betrothed or married so it didn't hurt to try.

Rhaegar noticed that his sister and daughter exchanged quick glances but he said nothing, waiting for Dany's answer. Finally, the young woman spoke:

-Yes brother, I'm interested in someone but please, don't ask me for details. He probably is not aware of my feelings and I don't know how he could react. Give me more time.

-Who's that?- asked the King teasingly- Dany, you are a rare beauty and every man would be lucky to have you as a wife. Besides that, you're my sister, a member of the royal family and every great house would be lucky to have you as a member of their family.

Dany redden a bit after the compliment but replied:

-I don't want to talk about it, brother. I don't want to reveal more details until I will now more. More time, that's what I need and at the right time I will tell you.

Rhaegar looked at his daughter who nodded energetically, then to his wife who smiled and also nodded. That time the King was defeated and he knew it. So he told his sister:

-All right then, you don't have to say anything. Currently, many great lords reside in the Capitol and will stay here for some time- I need to soften our image amongst some of them. You will have some time to think and act as you see fit while they are still here, but when they will start to leave you need to declare yourself. Just remember that whoever he is, he must be from a proper house, you can't choose a bastard or only a knight, not to mention smallfolks.

-No brother, you don't have to worry about it- Daenerys responded quickly. Robb Stark was a member of an old, prestigious family which still was highly respected, despite of their participation in the rebellion.

-I'm glad to hear that. You have time then, until the end of the negotiations with the lords- Rhaegar reminded.

Daenerys nodded. She knew that that time her brother was serious. Frankly speaking though, she was sure that until the end of time which was given to her, the situation with Robb would be solved. Dany saw everything clearly- she had a crush, a big one on the young men she barely knew. If he wouldn't reciprocate her feelings she would marry someone of her brother's choosing, that was all.

-Now, if you don't have anything more to say I need to end this meeting. I am sorry, but there are duties which require my attention- Rhaegar finished. Nobody had anything else to add they all left the King's solar. Rhaenys and Daenerys walked together and even though they didn't utter the word, their eyes told them everything. Later they would have some more time and they would be able to talk in private.

When Catelyn, Bran, Rickon and most of the northmen bannermen left the Capitol, Ned sent his daughters back to the castle to attend their usual chores. He motioned his oldest son to follow him and when they were walking they stumbled upon many people. Majority of them, though, stepped aside when they saw the grim look on lord Stark's face. Only one person, familiar to Robb, had the courage to stop them. It was Daenerys. She just wanted to say something to Robb and, suddenly, Eddard stopped too and looked at his son questioningly. Daenerys asked Robb if he could find some time for her later but he admitted that he honestly had no idea. He promised, however, to let her know if he happened to be available. She smiled at him and told him that he should go back to his own affairs and she wouldn't stop him any longer.

Robb and Eddard resumed walking until they reached their destination. Lord Stark made sure that no one was eavesdropping and then he told Robb in a hushed tone:

-You are probably wondering why I decided that you should stay with me. The truth is that the King is planning to make some changes in Westeros- and these changes can potentially weaken our, lords, position and strenghten the position of the crown.

-In this case we need to stop this while we still can- Robb said without hesitation.

-Not so fast, son. Some of Rhaegar's ideas aren't so bad. Nonetheless, before I decide what to think about these prospects I need to hear what others think about them, and your opinion also matters.

-We can't trust the Targaryens. You know best what the King did when I was a child- the heir of Winterfell replied angrily.

-Yes, son. I remember those times better than you do. I also remember that when our case was lost and I was dragged before him, the King showed me mercy, spared me and you, and all what remained of our family was left unharmed. He even let me be a Lord of Winterfell and a Lord Paramount of the North. Moreover, Rhaegar is a competent king. He deserves my respect and you should respect him also.

-But my aunt...- Robb tried to fight but his father cut him off quickly.

- Don't say a word about her!- Ned Stark warned- What happened to Lyanna was a great tragedy, it's true. I won't ever forget what happened to her but we can't be angry with the King forever. As the time passed, I looked a bit differently on the entire situation. Besides, you shouldn't talk about your resentment towards the Targaryens when you were seen being quite busy talking to one of them.

Robb reddened a bit, mostly because he hoped that his father wouldn't notice his encounter with Daenerys. He knew that that situation would raise questions pretty fast. Yes, she was pretty enough to draw his attention but the heir of Winterfell wasn't so weak when it came to women.

-I'm not condemning you, son- she's quite a gem. I myself don't see a problem. But let's not talk about it. We shouldn't feed on the old hatred because of the mistakes of the past. Now we need to focus on what happens here. Remember, our every step here is closely watched. It's too soon for any decisions and we definitely should not antagonise the Crown.

After that statement Ned started calmly presenting the King's ideas.

Rhaegar felt tired after he finished reading one of many letters which he got yesterday. That one was an insignificant one but it was polite to read and write a reply. One of many tedious task of the King. Of course he could appoint one of his men to do that work and he usually did it, but from time to time, Rhaegar did those chores by himself. They weren't really that tiring and helped to remind him about his responsibilities, and what truly meant to be the King.

The true reason of the King's distress was his concern about implementing his ideas. Some of them were rather harmless but few of them would surely create a great discontent among his vassals. Unfortunately, without the support of the nobles he couldn't achieve anything, so sooner or later he would have to face them.

The King sighed. It all started at the moment when he realised that his position, in fact, was weak and that his reign was depended on a good will of few powerful families. His father ignored that fact, which started a rebellion and ultimately cost Aerys his life. The rebellion... Rhaegar was deeply ashamed of his role in the past events. For years he tried to forget about those grim years, but mostly he tried to forget about his own foolishness. Usually he managed to successfully push back those painful memories but lord Stark's visit opened the old wounds- when the King saw his vassal, his thoughts involuntary drifted towards Ned Stark's deceased sister. Poor Lyanna...

Rhaegar came to back to the reality. It would not do him well to dwell on the past. The present time and near future were his more important concerns.

His first idea was to create a professional army. It wouldn't contain a big number of troops but he was aware that it would be still perceived as a threat by the lords. Rhaegar also planned to create some strongholds in the strategic areas of Westeros governed by the King's people. In the beginning, the lords would have to sustain them but in order to make them last for a long time he would have to create a tax for the entire country.

The king also had three other additional ideas: firstly, he wanted to take part of the Gift away from the Night's Watch and create an area of permanent garrisons of the royal troops. Secondly, he wanted to shrink the number of the Iron Island's fleet and incorporate some of their ships to the royal fleet. That area of Westeros was the most dangerous of all and it would be a first step to civilise those barbarians. The third idea was a really controversial one, because it would seriously tie the hands of the lords. Rhaegar wanted to appoint the royal servants to control the expenses of his lords. They would oversee his vasals' finances and report to him any abnormalities.

That was a whole bunch of ideas which altogether would strengthen the position of the Crown. That way when someone would decide to rebel against the King they would be weaker than the rebels in the past. The only question was- would those ideas become the reality?

Rhaegar knew that his council was supporting him; the feast gave him an opportunity to ask about the opinions of the powerful lords. He asked about Doran Martell's views in the letter, and he was probably the most intelligent man in Westeros. The king also consulted Ned Stark- he participated in the rebellion years ago, but after its end he was loyal and Rhaegar needed an opinion of someone outside his circle of advisors. They all gave him their answers, and both of them were also convinced that his ideas would create a great division in the kingdom.

In the meantime, Rhaegar pondered about his son and about the succession. His father was crazy, even he had to admit that. He was lucky and avoided that problem. The king believed that if his decision on stopping the old ways of marriage inside his family would be accepted, the chances of giving birth to the next Aerys would decrease significantly. But all those deaths, those atrocities commited by his father still haunted him at night. How to prevent another mad king of Westeros?

For that question Rhaegar didn't know the answer.