Disclaimer: I don't own Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire
Alyssa I Targaryen
Book : The Long Night
Chapter 3: A Family Triptych
Beta:
Trigger warning: Canon typical underage, partial nudity, mentions of orgy
Days after the Great Council, Alyssa was in her solar reading the latest reports on what the various Houses of Westeros was willing to offer to the war. As much as she wanted to immediately go on the offensive against the Night King and his Army of the Dead, it simply was not possible. It would take time, possibly a year, for the Seven Kingdoms to mobilize its forces and resources for the effort. And in the meantime there would be plenty of tiresome but necessary work to coordinate said mobilization.
"Alys," Mya said loudly as she practically slammed the door to the solar open. "I would like to have a word with you!"
Blinking in confusion at the sudden intrusion by the Valewoman but treasuring the opportunity to escape the mentally exhausting work she had been doing, Alyssa put aside the reports and turned to give the other woman her full attention.
"Of course, Mya. What is it? Is everything alright with Ned?"
Mya was Ned's caretaker for the day. Her concubines having decided among themselves that they would split the responsibility for overseeing the care of her son. Not that she thought it necessary considering the wet nurse and Essosi governess that Alyssa had hired for the boy.
"Ned is fine." Mya said with a shake of her head. "Myrcella and Shireen volunteered to take over. They want to play with him apparently."
Play with with him? Alyssa though incredulously. Considering he is only able to sleep, eat and shit at his age how exactly would they manage that?
Alyssa nodded and successfully kept her frown off her face. Even if she disliked her son, she knew that letting on about it was unwise especially when he was but a babe. Some would even call it unnatural and she didn't need more accusations of that!
"Then what is it you need?" Alyssa asked, a pleasant smile on her face as she realized this wasn't about her son.
"Us," Mya said, her temper rising and her voice rising. "You've taken Elia to your bed?"
"I did." Alyssa admitted.
"And then why not me!?" Mya demanded leaning over Alyssa's desk so their faces were only inches apart. This close it was easy to see the hurt mixed in with the more obvious anger.
"I-I did not know you wanted me to." Alyssa admitted nervously. "Unlike Gwyn or even Myrcella and Shireen, you've shown no such interest."
Mya pulled away with a groan.
"Of course I'm interested!" Mya said with an exasperated roll of her eyes. "I am one of your concubine aren't I?
Alyssa opened her mouth ready to repeat the by now tired spiel about how the title was a purely ceremonial and political title magic be damned, when Mya shot her a look that had her snapping her mouth shut.
"And don't start with the spiel," Mya told her sternly. "Just answer me this: do you want me as a woman or not?"
"Of course I do," Alyssa told the Valewoman honestly. "I'd be a fool not to. You're a beautiful woman both inside and out."
To Alyssa's surprise Mya blushed bashfully at that.
"You really believe that?" The blue eyed beauty asked almost disbelievingly.
Alyssa could only look at her with disbelief of her own. Certainly Mya did not look traditionally beautiful. Her shoulder-length hair was cut in a rather masculine style and her preference for men's clothing such as the tunic and breeches she was currently wearing made fools think her mannish. That said clothing hid her attractive figure certainly did not help, even her substantial breasts were often hidden under layers of fabric that served to flatten them rather than flatter them.
Oh! I think I know where this is coming from...
"Has no one told you that Mya?" Alyssa asked genuinely.
Mya just shook her head, tears shimmering in her eyes.
"Not even the Redfort boy?" Alyssa asked, getting up and crossing around her desk to pull the other woman into her arms.
"No," Mya confessed. "At best he called me pretty."
"Fool." Alyssa said genuinely upset on her concubine's behalf.
"It's not his fault," Mya defended causing Alyssa to frown.
Why was she defending him? Did she still have feelings for him? Alyssa thought with a surge of irrational jealousy.
"I don't like dresses," Mya confessed before gesturing to her clothes. "And what I do like to wear doesn't make me look like an attractive lady. Something I'm not."
"You are now," Alyssa told her. "It would not be wrong to call you a Princess even."
"I'll honestly say I'm not too comfortable with that yet."
Alyssa smiled. "I didn't expect you to be. People take time to accept change."
Mya just nodded.
How did a request from her to lay with her lead to us talking about how uncomfortable she is with her new status? Alyssa thought with a giggle.
"What is it?" Mya asked as she pulled away from the hug slightly to look at Alyssa curiously.
"Simply wondering how strange the course of this conversation has taken."
Mya cocked her head for a moment before she too chuckled. "I guess you're right. It is strange. But that reminds me!"
"Of what?" Alyssa asked an eyebrow raised.
"You still haven't promised to lay with me!" Mya said pressing finger into Alyssa's right breast and causing the Queen to hiss in a mix of pain and pleasure. The sensitivity in her breasts since Ned's birth being one of the better things that it had brought her.
Deciding to be a little playful, Alyssa scuttled back and folded her hands over her bust.
"Now?" She asked coyly.
Mya looked startled for a moment before suddenly a predatory gleam entered her eyes.
"Yes, now." She demanded as she advanced on Alyssa whose eyes widened in surprise.
"Really!?" Alyssa asked flabbergasted.
"Why not?" Mya shrugged as she pointed to a piece of furniture from Yi Ti in the corner that Margey had bought and which functioned interchangeably as both a couch and a bed which she had added to Alyssa's solar for precisely such situations as the one playing out now. "There's a bed over there."
I don't think she expected Mya to be the first one to use it though. Alyssa thought absently.
In her distraction, Mya had already discarded her belt and was already lifting her tunic over her head.
"Ser Wendel, Ser Royce, out!" Alyssa ordered hastily and the two Queensguard hurried to obey, even as their Queen stepped forward to help her soon to be lover finish pulling off her outer garment which would leave her in her inner smock and breeches.
She was a tad too slow though and Mya managed to pull it off before tossing it at her face with a mirthful laugh. She took advantage of the temporary blindness this caused however to close the distance between them and as Alyssa pushed the tunic to the side, the Valewoman leaned in for a kiss.
It was their first kiss and it was heavenly. Mya was not as experienced as Margey or had Elia's mix of skill and desire for innocent exploration nor did she have the daring of Jeyne. Instead she had a forcefulness to her that was uniquely her own. She ravaged Alyssa's lips and left her feeling very thoroughly kissed. It was so wonderfully intense that as Mya pulled away, Alyssa moaned in disappointment.
Out of it from the kissing, she didn't realize for a moment that Mya had began to pull up her gown.
"You're overdressed, Alys." Mya told her with a playful smirk. "So hands up, your grace, and let me get this gown off you."
"By your leave Princess," Alys teased back and earning herself a delightful giggle as she complied and her lover pulled off her outer garment.
It would be the first but certainly not the last of her clothing to be shed that afternoon as she made sweet love with Mya in her solar. The two of them only leaving its confines until they were both satiated and that did not happen until well into the night. It was thus not until early morning that Alyssa was informed that her Aunt Daenerys Targaryen had captured Dragonstone.
"How did we miss this?" Alyssa demanded of Varys as she prepared to fly to Dragonstone to meet with her Aunt for the parlay that her Hand had hastily arranged once news of the island's fall had reached King's Landing from a battle weary Lord Velaryon.
"My birds across the Narrow Sea are thin, your grace. Especially in Slaver's Bay." The eunuch said in apology. "It is an oversight that I will endeavor to rectify."
"It's not just Slaver's Bay if your network failed to report how a fleet of the size she commands and one carrying armies of Unsullied and Dothraki no less. They would have needed to resupply at the Stepstones and thus spotted then at the very least!"
"I am aware, my Queen." Varys said with a wince. "I will inquire as to why my birds did not inform me of the fleet."
"Have you acquired any useful information at all that I can use?"
"The only new thing is that Princess Daenerys was supported in this endeavor by the Iron Bank. I have spoken to their representative and he rather belatedly confessed that they provided her with the loan to salvage the Volantene, Astapori and Yunkish ships from the siege of Meeren that make up the bulk of her fleet as well as hire the sellsail ships that account for the rest."
Why would they do that!? Haven't I already worked out an agreement with them on how to repay the Iron Throne's debts? Then again...
"That must have been months ago," Alyssa noted. "Did he tell you why?"
"No, but I presume they were hedging their bets as to who would end up ruling Westeros. She does have three dragons to your one, your grace."
Alyssa just scoffed.
"We'll see how well they measure up soon enough." She told Varys before turning to her Hand. "Lady Olenna, I leave King's Landing in your hands."
The elderly woman just nodded, still sporting the frown that she had since it became clear that Daenerys refused to parlay with anyone but Alyssa herself. Her Hand worried this was an attempt to entrap her, but the Queen reassured her that even if that were the case it would not work. They after all had contingencies for that.
With that she turned away from her Master of Whisperers and used Levitate to float up to Ghost's back. Her dragon had somehow gotten a growth spurt in recent weeks and had grown so immense that it was now impossible and not simply difficult as it had been in the past to climb up his back without assistance. Behind her in a fighting platform adapted from those used on the Golden Company's elephants by the ingenious mind of her goodbrother Tyrion Lannister that had been strapped onto her dragon's back were Loras, Ser Wendel, and Ser Royce serving as her Queensguard escorts alongside a large contingent of guards.
"All ready?" Alyssa asked as she moved to the throne that had been built into the center of the platform.
"Everyone has secured themselves," Loras informed her as she too fastened the belts that would keep her in the throne should Ghost need to pull a particularly difficult maneuver mid flight.
"Good. Then let us fly." Alyssa said as she sent word to Ghost mentally that it was time.
Her dragon let out an eager roar before pushing off the spot on in the Kingswood that he had transformed into his lair after he had outgrown the Dragonpit and took to the sky, a familiar reinforced crate clasped firmly in one of his talons. Within a few powerful beats of his massive wings, Ghost was over the Blackwater and the Royal Fleet that sailed towards Dragonstone. Daenerys might have taken the island, but that was by dint of surprise. No one had been expecting her, something Alyssa suspected was thanks to interference from the Iron Bank. Bolstered by the elements of the Redwyne Fleet and Lannisport Fleets as well as fresh construction, the Royal Fleet had more than recovered from the destruction of the Battle of the Blackwater. And if Lord Velaryon's estimates of Daenerys' fleet was correct then they were only slightly outnumbered. Considering the bulk of the hostile fleet was serving as overloaded transports, Alyssa and her Master of Ships Lord Redwyne reckoned they had the advantage.
It was thus with confidence that Alyssa flew towards Dragonstone.
A confidence that Alyssa felt validated as Ghost arrived in the air above Dragonstone and she caught her first glimpse of her Aunt's dragons. While mighty in their own right, only one came anywhere close to challenging Ghost. But even that black scaled creature was smaller, by a not insubstantial margin, than her dragon was. Something the smaller dragons seemed to recognize as they retreated as Ghost came in for a landing though they hissed in restrained anger at the intrusion into their territory as he did.
Show them their place, Ghost. Alyssa encouraged her dragon as they touched down and he sent back a burst of eager gratitude even as she let loose a terrible roar that silenced the smaller cream and green dragons while even the black dragon seemed just a little more cowed.
"Lower the ladders!" Loras ordered the men as he unbuckled himself from his harness.
Alyssa waited as her guards carried out the various disembarking procedures that she, Loras and the Imp had drawn up. Only when a group of her men were arrayed on the ground next to Ghost, did she finally unfasten the belts keeping her secure and dismounted with a Levitate spell. Once on the ground, she walked through the ranks of her guards to the front and finally faced the party her Aunt had sent to greet her.
Of course, Daenerys was not there to meet her in person. That would just be unsafe plus forcing Alyssa to meet her inside Dragonstone castle which she had just taken was a nice power play. Knowing that did not temper Alyssa's disappointment at the delay at meeting her long lost Aunt.
"Queen Alyssa," A large balding middle-aged man with a black beard and who was noticeably swarthy and hairy said. "I am Ser Jorah Mormont and by your leave, I will escort you to my Queen."
Jorah Mormont? Here? Alyssa couldn't help but be surprised that the notorious Northern fugitive had thrown in his lot with her Aunt. I wonder if Daenerys knows what he's done.
Though if the demon's mask brand on his right cheek which she had read was how slavers in Slaver's Bay marked their dangerous and disobedient slaves was any indication, the Mormont had at some point had a taste of the fate had once so condemned others to.
I suppose that's why she accepted him. I wonder if he learned from his experience though? Alyssa wonder idly of the man who had been sent into exile for selling poachers he'd captured to a Tyroshi slaver.
"Have your forces evacuated the island as the terms of our parlay agreed upon?" Alyssa asked, that being the concession she had demanded to accede to Daenerys' demand that they meet in Dragonstone.
"Except for the agreed garrison of five hundred men, yes." Mormont replied unhappily.
Ignoring him, Alyssa turned to look at Lord Duram Bar Emmon who along with a hundred of his men had volunteered to go ahead to verify that the terms were met. He nodded and Alyssa relaxed a tad.
"Very well, Ser Jorah," Alyssa told the disgraced knight. "Lead the way."
Perhaps in a power play or some symbolic move, Daenerys decided that they would conduct negotiations inside the Chamber of the Painted Table. Stepping inside Alyssa saw the famous room for the first time, having been too preoccupied with other matters to even contemplate touring her family's ancestral seat when she was last here.
She was impressed by the view offered by the chamber's four tall windows, overlooking the north, south, east and west. As well as the Painted Table itself. It was more than fifty feet long, was roughly twenty-five feet wide at its widest point, four feet at its thinnest and offered what was perhaps the most detailed map of all of Westeros Alyssa had ever seen.
It can be improved though. She thought as she noted the lack of borders and the various inaccuracies of the map and the miniatures it used to signify various strategic holdfasts and castles. I will make it a point to commission a new version at some point.
Her Aunt was seated in the raised seat located at where Dragonstone's position on the map would be, allowing her a view of the entire table. It was yet another power play but one that Alyssa allowed as she took a seat across from Daenerys. Her Aunt was her host after all and it was only fitting for her to take the seat reserved for the ruler of the castle.
A silence descended over the room as the two Queens stared at each other, assessing the other. Daenerys was a classical Valyrian beauty with the violet eyes, pale skin, and long, pale silver-gold hair. There was no doubt to her ancestry as a Targaryen though, so strongly did she resemble the paintings in the Red Keep of Queen Naerys Targaryen. She was dressed in a Ghiscari tokar, a long, loose shapeless sheet that was wound around her hips, under an arm and over a shoulder. With its dangling fringes adorned with many decorations, it was a truly beautiful garment. It was also decidedly foreign. As was the style in which her Aunt had decided to wear her hair, having silver bells affixed in her braided hair as per Dothraki custom, one for each of her victories.
It was a statement showing who she had supporting her and her achievements, that much was obvious but perhaps Daenerys had missed it but it gave the impression not of a Targaryen seeking to restore their dynasty to the Iron Throne, something Alyssa had done already, but that of a foreign invader. Whoever had convinced or failed to stop Daenerys from choosing to dress as such in the midst of her campaign to retake Westeros was either a fool or incompetent!
Though it could be worse for her I suppose. Alyssa mused. She could have chosen to wear a Qartheen gown. Whilst I would find baring a breast an alluring sight, especially from a woman as beautiful as my Aunt, it would paint her a whore to all of Westeros. Not even Dorne would condone such indecent attire.
"You have an impressive dragon," Her Aunt said suddenly breaking the staring contest and apparently deciding to skip over the various formal pleasantries that should have accompanied what they were doing. "I had heard much about it in Essos, but the stories do not do it justice."
"Thank you, Aunt." Alyssa said with a grateful nod. "Ghost will like to hear that."
"You call him Ghost?"
"That is his name," Alyssa confirmed.
"It's not very Targaryen."
"I am not a very traditional person." Alyssa said with a shrug. "And judging by the casual tone of our discussions so far, neither are you Aunt."
"I was led to believe that you prefer things this way."
"I do," Alyssa acknowledged. "It makes things move more quickly."
"I can agree with you on that." Her Aunt said with a smile that Alyssa felt was probably genuine.
That moment of shared feeling over their mutual dislike for formalities broke the ice and Alyssa allowed herself to relax just a bit more, offering her Aunt a smile of her own.
"Whatever happened to Ser Barristan?" Alyssa asked after a moment. "I sent him to meet with you. Did he manage that?"
"He did," Aunt Daenerys said, her tone bittersweet. "He saved my life in Qarth when a Sorrowful Man attempted to assassinate me with a manticore and through that earned a place among my circle of closest advisors where he always counseled that I should ally myself with you."
"Where is he now then?" Alyssa asked curiously. As agreed by the terms they had set for this parlay, they were alone in the room save for a single guard, Loras for Alyssa herself and a serious looking Unsullied of medium height and square build serving as her Aunt's. As such he could very well be somewhere else in the castle.
Her Aunt frowned and a look of sadness settled on her face as she replied. "He died fighting a rebellion by the Sons of the Harpy whilst we were in Meereen."
"A shame," Alyssa said with some genuine regret. She had never intended to send the man to his death.
"Really?" Her Aunt asked, sounding surprised. "Did you not send him into exile in the first place?"
"Only in the firm belief that he would return successful." Alyssa told her. "I am saddened to learn of not just his failure to do so but his passing. He was a good man."
"He was," Aunt Daenerys agreed.
The two Queens took a moment to mourn the death of Ser Barristan the Bold.
"I think we have talked around it long enough," Alyssa said after the shared moment of silence. "What do you want Aunt Daenerys?"
"What is rightfully mine, the Iron Throne." Her Aunt said bluntly.
"Rightfully yours?" Alyssa asked, arching an eyebrow. "How so? Going by the line of succession as the daughter of your eldest brother Rhaegar, I am the rightful heir and more importantly my rule was validated by a Great Council of all of Westeros' nobles."
"Only because they had no other viable alternatives." Her Aunt countered. "And as the daughter of the last crowned King of the Seven Kingdoms I have more right to the Iron Throne than the daughter of a mere Prince."
"That is not how succession works in Westeros." Alyssa countered. "It goes down the male line first then the female one. Besides, I have a son who as a male has a stronger claim than you do."
"Or you," Aunt Daenerys pointed out. "But what does the right of claims matter. In the end if is who managed to crown themselves Queen or King that is the one who matters, regardless of any rightful claim. To that end, you have not crowned yourself."
She can't be seriously be making this argument! This is just grasping at straws! Alyssa thought her eyes widening in disbelief. Though I suppose this is just an attempt to provoke a reaction of some kind. I don't know her well enough to make such a judgement.
"There has not been any time to organize a proper coronation." Alyssa replied calmly, refusing to raise to the bait.
Her Aunt laughed at that.
"Why? Because of your so-called War against the Others?"
"Yes," Alyssa told her firmly. "It is because of that war that the two of us cannot afford to fight among ourselves. Not at this time. There is a greater threat Beyond the Wall."
"You expect me to believe that this supposed Army of the Dead led by Others exists as you claim ?" Daenerys said with a dismissive scoff. "You might fool others, but I see it for what it is. A deception you are using to convince the gullible lords and ladies of Westeros to support you."
Calling people you intend to rule gullible? That is not a sign of a good ruler. Alyssa thought, but wisely did not say.
"I expected such skepticism." Alyssa said, so I brought proof. "With your permission I can have a wight brought to prove my claims. Though I advise you to call my guards, as a precaution, before I release it. Summon your advisors as well, since I only have one wight and I am certain that they will need to see it for themselves to believe as well."
Daenerys looked uncertain. Probably not expecting Alyssa to have come prepared with proof. She looked at Alyssa searchingly for a long moment and, at least Alyssa hoped, found only confidence. This seemed to convince her and she nodded to her guard who stepped to the door, where he had a whispered conversation with someone outside.
"You may bring your proof," Her Aunt said with a hint of uncertainty.
"I thank you for this Aunt," Alyssa said sincerely before nodding to Loras who moved to the door like his counterpart had earlier and gave the necessary orders.
Aunt Daenerys' advisors arrived first and Alyssa was struck by how small her inner circle was. Besides the Unsullied man who had been serving as her guard, there were only two others. One was Jorah Mormont and the other was a girl with a round flat face, dusky skin, and eyes like molten gold. They were accompanied by three Dothraki and a squad of Unsullied acting as guards, though by the way the former positioned themselves Alyssa reasoned they functioned as her Aunt's Queensguard.
Is she so unwilling to trust that she can maintain only so few close advisors? Alyssa thought disapprovingly.
It took a moment after that before the crate with the wight was brought up, accompanied by a large contingent of her men including five of them armed with pole arms with a two pronged head. Each prong was semi-circular in shape with a spring-loaded device on the front that could snap the prongs closed when triggered. These 'man catchers' were yet another device invented by the Imp in recent weeks. How he found the time, Alyssa didn't know especially when he had a young daughter to care for, but she could not deny his inventions were proving most useful.
"Release it," Alyssa ordered once the crate had been moved into the center of an empty part of the room and was in the middle of a ring of warriors, many of them armed with dragonglass weapons. Behind which everyone stood and watched with rapt attention.
At her command, the crate was cautiously unlocked than tipped over. Immediately the wight spilled out and tossed aside the weighted net that had initially captured it. The undead creature was much more decomposed than the other wight, the extra days in the warmth of King's Landing having done it no favors. It was thus less recognizably human, yet enough of its features remained intact to tell the thing had been a young woman once. One that had been at the cusp of womanhood and just beginning her training to be a spearwife of the Free Folk judging by the leather armor she wore. Enough of her face had survived even that they could all still tell the girl had once been a pretty child.
That was gone however and all that remained was a blue eyed horror who tried to lunge at Aunt Daenerys. Thankfully, those of Alyssa's men armed with the man catchers reacted quickly and quickly snagged their weapons around the creature, restraining it in the vice grips of their pole arms.
'T-This is a wight?" Aunt Daenerys asked, her stuttering the only sign of her fear unlike her female advisor who had thrown herself into her Unsullied counterpart's side in terror.
"Yes," Alyssa said calmly. "They can be killed with dragonglass"
Here Alyssa said gesturing towards her men with the dragonglass studded war clubs.
"Valyrian steel," Alyssa continued drawing Dark Sister from the hidden sheath cleverly worked into the skirt of her dress by Margey and pointing it at the wight. "And lastly with fire. Fire Bolt."
At her invocation, a mote of flame shot from the tip of her family's ancestral blade and hit the undead creature, setting it alight. It burned away into ash in moments, the dark magic that had sustained its unlife reacting with the fire in such a way as to dramatically heighten their intensity.
"And the Others?" The Unsullied asked from where he was comforting the young girl clinging to his side.
Alyssa raised an eyebrow and looked to her Aunt Daenerys.
"Answer Grey Worm please, Niece." Her Aunt said with a nod. "I would like to know as well."
"Dragonglass works against them as well," Alyssa told her as she sheathed Dark Sister. "As does, I suspect, Valyrian steel."
"You suspect?" Grey Worm asked, his eyes narrowed.
"Valyrian steel is rare and no one equipped with it has had the chance to face a White Walker." Alyssa told him with a shrug. "We do know fire doesn't work though, since it's been tried."
"And you're sure dragonglass does?" Jorah Mormont pressed with a skeptical frown.
"Yes, at least one Other was killed with dragonglass that we know of." Alyssa confirmed and receiving a satisfied nod in turn from both the disgraced knight and Grey Worm.
"What if that thing was an illusion?" The little girl asked, surprising everyone. "It's known you can cast illusions with your magic."
"If it's an illusion created by the Queen's magic then she's the most powerful person in the world." A Free Folk who had accompanied the wights all the way from the Wall said with a haunted look in his eyes. "'Cos she's had to create them by the thousands in the True North from all the way down here in the South. And made them real enough to kill my whole family and then raise them up as more of those monsters."
The girl recoiled, the brief but still harrowing glimpse into the man's suffering at the hands of the Others and their wights terrifying her.
"Missandei, I thank you for trying to offer an alternative opinion." Aunt Daenerys said running a hand comfortingly through the girl's hair. "But I believe my Niece."
The girl nodded in understanding.
"Thank you, Aunt Daenerys, for believing me." Alyssa said sincerely. Despite everything she genuinely worried that she would not. "Now that do you do, may we talk terms?"
"I won't challenge you rule for now." Her Aunt said easily. "Instead, I offer you an alliance and the use of my armies against the dead."
"That is generous of you," Alyssa noted, suspicious of her Aunt's motives.
Her Aunt frowned at that as if shocked that Alyssa would question her motives but quickly sighed and offered them nonetheless.
"Whoever sits the Iron Throne, the Seven Kingdoms must not be allowed to be reduced to a land of the dead, Niece."
Alyssa could accept that.
"And the matter of who shall rule?"
"We can decide that after the war," her Aunt said irritably. "We can organize another Great Council to decide who would rule the Seven Kingdoms. Are those terms acceptable?"
"They are, Aunt Daenerys." Alyssa said as she offered the other Queen her arm.
"Call me Dany." The other monarch said as they clasped arms to seal their deal.
After the slight delay of her Aunt Dany's arrival in Westeros with her armies, preparations for the war against the Others was swiftly moved back on track. This despite the difficult task of incorporating her armies into their plans, though the unusual competence of the young Naathi girl named Missandei that served as he Aunt's de facto Hand made it far more manageable than it could have been. As such two weeks after the negotiations on Dragonstone, Alyssa was poised to leave King's Landing the next day to finish the war preparations from Castle Black.
She would have left sooner but Ned's first Nameday had come and much to her personal annoyance, Margey had insisted they celebrate. Alyssa was just thankful that she had been able to convince everyone to keep it low key so as not to waste resources that might have gone to the war effort. Thankfully, that was over with and Alyssa could finally focus on what was important!
Seeing as she was about to fly off to war, Alyssa wasn't about to do so without getting some comfort from her concubines first. As such she was about to leave to visit Margey and her other lovers who had gathered in Jeyne's rooms for a farewell when there was an unexpected knock on the door to her bedchamber. Considering neither Ygritte or Ser Wendel who were serving as her shadows for the day announced who it was when they entered her chambers, it could only be one of her concubines. Only they had such privileged access to her rooms.
I wonder who it is. Alyssa thought with a curious frown. Maybe one of them got impatient and came to drag me over?
"Alys, can I come in?" Gwyn's voice asked from the other side of the door.
"Of course," Alyssa said even as she blinked in surprise.
Her surprised grew immensely when Gwyn walked in and she saw what she was wearing. The Ironborn woman had seemingly borrowed from Elia's sense of fashion and was dressed in a black and silver gown in the Dornish style with the typical exposed shoulders and plunging neckline. Most daringly, Gwyn was not wearing the inner garment that typically supported the breasts when wearing this style of dress.
"Gwyn? What?" Alyssa managed to say.
Gwyn offered her a nervous but determined smile.
"You're flying off to fight monsters from legend tomorrow." She said as she closed the door behind her. "So before you go I want you to do something for me."
"What?" Alyssa asked, having a good idea of the answer.
"Make me pregnant."
Alyssa gaped. She was not expecting that.
"I can't do that." Alyssa confessed.
"Even with your magic?" Gwyn asked, looking mightily disappointed.
"I probably could but I never researched a spell that would manage it."
Gwyn pouted.
"I'll be sure to work on it as soon as I can!" Alyssa reassured her.
"Thank you," Gwyn said her mood lifted and a slight coy grin spread across her face. "Well, why don't we practice for now?"
"Are you sure?" Alyssa asked. "I know how you have been coming to my rooms and then turning around along the way on more occasions than I can count."
"How did you know that?" Gwyn asked as she blushed prettily.
"The Queensguard and servants told me."
"I should have been more careful." Gwyn said with a pout.
"Considering how many times you did it, I doubt any level of caution could have hid what you were doing long."
Gwyn just sighed in defeat.
"I ask again." Alyssa asked kindly. "Are you finally ready now?"
"Yes," Gwyn said with determination as she showed her resolve by pulling the right sleeve of her dress down and exposing her right breast. Before she could reach for the other sleeve, Alyssa picked her up and started walking to the bed, shouting at the Queensguard outside.
"Someone let Margey and others know I won't be joining them tonight!"
"Correction!" Gwyn shouted over her shoulder. "Tell them to come here in a couple of hours!"
Alyssa barely heard Ygritte's amused acknowledgement as she stared at Gwyn in shock.
"I'm not depriving my sisters of you tonight," the Ironborn woman said with a shrug. "Even if I want to be alone with you our first time and be your first tonight."
"You can have me," Alyssa said as she gently tossed the Ironborn woman onto the bed and earning herself a playful giggle even as crawled on top of her.
Gwyn reached up to pull Alyssa into a kiss. One which mixed daring, playfulness and pent up want all in equal measure.
"Make love to me." Gwyn ordered as they pulled apart.
"As my Princess commands."
Done!
For those wondering, the title is a reference to a triptych which are sets of three associated artistic, literary, or musical works intended to be appreciated together. With the middle piece, the negotiations between Alyssa and Daenerys in this case, sometimes considered the most important, something which is definitely the case in this chapter. I know it's not a perfect fit, since the middle part had multiple scenes but I still thought it fitting enough.
Yup, I made Mya a bit of a butch. She is presented in the art I've seen her with a decidedly masculine bent to her appearance, still very feminine mind you but just a tad less traditionally so. Also I made her be the more assertive one during her coupling with Alyssa. That's simply because there had to be one among Alyssa's seven wives that has the temperament.
So Ghost is bigger than Drogon? Why!? Well, he's older and is juiced up on magic, how could he not be? It's totally not me trying to pimp my MC! How slanderous of you to even suggest it! XD
Alyssa has a bad opinion of Dany as first, huh? Look at this way, who is Dany to her? She is an enemy when they first sit down. A rival who seeks to claim the Iron Throne. When has Alyssa ever seen her enemies in a good light? As you can see though, by the end of their negotiations Alyssa's view of her softens a bit as seen in the terms of address she uses to identify her in her mind. Especially once they agree to at least temporarily not be enemies.
If anyone is wondering what changes were made to Daenerys' road to Westeros from canon, then let me just say that it mostly follows exactly what happens in the books save for minor deviations based on missing characters that stayed in Westeros instead of going to Westeros. The second Siege of Meeren of course ends in Dany's victory despite the lack of Victarion Greyjoy's fleet, the man being dead by that point in the story. As for what happened to the missing Dany, things play out as per the show instead. In the aftermath, things occurred as hinted at in the story i.e. the Iron Bank bankrolls a fleet to transport Dany to Westeros.
And yes, Alyssa continues to be a terrible mother. Did you expect her to change? Considering she did not receive any treatment for her postpartum depression, not that there is anything like that in Planetos, she never truly bonded with Ned. As a result, she has developed an active dislike for her son. It's sad and disappointing but it happens. I've personally never seen it explored in fiction much, at least not from the mother's perspective, so I decided to try it out.
Long AN is long. This is becoming a trend. Argh! Anyways, I'm signing off here so till next time acomiadament!