Chapter X.
Author's Note- Thanks to those who reviewed. They get their first taste of true battle in this chapter.
Disclaimer: I Own Nothing.
Haery's POV
Jaehaerys looked around the table; noticing the frowns marring his beautiful mother and grandmother's fine features.
Something was definitely not right, and he had a feeling it had something to do with the likely consequences of the actions of his father and himself in the East.
It was not to be entirely unexpected of course. They'd known their actions were likely to have far-reaching repercussions. They had however, hoped for more time. At least enough time for him and his father to bring the Unsullied, the freed slaves, and full might of the Targaryen Fleet back to their headquarters where they could be properly defended.
He had a feeling that for whatever reason, time was not on there side for the nonce.
Sitting on either side of him were his sister Rhaenys, and his aunt Daenerys.
He still found himself both amazed as well as decidedly disconcerted by the changes he'd noticed in them during his absence.
Of course being three name days older then him, Rhaenys had already been upon the cusp of womanhood well before he left, but now...Well, perhaps it was the fact of his own changes that had him noticing his beloved sister in such a manner.
As for Daenerys...words simply failed him. He did not think there were any words in his vocabulary that could adequately describe the vision before him.
He had to forcefully tear his mind away from such...distracting...thoughts.
Next to Dany sat his grandmother, the Dowager Queen Rhaella, with his uncle Viserys seated on her other side. Beside Rhaenys sat his mother Lyanna and Ser Arthur and Ser Gerold following. Twas a rather small gathering, but whatever the news brought before them turned out to be, he knew they were more than capable of handling near anything that may threaten them.
He looked once more at the grim countenance of his mother and grandmother before deciding it was time to face whatever was upon them.
"Alright, I can tell by the look on your faces that something has happened. You may as well tell us. We will deal with whatever it is accordingly." He said; addressing the table at large and his mother and lady grandmother in particular.
He did not find himself reassured when the two women in question locked eyes once more and seemed to come to some sort of silent agreement. His mother nodded in the Queen's direction and subtly motioned for Rhaella to take charge of the meeting.
The Queen Dowager took a sip from her wine goblet before lightly clearing her throat and drawing the attention of all gathered upon her. Her expression changed from worried to a look of pleased affection as she gazed at her eldest grandson.
"To begin with, I will say that I am most happy for the return of my grandson and am ever so proud of all that your father and yourself have achieved, Jaehaerys. It is fortuitous that you returned when you did, as we have received some worrying reports from our friends across the Narrow Sea." The Queen began.
"I am most happy to finally be home, Grandmother. Our journey is far from over though as Father still has a great ways to travel with the freed men and the Unsullied. Now, what word does the Lord Spider bring to us?"
He was hoping things were not too far beyond their control.
The Queen Dowager sighed, and he had a feeling his hopes were soon to be dashed.
"Lord Varys wrote to warn us."
"The actions taken by your father and yourself in Slaver's Bay have not gone unnoticed. The news has travelled much quicker than would otherwise have reached the Seven Kingdoms for whatever reason. It has precipitated the Master of Whispers to reveal the truth of our existence to the Usurper and his allies well before we would have liked."
"Of course he would not have done so if he'd had any other option, but considering the fact that the news would have soon reached the Usurper's ear regardless of the actions of Lord Varys, we had long agreed it would be for the best if he was the one to divulge the truth to further cement his own position within the Robert's councils. By bringing the truth of all of our existences to light, no one will dare to question his loyalty to House Baratheon since it was the Spider himself who informed on his...'former employers'." The Queen told them.
It did not come as so great a shock as one might think.
They had all long known their days of enjoying the benefits of their anonymity were quickly drawing to a close, and that they would eventually come under the notice of the Usurper.
With so many of them being not only alive, but also rather active internationally, they were bound to be found out eventually.
They had all agreed that in order to further cement Varys' position on the Usurper's Small Council that he would be the one to disclose their identities when he thought they could no longer be otherwise concealed. Jaehaerys shuddered to think of how many spies Lord Varys had already been forced to eliminate to keep the secret of their existence as long as he had...far longer than they had any right to expect in truth.
It had been fourteen years since Rhaegar and Lyanna's 'demise' after all. It was frankly a minor miracle that they had not been revealed ages ago.
That being said, he was also well aware that the Usurper's wrath would know no limits with the man's extreme hate and malice for his family; especially once he learned the fate of his so-called 'beloved' Lyanna.
The fact that she never wanted anything to do with the drunken whoremonger, and was in fact happily married to his greatest enemy and had bore him four children, was likely to throw the vile man into an incalculable torrent of rage with all the fury his house was known for. They would now have to take especial care with their every action henceforth.
The game had changed, and now the stakes were much higher than they had ever been before.
"I see. What was the Usurper's reaction to that little...discovery?" He asked lightly; knowing full well his reaction would be have initially involved a tantrum of epic proportions.
The Queen Dowager smirked lightly at her grandson's purposefully understated inquiry.
"Apparently, his initial action was rather surprising. He merely sat there in stony silence as all was revealed to him. Of course, that quickly passed. It would seem that Jon Arryn had to prevent the man from killing Lord Varys right there and then. He said he actually managed to completely destroy the Small Council Chambers as he was apoplectic in his rage. He then began demanding immediate preparations to make war upon us. As it was slowly revealed to him that such an action would actually be a far more daunting affair than he would have ever conceived, he began to rant and rave about the causes of such: namely Lord Eddard and Prince Doran."
Even the Queen's voice held a touch of sympathy for Jon Arryn's plight in dealing with his former ward.
"I take it the Spider informed him he would have to first make war upon both Dorne and the North if he had any hope of being able to destroy us?" Rhaenys asked intuitively.
Rhaella smiled at her sharp-witted eldest grand-daughter.
"Indeed he did." The Queen confirmed.
"I gather it he did not take that very well?"
His tone was as dry as the sands of Dorne.
"Hardly."
He could tell that despite the seriousness of the situation, she was having to restrain her amusement at the Usurper's reaction.
"His immediate desire when he learned that his old foster-brother had to have always known about and supported us was ride straight for Winterfell and kill Lord Stark immediately. Unfortunately for him, he was informed that such an act would be all but impossible as the North was now well and truly a veritable fortress. When his enraged mind then turned to the Dornish, his wroth was so great when informed that such an act would also be nigh on impossible he actually collapsed with some sort of ailment. The Lord Spider was quite amused."
By her tone, it was readily evident that the Queen shared Varys' amusement.
"It seemed that the Usurper had worked himself into such a manic state that his far too overweight body had placed too much stress and rage upon his humors. He had to be carried out of the Small Council chambers to be attended by the Grand Maester and was insensate for a time." Rhaella explained with a delighted look upon her regal features.
He could not say he found an ounce of pity for the Usurper and his opinion seemed to shared greatly by all present.
"I don't suppose he did us all a favor and simply dropped dead, did he?" He asked hopefully despite knowing such a thing would have been far too easy and convenient.
It would however have been quite poetic.
It also appeared as if the reports they'd received about the Usurper's physical state in recent years held a large degree of truth in them.
It was said that the Usurper had let himself waste away to a mere shadow of his former immensely strong and healthy self, and was now so grossly overweight he could barely even sit a horse, let alone raise his war hammer in battle.
His father on the other hand, was nearly the complete opposite.
If possible, Rhaegar Targaryen had only gotten better with age. Through his countless hours of practice and his ever present zeal for learning of new styles of combat, his father had honed his skills to the point of perfection. He was now truly on an equal footing with legendary men such as Ser Arthur Dayne and Ser Barristan Selmy; both of whom were always very pleased to help their chosen king maintain and even excel in his training at arms. By the present time, he was without doubt one of the finest swordsmen in the whole of the world, and Jaehaerys could not be any prouder to be the son of such a man.
Even if the Usurper hadn't allowed himself to degenerate to his current state, he was certain they would most assuredly not be having a repeat of their duel on the Trident were they ever to cross weapons again.
This time there was no question that it would be the Stag brought down low.
His mother grinned at him.
"You know that oaf has no manners. That would have been far too courteous of him. No, he unfortunately managed to rally in relatively short order, and is no doubt already whoring and drinking his way through more of the Crown's ever-increasing debt." Lyanna added lightly.
"More is the pity." Queen Rhaella agreed.
"Anyway, he has rallied and begun his attempts to bring about our end. It is said that Tywin Lannister raced to the capital when he received word from the Usurper of our existence. Lord Tywin was brought up to speed regarding the inadvisability of bringing war to either Dorne, the North, or even both, and then told of the likelihood of such a war turning into a full scale civil war that the Crown was certainly not in the best position to wage at the moment. Of course, Lord Tywin suggested an alternative." The Queen told them with a slight amount of trepidation.
She knew as well as they all did that fighting against the base cunning and near-beastial brutality that the Lord of Casterly Rock was capable of was an entirely different scenario than attempting to counter anything that oaf of an Usurper could possibly conspire.
He had a sinking suspicion of just what the Old Lion of the Rock might intend to try and bring against them. If it was as he thought, a potentially dangerous threat that would be far closer to home would be brought to bear against them.
They would persevere however, and soon all the world would be intimately reminded of just why their houses words were, 'Fire and Blood'.
"He's made contact with the Three Daughter's, has he not?" He questioned.
Surprise momentarily colored his lady grandmother's features at just how intuitive and perceptive her eldest grandson could be.
"Indeed."
Rhaella looked at her grandson with an impressively-raised silver brow.
"The Spider only just barely managed to gather that particular bit of knowledge due to the fact that it was not disclosed to the Small Council at large. All of Essos had by now heard tale of Rhaegar's and your own actions in Slaver's Bay. Whilst it has done nothing but bolster our own strength and reputation with the Northern Essosi City-States, it has thrown the Three Daughter's into a veritable panic. They have found out about our alliance and its formation as a united new power. They are terrified that we shall pick them off one at a time. Especially due to the fact that they are hearing nothing but an ominous silence from Volantis. That has brought about an alliance between Tyrosh, Lys, and Myr that has not been seen in centuries. They mean to join power with the Lannister and likely the Redwyne Fleet's, and move to destroy us before we come at them." She explained.
He knew the second his grandmother's words confirmed his fears that if they had any chance of defeating their enemies and solidifying their position, they would have to act almost immediately. He would have to apparate to his father and inform him of the current dilemma. The fleet would have to make for Straits immediately.
That would force his father to basically herd the freed men and the Unsullied over the land routes back to their bases.
If the fleet could embark for the Stepstones before the Lannister and Redwyne Fleet's managed to enter the Narrow Sea, they could hopefully block them indefinitely; rendering them all but obscelete.
Without the aid from Westeros, between their dragons and their fleet, they were strong enough to defeat even the combined forces of Tyrosh, Lys, and Myr.
That would be especially true as the Three Daughter's would be receiving no help from Volantis.
However, they would have to conquer them utterly.
If they could persuade their slaves to rise up, they would be in a much better position than being forced to bathe the three cities in dragonfire. That was something he had no desire to do, but would if they were forced.
"That was very clever of Lord Tywin. However, it shall not be enough."
"I will pop back over to Father, and inform him of what has happened. The best thing I can think of would be for him to bring the freed men and the Unsullied back over the land routes; giving him the time to pass through both Qohor and Norvos and finalize their allegiance. He'd still have Balaeria with him. If we ordered the Fleet to make for the Stepstones and took the islands for ourselves first, before they can access the Straits, we can prevent the bastards from entering the Narrow Sea altogether. Without the aid from the Lannister's and the Usurper, and between our dragons and our fleet, we are strong enough to defeat even the combined might of Tyrosh, Lys, and Myr."
It was the only solution his mind could conjure.
The Queen stared off into the distance no doubt weighing the pros and cons of such an aggressive move as the rest of those gathered did the same.
"That's a very bold move, Son. They'd not expect such a thing as Lord Varys has assured us they are unaware of our true might and that Lord Tywin does not even believe that the dragons are real. If we took the Stepstones for our own, we would be that much better positioned for when we land in Westeros." Lyanna complimented her eldest son with a look that was both impressed and immensely proud of her boy.
"I agree. They'd likely not be expecting such a move and would be caught unawares as they doubtlessly do not even believe us capable of marshalling the strength necessary for such a conquest. Can we take and hold the Stepstones though? Do we have the strength to defeat the Three Daughter's? I can easily see how we could defeat them at sea, but actually capturing the cities...that would be quite a feat indeed."
The Queen was both curious and intrigued by the proposal if it was indeed feasible.
"Yes, I believe we can do all that and more. With the fleet coming, I'll make certain a fairly large portion of the Unsullied sail as well. The Golden Company will be needed to maintain our position with Pentos, Norvos, and Qohor and keep the Dothraki at bay. If the newly trained regiments came down to Myr and were met with some of the Unsullied, I believe we can force a capitulation. Our might at sea will deal with Tyrosh and Lys, and the threat of our dragons will cower them all. If they act against us after we hold the Stepstones, they will be given a choice: free any slave that wishes to be free and submit to Targaryen rule- or be annihilated at sea and have their proud cities bathed in flames until they are forced to submit. We cannot allow the appearance of weakness, but we can offer them more or less the same type of autonomy their Northern brethren have accepted." He proposed; outlining the only reasonable solution the best he could.
"I think Jaehaerys has the best plan with the greatest chance of success. It all hinges on the Stepstones though. Can we get the fleet there quick enough? How can we take the islands as fast as would be needed?" Rhaella asked the room at large.
Looking around the table and the faces of those gathered, he knew the fastest way to insure success would be the dragons and their riders.
Loathe as he was to ever bring her into any type of danger, he was not so stupid as to deny the truth that his beloved sister was one of the finest dragonriders and warrior queens the world would ever know. Rhaenys was blood of both Visenya and Nymeria reborn, especially when she put her mind on a goal.
"If I go back to Father in the morning, the necessary amount of men can be loaded onto the ships and ready to make for Bloodstone by the next day. What ships remain in defense in the waters of Kingsport and its environs would need to remain to insure Kingsport's security. We also must maintain our strength with the lands now sworn to us. Grandmother and Dany's dragons are enough to guarantee things here for the nonce. I would suggest that Viserys, Rhaenys, and myself fly to Bloodstone and meet the fleet en route. We can have the Unsullied and the Fleet ready to take and hold the islands. The dragons can reign down hell on the Lannister Fleet and possibly the Redwyne if they are actually stupid enough to engage us. From there, we could also secure Dornish assistance in holding and garrisoning the isles and perhaps Visy could go ahead and become better acquainted with his betrothed, the Princess Arianne? After we hold the islands, we'll control the Straits. We can then bring fire and blood to the Three Daughter's and insure they are brought into the new Kingdom starting by converging on Myr from all sides." He said; finishing his explanation of how to keep one step ahead of the Usurper and his minions.
If they were successful, they'd have the foundations of an empire in the works.
Rhaegar and Lyanna would be the first High King and High Queen of the new Valyrian-inspired Targaryen Empire.
He noticed the wide eyes of all those around him as they absorbed his words. He also noted the blush now burning on Viserys' cheeks likely due to his mentioning of him becoming 'acquainted' with Princess Arianne Martell of Dorne with a great amount of amusement.
His young uncle was normally so laid back and generally unconcerned with life's details that the thought of soon being near his betrothed had clearly frazzled the Prince. He could tell by their looks that his grandmother, mother, Rhaenys, and Dany also found Viserys' embarrassment highly entertaining.
"You and Rhaenys are still so young to be attempting such a fight already! Perhaps it would be better to wait until your Father can arrive? If anything happened to any of you..." Lyanna trailed off; thoroughly disconcerted with the thought of her eldest son and daughter being in such close proximity of Lannister forces.
"Mother, you've seen all of our practices. You've also witnessed many of the tests we've run to see just what could harm our dragons whilst they are airborne. I don't mean to sound too confident, but the truth is that fully-grown and mounted dragons such as ours are nigh on invincible...at sea especially. I know full well how easily a lucky sword strike can hit us in close quarters, but none of us will be close to the enemy in these maneuvers. There is very little that could actually manage to harm us. We will be safe."
"We knew this day would come; and now the moment has finally arrived. No longer will we hide in the shadows. It is time for us to show the world just what the might of the dragons and all of House Targaryen are capable of. We must strike hard, and we must strike fast. Let the world tremble and know what it means to challenge the might of the Dragon. Our destiny stands before us. We shall meet it head on." He proclaimed while also attempting to reassure his mother that they'd be as safe as anyone possibly could be during war.
The might of the dragon had made the whole world tremble and bow before it once upon a time.
It would soon do so again.
Viserys and Rhaenys locked eyes and he saw them nod to one another in unison.
"Lya, we'll be fine. Jae's right. This is our time now. This is what we are meant to do. The Lannister's will regret the day they tried to make us bow low." Rhaenys stated fiercely as she took his right hand in her own.
To him, it felt like the most natural act in the world. Only it was even more complete when he felt Dany's smaller hand slip in to the hand on his unoccupied left.
Rhaella and Lyanna looked at them, and then locked eyes with each other, and he could see they would support his suggested course of action.
"I want each of you to swear to me that you will not only do all in your power to keep yourselves from harm, but that you'll also keep a close eye on each other too." The Queen told them all sternly.
She was met with a chorus of mixed responses.
"Yes Mother/Grandmother. We swear it."
"Alright. I believe we have the best possible plan. Jaehaerys, inform your father in the morning of what has happened and come straight back here. I want all of you; especially you, Rhaenys, and Viserys- to practice as much as you possibly can until it is time for you to join up with the fleet." Rhaella told them.
He agreed immediately.
"Yes, Ma'am. I can think of several strategies the three of us can practice in preparation for the Stepstones." He replied.
"Now, can any of you think of anything else concerning the Three Daughter's that we can make use of for our benefit and the stability of the new realm?" Lyanna inquired.
This time it was Daenerys who responded first.
"The slaves, Lya." Dany said.
"What of them? There are a great many; especially in Tyrosh and Lys. I believe the ratio is about three to one in favor of slaves versus freeborn." Lyanna said.
"We can offer any of them that wish to sign up for it the chance to join in forming new regiments. We'll need as many men as we can get, and of course we'd need to train them as fast and as thoroughly as possible. If we manage to pull all of this off, especially with both the North and Dorne having been forced to reveal their true loyalty...We'll most likely have two years in the best case scenario before we will be forced into real war with the Usurper- and that's likely being too generous an estimate knowing Lord Tywin. Cousin Stannis likely won't even be able to maintain his cover for too long. Not with what we know he'll assuredly be asked to do soon enough. They'll know the truth as soon as the Usurper ordered him to set sail against us, and he is forced to reveal himself." She explained.
He nodded his head in silent agreement with her.
There would most likely be a very great many former slaves that would sign up to join their newly-forming regiments. Many would not have a place in the cities any longer that they came from, and they could offer them and their families a new start. She was also correct about Lord Baratheon.
"Dany's right. We could add many men to the training from the Three Daughter's. Many of them will likely not have homes remaining in those cities anyway. We can offer them a fresh start and freedom." Rhaenys agreed.
"Quite a few of them could be offered a new start to settle on the Stepstones soon. We'll want to have those isles in particular as heavily populated with as many loyal men and women as we can manage. They'll essentially be our guardians for the Narrow Sea." Viserys added thoughtfully.
"Visy is definitely right about the isles." Jaehaerys agreed.
"I'll make sure the others know and begin to make plans accordingly." Lyanna confirmed to them all.
He knew his mother was at least relieved to finally be able to move about more in public now that the Usurper was aware she lived. It was almost worth him knowing just because of how confined he knew she sometimes felt with being forced to hide and disguise her rather well-known features.
"You're also right about Stannis. He'll either have to blockade the Blackwater, or possibly leave a garrison on Dragonstone and retreat to the Stormlands. The problem with that will be Renly Baratheon. He's still the Lord of Storm's End. I doubt that he'll ever back us with how close he is with that treacherous Lord Mace, and he has his own aspirations." Queen Rhaella said.
Luckily, although Renly Baratheon was indeed popular amongst his people, Cousin Stannis was also well liked by the martial-minded Stormlords. Stannis was well liked with the commons for his dedication to duty and fairness. It was more so than he likely would have been had they not helped to arrange an appropriate bride for the rightful Lord of Storm's End. When the Queen heard he was to be pledged to Sylese Florent in order to improve relations with the Reach, she'd acted quickly. A more agreeable match was made with the Lady Daena Celtigar- only daughter of Lord Adrian Celtigar and Vaelaena Velaryon. The Usurper was wroth with his brother for disobeying him, but oddly enough, it had been the only time the Usurper had said Stannis had actually resembled his brother in any way with that singular act of defiance.
The marriage was a godsend for Stannis, and the Lady Daena brought him three healthy children into the world; including two sons and a daughter. Eventually, their ties to House Baratheon would once again be re-solidified through the bonds of blood. Stannis' eldest son Steffon had been betrothed to his little sister, the Princess Valaerie.
He thought about the problem of Renly Baratheon momentarily. The Stormlands were Baratheon territory; no doubt about that. However, that still did not mean Renly was their rightful ruler. He was the youngest of Steffon Baratheon's children. They would reinstate Lord Stannis.
If only the man would see them the way his next-to-eldest brother saw them?
But...what if he could change that? He'd definitely have to consider that, and the lengths he'd need to go to in order to make it a reality at a later date.
Some of the lords, such as Lords Cafferen, Fell, and Grandison were already loyal to the Dragons due to their shared history when they owed fealty to Summerhall.
It would not be the first time he had forced the will of another to alter so very drastically.
Yes, he could do it again if he must.
They'd need to begin to make certain their contacts in the Stormlands were becoming more active in order to soften the Stormlords more to their cause.
When he had that completed, they'd be that much closer to their goal. Soon enough, they would be in position to retake their home. Soon enough, the small-folk and nobility alike of Westeros would become aware that their beloved Silver Prince yet lived. Soon, the day of victory would be upon them, and their new High King Rhaegar would mount the Iron Throne.
He awoke the next morning to...difficulties. No matter how hard he tried, he was unable to force his mind onto other thoughts...other faces.
Seeing them again for the first time in so very long had done nothing to alleviate the problem. If anything, it had made it far worse. There was no denying of the facts now. He desired his half-sister and young aunt. They were never far from his thoughts, nor from his heart.
The part of him that had been Harry Potter balked at such, but the literal dragons blood within him from the bonding over-rode all other though and need. No matter how hard he tried, he quite literally could not think otherwise.
As he forced his mind onto the tasks of the day, he did all in his power to banish such thoughts from his mind.
It only worked half-heartedly...at best.
In barely no time at all, he had dressed and gathered all the documents that needed his father's attention.
There was much to accomplish today, and he knew he could not afford to tarry on his musings any longer. He concentrated hard on where exactly he needed to be, and with a loud crack; apparated half-way across Essos to stand just outside the tent of his father.
Ser Barristan looked up shocked at his abrupt...and unusual (to say the least) appearance.
He quickly recognized the Crown Prince and allowed his sword arm to relax and fall back to his side.
"My Prince! We did not expect you to find your way back to us so soon. Is all well in Kingsport?" The kindly old Kingsguard asked anxiously.
He gave the legendary knight an easy smile that served to put the Bold more at his ease.
"Indeed, Ser Barristan. All is well in Kingsport. The family are all in fine form. I bring news that my father must needs know of and make plans for accordingly." He told the living legend.
"I'm up now, Ser Barristan." He heard his father's voice say from inside his tent.
Ser Barristan opened the tent flap wide for him to enter Rhaegar's temporary abode. The Kingsguard followed closely behind as he walked forwards.
His father was just finishing buttoning his black tunic when he came in. He smiled to see his son again so soon.
Walking forward, he gave his father a quick hug in greeting that was swiftly returned. He had always felt so lucky that his parents had never been shy in showing their complete love and affection to their children. To a boy with a past such as his, it meant a great deal and he was always happy to reciprocate the affection and care shown to him.
"Welcome back, My Son. I know you did not come all this way merely because you missed your old fathers company so soon. What news do you bring?" His father asked him; getting straight to the point with a somewhat anxious expression on his face.
"Sit, Son. Sit." Rhaegar beckoned of his heir.
Both of them sat down, and Rhaegar waved at his squire to bring them another plate for his son to break his fast; knowing he likely left the palace as quick as the sun had risen.
Once they were seated and comfortable, he ordered his thoughts on the best way to inform his father of the latest developments.
"What's wrong?" Rhaegar asked; getting to the heart of the matter.
"Well, it appears that our exploits in Slaver's Bay travelled far faster than we foresaw. The Usurper is now fully aware of our existence and has been made aware of most of what we have accomplished here in the East." He informed him without preamble.
He knew they had little time to counteract whatever the Usurper had set in motion. However, they would do their utmost to fight him as fiercely as they were able.
At hearing his words, his fathers shoulders slumped a bit and a resigned look appeared on his face.
"So it begins." His father said softly, almost as if to himself.
Rhaegar looked off into the distance with a far-away look in his amethyst eye's.
"Damnation!" Rhaegar exclaimed.
He then went on to explain the entire situation to his father, as well as what they'd all thought to be the best plan to counter the Usurper's forces.
"I do not like the idea of any of you being involved in such things as you are all still so young, but I know you are more than capable, My Son. The plan itself if brilliant. Not that I'm overly surprised. I'm sure it came from your mind after all..." Rhaegar said before trailing off lost in thought.
His father sighed and looked him straight in they eye.
"You have my blessing to take the Fleet and seven thousand of the Unsullied forces, and take the Stepstones for our family. I suppose now is as good a time as any for Viserys to wed Arianne Martell. The Dornish could help to garrison the islands in order to free up more of our own men to be used against the Three Daughter's. As soon as the isles are secure and you have dealt with the Lannister and Redwyne Fleet's, you have my permission to deal with the Three Daughter's in whatever manner you see fit. If it is at all possible, do attempt to minimize the use of the dragons though, as you know the level of devastation they are capable of unleashing as well as I do. I will try and move the convoy along the land routes as quickly as possible." His father told him.
Rhaegar sighed before holding his son's gaze.
"I want you to promise me that no matter what happens, you will do your absolute best to keep yourself and our family as safe as humanly possible. I do not wish to hear of any overt heroics that could endanger your life, My Son." He implored him in an iron tone of deadly seriousness.
All was silent momentarily before he answered as best as he could.
"I swear that I will be as safe as I possibly can be, and that I would only risk myself if a member of our family was in danger. I will always protect them before myself, but I see no reason one should be mutually exclusive of the other." He replied; swearing as much as he was able and no more.
He would never allow any harm to befall their family if he was at all able to prevent it, and his father well knew that.
His father sighed lightly.
"I suppose that's the best I can hope for." Rhaegar agreed with a slight smile.
He could never express just how proud his boy made him. His love and devotion to their family was both inspiring and humbling that it was from him and his beloved Lya that such an unique and special boy had come from.
He nodded his head in agreement as the two silver-haired men stood to leave the tent and issue their new commands. He saw his father pause momentarily as it appeared a new thought had crossed his mind- a thought that had been wearing on his last nerve for days now in fact, and he now had the perfect opportunity to rid himself of the overly-friendly pest.
"You know what...why don't you take Aegon with you. He may not be the best dragonrider amongst us, but he can hold his own. As many places as you are going to need riders to be, every last one counts a great deal. The addition of another mounted dragon could make all the difference in the world if you find yourself in a tight spot of trouble. Besides, he's more loyal to you than he is to anyone else anyway; including me." His father said nonchalantly; though he could quite easily hear the undisguised hope that he would indeed remove his friend from his poor father's service.
That had surprised him.
As he thought about it, he realized his father was correct.
They would need every dragon and rider available. He would admit to also wishing that his friend was by his side for his first taste of real independent battle as well. Outside of his immediate family there was no one he trusted more to have his back. He also knew that was most certainly not his father's true reason for suggesting such a thing, and was unable to prevent the amused smirk that briefly flit across his face.
He knew well how much his friends hyper and inquisitive nature got on his father's nerves quite easily.
"Are you sure you do not wish him to remain here with you, Father? You know, you may need the company, and Egg's always just so happy to help." He asked his father with a smile that was far too sweet for Rhaegar's liking.
Rhaegar grimaced a bit as he thought of that boys near-incessantly chipper countenance.
He would count it a blessing from the gods themselves to not be forced to endure that boys company for the thousands of miles through the Essosi countryside the landward journey would take them if he could possibly pawn him off on his son.
Besides, this way his son was at least guaranteed to see his best male friend alive once again as opposed to the distinct possibility of Aegon Brightflame not making it out of the Dothraki Sea still breathing if he kept working on Rhaegar's nerves.
"Yes, I'm sure. I think I'll survive the separation." He told his son dryly.
He chuckled at his father's caustic reply.
"Well, if you're sure." He told him as they left the tent and went in search of the Lord Admiral of the Fleet.
They had a war to plan and a crown to win.
A little over two moons later saw him, Rhaenys, and Viserys flying their dragons over the archipelago that comprised the Stepstones. As he soared through the skies atop Syrax, he saw no sign that any of the Lannister or Redwyne fleet's had travelled thru the Straits recently.
Normally at least a few of the ships of a passing fleet would have been taken by the pirates that inhabited the Stepstones, and could be spotted fairly easily. Seeing none, he concluded that they had indeed beaten the Usurper's allies to their goal.
As they had planned, if it looked like they had reached their goal in time, they began to descend closer to the harbors to burn the pirates ships and their crude shanty villages while the Fleet began to encircle all of the isles.
Their first target was the largest and best fortified of the Isles, Bloodstone.
Set into the side of the rocky mountainous terrain was the large castle built by his ancestor Prince Daemon Targaryen during his reign as the King of the Stepstones and the Narrow Sea.
While he could tell that the keep had endured many a siege and battle, and that it had not been all that well maintained due to the many hands it had passed through over the years, it also looked to be preserved in remarkably good condition under the circumstances. To his knowledge, it was one of the very last keeps built in the style of Old Valyria and forged with a large amount of sorcery and dragonfire.
He had never felt this type of rush in his life as they flew around their targets.
This far surpassed anything he had ever before experienced in either life.
It was like he was finally doing what he had been born to do.
If this is what it always felt like to ride a dragon in conquest, he could well understand his ancestors fondness for such pursuits.
He looked over and locked eyes with Rhaenys who was sitting atop her dragon Sunfyre.
He could easily tell, even without their bond, that his sister was just as exhilarated and hungry for battle as he was. They looked over to their uncle to see Viserys had already begun his task of reigning down dragonfire upon the upper levels of the Dragonfort as the keep was called.
He and Rhaenys nodded in unison as they both urged their dragons into a steep dive towards the harbor of Torturer's Deep.
His adrenaline was racing through his veins as he watched the pirate scum below begin to scatter like the rats they were; terrified of the supposedly extinct dragons that were suddenly bearing down upon them.
As they approached closer to their targets, he saw a few of the braver scum notching back arrows from their bows, and firing them in desperate abandon at the approaching dragons. As Rhaenys was closer, the arrows reached her first. Although none came close to hitting her, a few did manage to land shots upon her dragon. He smiled when they saw that- much to their horror, the arrows had absolutely no effect whatsoever on the hard scales and merely bounced off the dragon harmlessly.
"Dracarys!" He yelled out to Syrax in High Valyrian as the pirates fleet of ships docked in the port came within range.
He felt the pleasant sensation of heat from the dragons flame as he spewed great torrents of dragonfire down upon the hapless vessels. As the fires began to consume the sails and rigging, it then spread to engulf the entirety of the ships with flame.
He channeled his magic to manifest into swirling vortexes of wind; creating a firestorm across the bay at speeds faster than should have been possible. The pirate fleet of ships were being consumed utterly in the conflagration.
Sweat was coating his brow as he pushed his magic harder; urging the storm of fire onto the shore where crude villages had been haphazardly thrown together over the years.
So dry and poorly made were the constructs, that all it took was but a spark, and the shanties were lit up in spectacular bouts of flame.
He continued to pour out his magic into the raging storm and watched in awe as all the remnants of the pirates ill-gotten gains were dissolved into ash and nothingness by his flames.
His magically-enhanced firestorm reminded him of Fiendfyre more than anything else ever had with the inferno becoming a roaring crescendo of unyielding flame and strength. It appeared the only thing missing were the flaming magical creatures the dark spell was so well known for.
Knowing he needed to conserve his magical reserves for any of the remaining isles that refused to surrender peacefully (after the destruction wrought upon Bloodstone, they planned to give the other islands the chance to vacate the isles peaceably, or be burned out like their comrades in Torturer's Deep), he stopped the seemingly unending flow of magic.
"Sovegon!" He called out to Syrax.
The dragon rose back up into the skies upon his command as he looked over to see Rhaenys and Sunfyre doing the same.
Looking at Rhaenys in that moment was almost akin to looking upon the sun itself, so bright did her eyes look in that instant. He had never seen his sister look more beautiful than she had in that moment.
There may have been fire and blood, and death and destruction all round them, but Rhaenys looked like a conquering warrior queen and Valyrian goddess to him.
Her black hair was flowing in the wind, and her violet eyes were alight with passion as exhilaration shined from her exquisite and beautifully crafted face for all the world to behold her glory.
Her more than ample chest was heaving against her corseted golden breast-plate, and her tanned and muscular thighs gripped Sunfyre as they soared through the air...he did not know if he'd ever seen anything quite so beautiful in that moment.
He saw Rhaenys looking towards him, and noticed an unconcealed emotion in her eyes that gave him hope that she felt the same.
They would have to think on such thoughts later.
For the moment they had a castle to take.
Looking down, he saw Viserys and his dragon Vermithor had already taken the main gates to the keep.
The way was now open, and a combination of marines and Unsullied from the ships now in harbor were pouring into the keep.
He and Rhaenys nodded at one another as they directed their dragons downwards to join their uncle.
Jumping out of the saddle, he ran to Rhaenys' side. He was happy she had endured their first taste of battle on dragonback with fierceness and determination, and had come out none the worse for wear.
"You okay?" He asked her as he held her close.
She seemed to be in no way opposed to such contact, and indeed was holding on to him just as tightly.
"I'm fine, Jae. Nothing even came close to harming us. Now, what do you say we go lend a hand to Visy?" Rhaenys asked him.
He smiled, and readied himself for another bout of combat.
"Certainly, Sweet Sister." He replied.
Just as they were crossing the threshold of the partly-melted gate, he saw an officer in the Lord Admiral's command swiftly approaching the pair of them.
"My Prince, My Princess, I bring word from the Lord Admiral Velaryon. He said to inform Your Grace's at once that a fleet has been spotted perhaps a few hours out to sea."
He thought the young cadet to be a junior member of House Celtigar.
Rhaenys was immediately on the alert. Likely worried the same as he was that it would be the approaching Lannister or Redwyne Fleet. Considering the fact that they did not even completely hold Bloodstone itself, let alone the other isles, it was far too soon for them to mount a successful offense or defense.
"What banners were seen?" His sister asked quickly; worrying her plump lower lip with her teeth and distracting him yet again.
Unexpectedly however, the young officer smiled.
"The sun and spear of House Martell, My Princess. We also noted the personal sigil of Your Grace's uncle, the Prince Oberyn. The Lord Admiral estimates the Dornish Fleet to arrive by nightfall, Your Grace's."
Jaehaerys was immensely relieved as they were obviously not in a position to deal effectively with the Lannister or Redwyne Fleet's quite yet.
Rhaenys too let out a sigh of relief at the news.
"Wonderful, thank you for informing us, Lieutenant." She said smiling at the now blushing young officer.
He almost felt like growling at the mans pleased puppy expression from earning a smile from Rhaenys.
"That will be all, Lieutenant." He all but barked at the other boy.
"Yes, My Prince. Th...Thank you, My Prince." The young officer hurriedly exclaimed; suddenly very eager to leave the Young Dragon's presence.
His sister raised an amused eyebrow at his rather blatant display of jealousy before her look turned mischievous.
She stalked closer to him like a panther stalking its prey. Leaning close whilst fully displaying her ample cleavage to him she whispered in his ear.
"There's no need for jealousy, My...Dear...Sweet...Jaehaerys. You need only take it, and all you desire shall be yours." She whispered in a sultry voice before marching straight into the on-going battle within the keep, and leaving him standing there utterly dumbfounded with his mouth agape and his blood all but roaring in his ears from her heated words and the look that accompanied them.
His mouth snapped shut with an audible click when he finally removed his eyes from her form in the distance, and noticed Ser Arthur's smirking visage.
"Don't even think about it, Ser." He growled as his mentor and friend was barely containing his laughter.
That was all it took and the legendary knight of the Kingsguard broke into full blown chuckles of amusement at Jaehaerys' still-red face.
He shook his head distractedly and charged into the keep; muttering all the while with his sword out and at the ready.
He was anxious to unleash some now pent-up aggression on his enemies...or maybe his Kingsguard if he kept on laughing at his predicament like that.
They had taken Bloodstone with very little losses. Their dragons took out most of the opposition they would have otherwise been forced to defeat in combat. Viserys had led the first wave of the invasion force with admirable skill, and Haery felt proud of his uncle as this was his first taste of battle of any kind.
It was not long after they had finished scouring every inch of the Dragonfort in search of any of the remaining pirates that might have been hidden away that Prince Oberyn arrived with the Dornish contingent of men sent by Prince Doran.
With him he brought two of the elder Sand Snakes: Obara and Nymeria Sand.
"Uncle!" Rhaenys exclaimed; happy to see her mother's brother again and so close to the time of retaking their home.
Prince Oberyn had pulled her into a hug before releasing her and holding her at arms length; examining her from head to toe.
"Little Princess, you are even more beautiful than I had thought possible! Let me look at you. A true warrior queen! Your mother would be so proud to see you now, Sweetling." The Prince told his niece with a smile as Obara and Nymeria came over to greet their younger cousin.
"And look at you! This cannot be Jaehaerys! This is a man grown, and far too good looking to be that boy!" Oberyn exclaimed in faux confusion.
He smiled and came over to give the Dornish Prince a hug.
"Hello, Nuncle! You have no idea how happy I am to see you! We had thought for sure we were about to have to face the Usurper's fleet unprepared." He told him.
"We could not have had that of course! No, I made certain we arrived well before the Lion's and the Rose's ships. By the gods! You've shot up like a weed, Boy! You must be as tall as your father by now!" Oberyn said as he looked his almost-nephew over.
Of all the children of his good-brother and Lyanna, it was Jaehaerys that he was closest to and liked the most. Oberyn had not been sure how he was supposed to feel about everything once he was finally informed of the truth of events. He had nothing against Lyanna Stark of course as he had been well aware that the main reason his good-brother had even taken a second wife at all was to insure the safety of Elia from the Mad King. Not that it had mattered in the end due to those bastard Lannister's and the Usurper.
Still, he had not been certain what he would feel.
However, he'd never forget the first time he saw his beloved niece again after the Rebellion. She was the last piece of his sweet sister left in the world.
He had hoped that dear Rhaenys would not be pushed aside or not feel as beloved as her father's new wife and children.
His worries had been for naught though when he saw her.
He had quickly come to respect Lyanna Stark, as she loved his niece as fiercely as she did any child from her own womb, and never made any distinction between them. Rhaenys was loved and cherished by her family and he had long noticed the bonds she held with her little brother as soon as he saw them.
Jaehaerys was closer to Rhaenys than he was to any of his other siblings, and the combination of Rhaenys, Jaehaerys, and Daenerys was a beautiful relationship to behold.
In time, he had come to care for the young prince like his own blood. He was an amazing young man. Seeing the two of them, Oberyn knew they'd never allow anything to part them.
He saw the amused twinkle in the eyes of both his sister and Prince Oberyn when Nymeria Sand began to circle him almost like a cat stalking its prey.
He used to be terrified of the Sand Snakes as they had to be the biggest flirts he had ever met in his life...by a long shot.
"Hello, My Prince." Nymeria purred next to his ear as she circled him; eyeing him up and down like he was a particularly succulent choice of meat.
"My...my...my. You sure have...grown up rather nicely, My Prince." She whispered in his other ear.
Her hot breath washed over the shell of his ear and he let out an involuntary squeak when he felt Nymeria squeeze his ass on her next pass around him, much to his mortification.
"Hello, Lady Nym." He replied.
If his voice was a bit higher pitched than normal...well, who could really blame him!
He was unable to quite control his blush. He never had been where Prince Oberyn's daughters were concerned.
He knew he had to be nearly red as a tomato by that point.
He turned his pleading eyes towards his sister in the desperate hope for her to rescue him.
Rhaenys winked at him as she came up beside him.
"Careful Cousin. That's a good way to lose a hand." Rhaenys said nonchalantly referring to the offending appendage that had dared to touch what she by now firmly considered her property.
Nymeria pouted cutely.
"Ah, come on now, Coz. Sharing is caring, remember?" She retorted.
Lady Nym pouted again before she sighed deeply in resignation.
"Oh, alright." Nymeria said.
"Such a waste of a fine piece of beautiful male flesh though." She muttered quietly.
Oberyn was merely sniggering at the whole scene all the while, and thoroughly enjoying his uncomfortable predicament...the bastard.
"Come on. Let us meet up with Visy and coordinate how we are to complete our task." He told them all.
He was dearly ready to escape such close quarters with the Sand Snakes and his sister.
They were too dangerous by far.
He shuddered to think of the thought of them ever joining forces together.
He did not think he'd be able to survive such an unholy alliance.
No, he'd not stand a chance.
Within two days time, they had completely subdued and taken every single island that made up the Stepstones. They had all mostly remained within the Dragonfort during that time; planning their assault on the Lannister and the Redwyne Fleet's that they knew would soon be arriving. Viserys, Rhaenys, and himself had been obliged to fly to three of the hold-out islands that had refused to surrender even after learning of the fate of the pirate garrison on Bloodstone.
Considering the comparably small number of men that were holding the few remaining pirate isles, it had hardly been much of a challenge for any of them, but it did at least give them more practice for when other events would certainly prove far more of a challenge.
Also, amongst the discussion was the upcoming wedding of Viserys to Princess Arianne of Dorne.
Seeing how Dorne and the North had already been forced to reveal themselves to the Usurper, Prince Doran was eager to re-solidify the ties between Targaryen and Martell.
He had been ever so grateful when Nymeria decided to make it her new mission in life to corrupt Viserys as much as humanly possible before his arrival in Dorne, much to the amusement of the rest of them.
Eventually, it was decided that after the fight they knew would soon be on the horizon between themselves and Myr (which would solidify their strength over the Three Daughter's), and the need to have as many of their dragons to be always at the ready as possible had slowed some, Viserys would then be able to travel to Sunspear to wed the Heiress of Dorne.
They estimated that it would likely be two to three moons away.
While awaiting the arrival of the Usurper's allies, they had been making good use of their time in order to bring about stability and order to the isles of the Stepstones.
Bloodstone itself was to be gifted to Viserys as his personal seat. The larger islands each had keeps already standing on them that were decent enough and could be improved upon easily.
It was decided to gift them to loyal men whom Viserys thought he could work well enough with as he would be the new Lord Paramount of the Stepstones.
Each of those men would be responsible for the construction of new towns and harbors upon the isles that were to be populated mostly by the freed slaves who would be especially chosen for their skill and ability.
Essentially, the isles of the Stepstones were to become one very large naval bastion of the Targaryen Empire in the Narrow Sea.
Any ships that wished to travel in or out of the Narrow Sea would need their approval.
None of the Usurper's ships would be able to pass.
All trade to Westeros (with the exception of the North and Dorne and possibly the Vale) would be halted until further notice.
In all likelihood, that action alone would cripple their already fragile economy.
They had been in the middle of a planning meeting when Aurane Waters came running into the room; breathless and panting from exertion.
"Word from the Lord Admiral, Your Grace's." Aurane managed to get out after he took a deep breath to regain the ability for coherent speech.
Wordlessly, Jaehaerys took the small piece of parchment he saw bearing the arms of the Seahorse of Velaryon.
He read the note aloud for the benefit of those at the table.
To His Grace the Crown Prince Jaehaerys,
One hour before writing this missive, one of the corsair ships that were being used to keep a lookout for the fleet of the Usurper spotted the sails of the ships bearing the banners of the Houses Lannister and Redwyne several leagues out at sea to the south. They reported that the fleets looked to be separating into two opposing directions. It appeared as if the Lannister Fleet will approach the Island of Bloodstone from the west, while the Redwyne Fleet will approach from the east in an apparent effort to bottle up the main portion of our own fleet they believe to be anchored at Torturer's Deep.
If it is still Your Grace's will that we remain out of range of the enemy vessels whilst Your Grace unleashes the dragons upon them first, than I would estimate Your Grace would have approximately three hours hence from the time you receive this note to get into position.
As planned, whilst Your Grace's dragons set upon the Usurper's fleet, the ships under my command will begin to encircle our enemies from without. As they appear to be dividing their strength for a two-pronged attack upon Bloodstone, I shall ensure our own ships are placed accordingly.
Ever Your Grace's Loyal Servant,
Grand Admiral Lucerys Velaryon of the Driftmark
"It is time then." Rhaenys said calmly.
"Yes. Yes, it is. Now, we have already discussed the possibility of an attack from two sides. As it is happening that way, do you all still agree with dividing the strength of our dragons?" He asked just to be certain.
Rhaenys and Viserys looked at one another and nodded together.
They were in agreement then.
"Yes, Brother. I believe we can handle it." Rhaenys told him.
He looked to Aurane then.
"Do you still believe you can do this, Aurane?" He asked slightly older boy who had been chosen as his liege man and acted as an advisor to him as a favor to his father, the Lord Admiral a couple of years ago.
In the time since, Aurane had become extremely devoted to him and Haery had come to look upon the boy as a close friend and confidant. He had every intention of raising him up to the status of a high lord in the future as he had long since proven his devotion to the Royal Family and to the Crown Prince especially.
He did not hesitate.
"Absolutely. I'm obviously not as experienced, but as my ancestor was Queen Rhaenyra's man, so too shall I be yours. I am always yours to command, Your Grace. Syrax has taken to me well enough to allow me to ride. Besides, this will free Your Grace from having to use Syrax yourself. Your Grace's...other form...is much more intimidating than any of the other dragons at present. The sight of that alone will instill enough fear into the Usurper's men that many may try and flee on sighting you." Aurane said with an amused smirk.
He was silent for a moment before replying.
"So be it then." He said.
He noticed that both Rhaenys and Prince Oberyn seemed rather amused by Aurane's not-so-veiled...devotion...to him. Aurane had always reminded him of a somewhat less scrupulous version of Egg.
The Usurper was about to get his first taste of Fire and Blood.
He doubted after this encounter that any in the Usurper's councils would be able to deny their dragons existence.
'Good.' He thought.
'Let the Whoremonger King fear the wrath of the Dragon. Let him remember the true meaning of Fire and Blood, in intimate detail. Let us show them all just how hot the flames of Old Valyria burn.'
"Uncle, were your men able to finish up with the amount needed of the...special...project you wished to use?" He asked Oberyn.
His answering grin full of devious mischief was all he needed to know the answer to that particular question.
"Aye, Your Grace. They finished that and much more. Between the dragons, and my little...trick...there will be nothing left of the traitors." Prince Oberyn replied confidently.
He nodded his head sharply and prayed they were not being too over-confident.
Truthfully, he did not really like what he was about to do at all, but he knew it had to be done.
Regardless of whom they fought for, he still considered them to be his people, and did not wish to shed their blood with impunity.
He had no real choice though.
The Tyrell's had chosen the wrong side, and Tywin Lannister would never allow his men to yield.
He was under no delusions that Old Lion's men might be brought to heel today.
No, not today.
However, there would come a time when he could see them throwing off their Lannister chains.
They were too terrified of their overlord to do anything but fight to their end at present.
It was true that the 'Rains' cowed nearly all into submission...but for how much longer would that hold when the world learned there were worse monsters to fear than Lord Tywin?
How much longer would those whom had lived with the Lord Tywin's boot on their neck remain in subjugation when the might of the dragons came calling?
Would they all allow themselves to be burned, or would some of those whom the Lannister's had terrorized finally find the courage to fight back?
They could only wait and see, but he had hope yet.
"Good, very good. Now, are we all ready? This is to be essentially our first real contact with the enemy. This will be the first salvo to be shot at those who would see us bowing low. This is the day we begin the fight to take back our homes." He said; standing from his chair.
"Are we ready?" He asked those gathered.
"We are, Brother. Let us serve them Fire and Blood." Rhaenys answered.
He nodded his head.
"Fire and Blood." Viserys agreed; standing as well.
"Come." He commanded.
They all left with him to prepare for the upcoming battle.
As he was being helped into his armor by Aurane, he sent a silent prayer to the Old gods of his mother that all those he cared for made it out of the up-coming battle unscathed. A dragon was a mighty defense, but as Aegon and Visenya's sister-wife, Queen Rhaenys proved...they were not invincible.
If there was any part of the animagus transformation that Jaehaerys found more helpful than others, it was the fact that no matter what one was wearing when one transformed, it made no difference in the end. Even though he was fully armored nearly from head to toe, in his dragon-form, it mattered not. Since it was not presently visible or felt, the bulky armor was no hindrance to his forms flight whatsoever.
Looking out over the massive armada of ships that were arrayed against them, he thought that to be a very convenient fact
He loved magic.
That at least was one thing that stayed remarkably the same no matter where...or who...he was.
The one truth the Dark Lord had been right about was the fact magic was might.
He would always love magic.
The large mass of ships that was bearing ever closer to Bloodstone and the position of their own fleet was truly impressive.
From what he could tell, it appeared that the Lannister Fleet (along with some few additions from the Redwyne's to make each prong of the assault consist of equal strength), was preparing to take them from the west.
The larger Redwyne Fleet was to assault them from the east.
Had they not had enough of a warning to know what to expect, or the advantage of fire-breathing beasts of legend and nightmare, it may have been an almost equal attack considering their own fleet stationed in the Stepstones was only slightly smaller than the combined Lannister-Redwyne armada.
Unfortunately for the Usurper and his Lannister handlers though, they did have ample enough warning to plan a counter assault, and they did actually have fire-breathing beasts of legend and nightmare at their disposal.
Rhaenys and Viserys were flying on the eastern side high above the Redwyne Fleet on Sunfyre and Vermithor.
He himself was circling above the Lannister Fleet in his own massive red form along with Aurane riding atop Syrax.
He wondered if they suspected a trap of any kind?
Frankly, he would have.
Their own fleet was nearly of a size with the combined Lannister-Redwyne Fleet's. Yet, they remained at anchor- long past the time they would have spotted approaching enemy ships.
The only ships that appeared to be prepared to face them were the squadron of Dornish ships bearing the arms of the Sun and Spear of House Martell. The Dornish ships were almost directly in the middle ahead of Torturer's Deep under the command of Prince Oberyn Martell.
Had their location been different, they may have noticed the...gift that the Dornish Prince had left for them.
However, the waters surrounding the Stepstones were near-tropical in appearance; being of a mostly light blue-green hue. That was highly convenient for them as it paired well with the underhanded trick that Prince Oberyn had concocted against the Lannister bastards.
They would hopefully not notice the light-green substance that flowed through the waters near the center of the area from which both sides of the fleets were bearing down on them.
If it worked correctly, the wildfire would engulf the enemy fleets before the dragons began reigning down fire and blood. Hopefully, that would prevent them from using their catapults, bolts, or too many arrows from hitting the dragons and/or their riders.
The chances of them actually be able to harm the dragons were in truth very slim, but the chance was there nonetheless.
He knew it was almost time when he saw the catapults on Prince Oberyn's ship launch flaming death into the air.
He followed the trajectory with his draconic eyes, and saw them fly high and spread in a wide arc coming to land near the center of the enemy fleets from both east and west.
He waited with baited breath as the flaming shrapnel struck all throughout the center of the enemy squadrons.
One...two...three...he was beginning to think something had gone wrong as there had been no immediate reaction.
Then, all of a sudden, it was as if all the air in the area the wildfire had managed to cover seemed to press in on itself; sucking all oxygen from air, water, and man all.
The next thing he saw and heard was a massive swoosh-like sound as two enormous sickly green clouds appeared to engulf both of the approaching fleets center.
He had been forced to close his eyes when the twin explosions went off due to the brightness of the deadly green light.
It forcefully reminded him of the Killing Curse as it was near the exact same shade of electric green as the dread Wizarding curse that had ended the life of so many in his past; including himself.
When he opened his dragon forms eyes once more, he watched as the wildfire began to engulf and burn what he estimated was about half of the enemy fleets from the center outwards. The half that were not immediately dealing with the wildfire had still yet to spot the dragons it appeared.
They were now desperately attempting to avoid getting any closer to their burning comrades as well as the wildfire they could clearly identify within the water of the surrounding sea.
They had surely known that to be the only possible substance capable of such a thing.
Not giving them a chance to flee from what he was certain the remaining ships now knew to be a lost cause, Haery began to slope into a steep dive towards the outlying ships.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Aurane steering Syrax into imitating his actions not too far from his current position, and he could just barely make out Rhaenys and Viserys doing the same to the Redwyne's Fleet.
Sucking in a huge breath, he began to spew out massive torrents of red and black dragonfire as his beomoth-sized dragon form ended the hopes of the Lannister ships attempting to flee from the wildfire.
He could hear the screams and shouts of the men on the ships as they beheld his large form reigning down fire and blood upon them all.
His first targets were the sails and the rigging of the ships.
Those vital parts barely took any effort to ignite in flames as their dry materials lit up immediately.
Syrax was doing the same on the other side of the Lannister Fleet as they worked both sides in tandem to insure maximum levels of destruction.
After insuring the Usurper's ships were no longer capable of even remotely quick mobility, he flew a bit higher into the air as he began to fly massive circles around all the Lannister fleet including those already burning from wildfire; spewing out gargantuan amounts of dragonfire upon the hapless vessels.
His inner dragon was reveling in the untold amounts of wanton destruction and chaos they were unleashing and he forcefully clamped down on the more base instincts of his animagus form.
He could never allow himself to become completely submerged within a dragons consciousness. Not even with his own animagus form which was not as instinctually beastial as the connection between his kin and their dragons.
The risks of allowing such a thing were far too great.
Although he vaguely could tell an occasional arrow had struck him, they bounced off his iron-like scales harmlessly.
Dodging the infrequent load launched from the enemy catapults were likewise also only too easy to miss with his forms superb reflexes.
In times past, man had begun to have some measure of success in combating attacks by mounted dragons, but the know-how to even have a slim chance of harming a fully-grown dragon had long since become lost to the ravages of time so long ago had such a thing been needed.
Now, for the moment at least, an enemy was virtually helpless against such an assault.
In all honesty, that still did not mean he enjoyed being the cause of so much death and destruction.
He knew perfectly well that the vast majority of those that died that day had never done him or his any type of harm, and most probably had nothing personal against his family.
They were merely doing as they were told by their lords.
Such was the way of the world and war.
Always, it was the innocents who suffered the most, but he knew there was nothing to be done about it.
He considered all Westerosi from the Stepstones and the sands of Dorne, all the way to the Lands of Always Winter, to be their people...his people.
He would save as many of them as possible in the war to come.
The more they were able to make loyal to them, the fewer the casualties would be.
The bulk of their enemies would come from the Westerlands and parts of the Reach and Stormlands most likely, along with some few from the Riverlands.
He would do all in his power to turn as many as he could to their cause. He strongly believed and hoped that Ser Jaime and his family would be of immense use in achieving that particular goal.
Time seemed to lose all meaning as his world revolved around flying in continuous circles, and spewing out as much dragonfire upon the enemy ships as was possible.
By the time he stopped breathing fire upon them, he felt like he was nearly about to drop out of the sky, he was so exhausted.
Looking around once more at the carnage surrounding him, he could tell that a large percentage of the enemy ships had already sunk or been burned to nothing.
Corpses littered the water, black and burned; charred beyond any and all recognition.
The few ships still remaining afloat were on fire and would not last much longer.
Far to the back, he noticed a large vessel flying the person arms of who he knew to be Paxter Redwyne, one of the finest admirals in Westeros, and a former loyal lord to House Targaryen.
He saw Aurane beginning to fly in the direction of the Admiral's ship, and moved to block his path; shaking his massive head and long neck in an negative manner telling him to leave the ship and it's men alone.
He did not wish for the death of the Lord of the Arbor who had once been so loyal to his house, nor did he wish for Westeros to lose a man of such experience.
Men such as he were not easy to replace by any means.
Besides, someone needed to be left to tell the tale which would hopefully put the fear of the gods into the black hearts of Robert and Tywin. At least it would if either man held even a modicum of sense of what was coming for them.
Though he was not going to be holding his breath in anticipation for such an eventuality.
He motioned to Aurane to bring Syrax back to land as he saw Rhaenys and Viserys doing the same.
He searched all three of them looking for any sign of injury.
He felt an immense amount of relief when all he spotted was what appeared to be a slight cut upon Aurane's forearm, and a cut that was barely little more than a scratch upon the right side of Visy's cheek. He doubted his uncle would be troubled by it. If it even left a slight scar at all, he'd likely be proud of it more than anything else as a sign to all that he was not in fact the weakling some thought him to be.
Whilst his three other dragonriders landed directly in front of the Dragonfort, much to the cheers and acclaim of their men, he landed in a slightly more out of the way area to the side of the keep.
Some of his people knew of his unheard of ability to transform, but he'd still rather not elucidate all of them.
They'd not have been able to see that the larger red dragon was in fact riderless. Between his position in flight, and the smoke from the fires, he would have remained obscured from view.
Hopefully, they'd all just think he sent his 'dragon' elsewhere.
He made his way back over to where Rhaenys, Viserys, and Aurane were, and was received by near-deafening amounts of cheer from the men.
He smiled slightly and bowed his head in response.
He was unable to take much joy in the amount of death that had been served today.
He was proud of their victory, very much so.
He just could not revel in it, and he saw the same look in the eyes of the other three dragonriders.
He walked up and gave his uncle a quick, but fierce embrace.
Then he bestowed another hug of both thanks and congratulations upon Aurane, who seemed awed to be receiving such affection from the Crown Prince he so idolized.
Finally, he pulled his Rhaenys into his arms.
He held onto Rhaenys tightly and he could feel her form shake slightly from the emotional turmoil he could quite literally feel coming across their bond in waves.
His own emotions were turbulent enough and full of conflicting feelings about the battle they had just won. He gently kissed her forehead and they separated, but only slightly.
He kept his arms wrapped around her as they made their way back into the Dragonfort; leaving the courtyard to tremendous amounts of cheer and praise behind.
They all walked together and had all but collapsed once they had made it to what was to become Viserys' main solar.
He pulled Rhaenys to him as they sat in an over-large chair big enough for the both of them.
He let out a deep sigh as he closed his eyes.
"That was..." He trailed off.
He was uncertain what he could possibly say.
"So much death and screaming." Rhaenys whispered quietly as she huddled closer into his side; soaking up the love and affection she could feel emanating from him.
"I don't think I'll ever forget the sounds of the burning men." Aurane said almost numbly as his shoulder-length silver hair fell into his light blue-green eyes when his head dropped forward as he remembered the screams of the dying.
He knew it would have been hard on him too.
The rest of them had at least had some experience, as this was not the first time they had served fire and blood to their enemies, though it was definitely the largest battle they had ever endured.
"That is a good thing then. I don't think we're supposed to feel any differently. If we'd have enjoyed it...if we'd have allowed our mounts baser instincts to overly affect us...we'd be no different to what my father was, and that is something none of us can ever allow again." Viserys said quietly.
He looked to his young uncle then.
He could easily tell his uncle was remembering some of Aerys' mad acts.
No child should have ever been made to bear witness to such things.
He knew his grandmother had shielded Viserys from most of the Mad King's more...depraved...acts, but even she was unable to shield him from his own father every minute of the day.
By the end, Viserys had seen many things that still gave him nightmares even now.
"Viserys is exactly right. We can never allow ourselves to become like our dragons. They revel in the carnage, but we cannot. If we ever do, we do not deserve to hold the power we wield." He said as strongly as he could muster at the moment.
"Still, what we did today saved the lives of our own people. Not a single one of our men or women perished in the fight." Viserys added positively.
"Too right, Nuncle. What we did today may have helped us for the future as well. We all saw Jae make sure Paxter Redwyne and his crew of Arbormen lived. They will tell the tale of what happened today...of just how easy it was for us to annihilate the largest armada the Usurper could throw at us...how easily we disposed of the combined naval might of the Lannister's and the Reach. Hopefully, many of those serving the Usurper and Lion's will begin to remember whom the rightful monarch truly is." Rhaenys said.
He held her tighter to him and she all but melted within his strong embrace as she leaned back against his chest and laid her head against his neck; inhaling his pleasant scent that even the fire they had unleashed were unable to completely dampen.
Not too long afterwards as they were all lost in their own thoughts and finally beginning to unwind from the carnage, Prince Oberyn and the Sand Snake's entered the room.
He cracked his eyes open when he heard their approach saw him smirking down at the sight of himself and his sister.
"Comfy are we, Your Grace's?" Oberyn asked cheekily.
"Bite me! I need comforting and I'll take it where I want to Uncle Oby." Rhaenys said as she kissed him on his cheek which elicited a fierce blush from him.
She then blew a raspberry at her Dornish uncle.
Oberyn just let out a snort of amusement at their antics.
"Dragons!" He muttered; obviously not referring to the scaled reptiles and instead their human counterparts- the Targaryen's.
"Are you alright, Little Dragon?" Oberyn asked concernedly as he sat down across from his niece and surrogate nephew while his daughters sat by his side.
"I will be." Rhaenys replied as she snuggled back down into his embrace.
Prince Oberyn stared at the both of them with another concerned look before he seemed satisfied the he would be taking good enough care of his sister as Oberyn's eyes implied he'd better.
He rolled his eyes.
Of course he'd always take care of Rhaenys.
The Prince then summoned a servant and requested supper be brought up to them there rather than the Great Hall or one of the smaller dining chambers. They'd dine privately tonight and hold a celebratory feast on the morrow.
He had to admit to himself, that he had never before seen any of the Sand Snake's as subdued as Obara and Lady Nym appeared to be at present.
Well, he took that back (at least partly), as he watched Nymeria sidle up beside Viserys who immediately pulled her closer to him.
With a grin at them, he thought he knew exactly how they'd be handling their comfort later that night.
Soon enough they were able to eat a hearty supper and just spend time as family and friends. Tomorrow they'd discuss their more pressing issues, and how they'd begin to assert their dominance over the Three Daughter's. The fact that they had dared to align themselves against the Dragons with the Usurper and Tywin Lannister's gold would not be tolerated. They were an especial threat to their burgeoning Essosi realm and peoples and they were some of the worst slavers in the western half of Essos.
They would not be for long however.
Rhaegar had been perfectly content to essentially ignore Tyrosh, Lys, and Myr indefinitely, and would have done them no harm.
However, they had acted without enough thought nor knowledge of what an enemy they had made for themselves through no fault but their own.
Soon, they would reap the consequences of waking the dragon.
Soon, they would lose their slave labor.
Soon, they would become reunited with the Free Cities already voluntarily under three-headed red dragon banners and become an integral part of the revived version of the Freehold in the Targaryen's new Empire- whether they liked it or not.
Soon, the dragons would soar once more.