Here it is, the long awaited Black and Green Wedding. Enjoy!
Author's Note: Lewd suggestions and incestuous perversion.
129 AC
Seventeen Years Ago
"Now," the queen began. "about why I have summoned you here..."
Helaena sat straight in her chair.
"Ever since the birth of your older brother, the divide in our father's court over the line of succession has become more and more noticeable. It has been a nightmare for both our families with all the bickering, arguments, and spreading of vile rumors. Father tried not to get involved to avoid making one side think that he was favoring the other. Now that he is gone and I am queen, I want to mend the rift between our families."
Helaena listened to her half-sister's words, taking them in steadily. She could not believe what she was hearing. Rhaenyra, a stubborn woman who believed everything she did was right was talking about establishing peace between the Blacks and the Greens.
"The best way to facilitate this is through marriage," Rhaenyra continued, "a marriage between my only daughter, a Black princess, and your youngest son, a Green prince. Do you not want this fighting between our families to end, Helaena? Maelor and Visenya will grow up together, and I am sure that they will form a close bond. They will be the symbol of our families moving beyond our feud and into a brand new beginning for House Targaryen. What do you think, Helaena?"
Helaena became rigid in her chair. By all means she wanted to say yes, but something held her back. Years of being told about the unworthiness of Rhaenyra's claim next to Aegon's had left some impact on the princess's mind, and Helaena felt deep down that the queen was being dubious. She even felt that Rhaenyra's "offer" for Helaena's mother to remain at the royal court was merely a ploy to incite Alicent to move out on her own accord. But Helaena was tired of all the infighting, and she wanted it to end just as much as Rhaenyra did.
Ignoring the great weight of the reluctance she felt upon her lips, Helaena gave her half-sister her answer.
"I…" she began tenuously, the weight slowly lifting like a floodgate and allowing her words to flow out. "I too want this to end, Rhaenyra. It has gone on long enough. My son will marry your daughter, his cousin, when they come of age."
The queen smiled.
"Good." she said. "I am glad."
All the while this was going on, little Maelor continued to play tag with his cousins and siblings. As they played, tiny Visenya slept soundly in her cradle beside her dragon egg. As the two little ones were immersed in their individual moments of blissful existence, their mothers' planned their combined destinies. A two year old boy was engaged to a newborn girl who was only a month and a half old. What would their world be like when the time came for them to be wed?
146 AC
The Present Day
And finally, after the passage of seventeen years, the time had come for Prince Maelor and Princess Visenya Targaryen to be wed. The world that they were to marry into was peaceful and promising. Time had managed to help simmer down most old grudges from the past, to bring most foes into allegiance with Queen Rhaenyra I Targaryen, and to make most people hopeful. One generation had butted heads over the Iron Throne, the one after that had sought to make amends, and the one after that would enjoy the resulting peace. The Black and Green Wedding was viewed as being the apex of the reconciliatory acts that had been made and brokered between the supporters of the Dragon Queen and Prince Aegon the Elder for nearly two decades.
Going to bed the night before their wedding with a heady combination of excitement and nervousness, the bride and groom took a deep breath when they were roused the following morning to prepare for their big day. Teams of servants helped prepare the couple for the wedding. Maelor and Visenya were bathed in rose scented water, their skin anointed with perfume after they had been dried off, with Maelor preferring the spiceflower scent from Pentos, and Visenya liking the plum blossom fragrance from Highgarden, and their hair was brushed and combed; Visenya's had hers braided of course. The best part came when it was time for Maelor and Visenya to get dressed into their wedding clothes. The tailors and seamstresses who had been given royal warrants by the queen had carefully taken Maelor and Visenya's measurements three times to make sure that the math was right before they made the clothing.
The fruits of these artisans' yearlong labors were a magnificent sight to behold. Prince Maelor's wedding outfit consisted of an ivory white velvet tunic with hems that had thread of gold and rubies sewn into them, a grape purple undershirt, and a golden belt that was bejeweled with pearls and amethysts. Princess Visenya's wedding dress was made of silvery white samite with hems that were made of thread of silver and cloth of gold woven with pearls and frilled with snow-white lace. A silver circlet studded with amethysts and yellow topazes to match Visenya's eyes and the golden shimmer of her hair whenever light fell on it rested on her head. As for footwear, the bride and groom respectively wore white shoes and black boots.
As Maelor and Visenya's attendants applied the finishing touches to their outfits, their relatives were also up and getting ready for the wedding. Servants rushed back and forth through the halls with towels, pitchers of water and basins for cleaning, and flagons of watered wine and cups to slake morning thirsts. Updates about the wedding preparations were also rushed back and forth to the queen and her half-sister. The castle's upper halls were fragrant with perfume and echoed with voices as instructions were issued or as conversations were being made as the morning sun rose higher in the sky. Excitement permeated the whole Red Keep with a more palpable presence than the fragrance of the strongest perfume.
After getting dressed into a lovely gown of plum purple velvet and violet silk with white and gold hems that had diamonds woven into them, Queen Rhaenyra I Targaryen was ready to see her daughter, the bride-to-be. King Daemon Targaryen wore an outfit of crimson and sable that was both formal yet not as audacious as his niece-wife's gown. He did wear the Black Medallion though, the same piece of jewelry that had been commissioned for him by the late Wesley for Rhaenyra's coronation in 129 AC. Basically, Daemon was wearing the same clothes that he had been crowned as king consort in. The man was apathetic about getting new clothes; if the clothes you have now look fine and still fit, why get new ones?
Dressed in their best, Rhaenyra and Daemon left their room to see their daughter. A maidservant was smoothing out wrinkles on Visenya's dress when the guard outside of the princess's bedchamber was heard announcing the arrival of her parents the king and queen. The maidservant backed away from the princess as the door opened and the rulers of the Seven Kingdoms entered. The couple froze where they stood once they saw Visenya. She was absolutely gorgeous.
The princess's outfit had been tailored to compliment her finest physical features, and the combination of her physical beauty and the craftsmanship of the dress she wore made for a stunning amalgamation. Visenya's beauty caused her parents to gasp, but it was the realization that she was finally a bride that made Daemon sigh and Rhaenyra I to weep. Her baby, her youngest child, was getting married. It felt like only yesterday that Visenya was a little girl who was pampered with kisses, cakes, and dresses. It felt like only the day before yesterday that Visenya was a newborn babe being held for the first time by her mother.
The passage of seventeen years at that moment for the queen regnant and her husband felt like only seventeen days, if not hours, had passed. Rhaenyra's lips trembled, and it was not long before she hid her face in her hands as the tears started to fall from her eyes.
"Oh, mother..." Visenya said softly as she walked over towards the crying queen. Rhaenyra lowered her hands from her red and teary face to embrace her only daughter. It was a long and tight embrace. When mother and daughter finally parted, Rhaenyra rested her hands on Visenya's shoulders and looked her in the eye.
Seeing that a woman grown was now looking back at her instead of a young girl caused the queen to both sigh deeply and to smile sadly.
"Gods, how you have grown..."
Visenya felt her father's hand on her back between her shoulder blades. Turning away from her mother, Visenya was then embraced by her father.
"You have grown into a beautiful woman, Visenya." Daemon remarked. "Beautiful, beautiful."
"Thank you, father." said a blushing Visenya.
Rhaenyra looked over her daughter's wedding gown to make sure everything was in place. She rubbed her fingertips over any perceived crease or wrinkle, gently touched seams to make sure that the jewels were sewn securely in, and glanced at Visenya's circlet and braid to make sure that not a single hair was out of place. Everything looked fine, except for the fact that the princess's neck and fingers were bare.
"Where is your necklace? Where are your rings?" asked Rhaenyra in concern.
"I have yet to put them on. I was about to send one of the girls to fetch them."
"Well, have her get them. I will help you pick your rings and necklace."
Visenya found it wise to have her mother help her pick out what jewelry to where. Lord Reyne's very own silversmith, along with Lord Lannister's goldsmith, had both crafted some of the most magnificent pieces of jewelry that Visenya had ever seen. Daemon observed with a pleased expression on his face as his wife helped their daughter in trying on necklaces and picking out rings. A similar scenario was being played out in Maelor's chambers at the same time. After they had gotten dressed in their clothes, Prince Aegon the Elder and Princess Helaena Targaryen made their way to their youngest child's room to see him before the wedding began.
Aegon was wearing a dark blue silk doublet with thread of silver brocade, a black leather belt with a silver buckle, and black trousers and boots. Helaena wore a yellow-green samite gown with gold accents, and her hair was done up in a ringed hairstyle with a gold circlet resting on her head, and she wore golden-yellow shoes. Maelor was checking his teeth in a mirror when he heard the guard outside his room announce the arrival of his parents. The prince quickly straightened up when the door opened and his mother and father walked in. Just like with their half-sister and uncle, Aegon and Helaena stopped in their tracks once they got a good look at their son in his wedding ensemble.
Nine and ten was how old Maelor was. Where had all the time gone? It seemed as if the prince had grown from an adorable little baby into a tall and handsome young man overnight. Helaena could still remember holding Maelor shortly after he was born in 127 AC, as well as the heartwarming smile that appeared on her father's face when he held his newborn grandson for the first time later that same day. King Viserys I Targaryen had celebrated the recovery of his health on the first day of 127 AC, and his youngest daughter liked to think that Maelor's birth helped to improve his health even more despite the fact that the Young King would decline again the following year.
From a newborn, Maelor grew into a sweet little boy who loved to watch a then hatchling Meteor fly through the castle halls, show off his first adult teeth as they grew in after losing his baby ones, or play with his older brother and sister and their half-cousins. Upon reaching his tens, Helaena saw how her son became interested in girls, how proud he was after he rode Meteor for the first time, and how excited he was when he noticed that his first whisker had grown on his chin. And now, here was Maelor, a man grown and a groom, ready begin the next chapter of his life as a husband. The weight of this realization caused Helaena to purse her lips as her eyes began to shimmer with tears. Her youngest child was getting married.
Before the first tears fell, Helaena walked briskly over towards her son with her arms outstretched. Mother and son embraced, and Helaena cupped both of Maelor's cheeks in her hands and she began to pepper his face with his kisses.
"Thank you, mother..." mumbled an embarrassed Maelor, whose cheeks were a rosy pink as his mother gave him one last kiss on his left cheek. The prince was happy to receive his mother's affections, it is just with him being nineteen, and being in the company of servants, Maelor did not want to be openly treated as if he were a little boy. Aegon the Elder approached his youngest (known) son after his sister-wife had released him, and he laid both his hands on Maelor's shoulders.
"My boy." he began proudly. "My son. Soon to be a husband. I hope that one day you get to experience this with your own son or daughter on their wedding day, and that you feel as proud of them as I am with you right now."
Overcome with emotion, Maelor could only smile at his father and nod in agreement. After wiping away some tears, Helaena slid a ring off of her finger and handed it to her son. It was a band of solid gold that was embedded with a single pearl. This ring seemed oddly familiar to Maelor for some reason. Seeing her son's expression of curiosity, Helaena told him about the significance of that ring.
"That ring was your grandfather's. He gave it to you to play with the night he told Jaehaerys and Jaehaera that tall tale about how the Old King had defeated a massive army of wildlings and monsters Beyond the Wall with Vermithor the Bronze Fury. That was also the same night father died too. After his funeral, your cousin Jacaerys gave me that ring to serve as a keepsake. I kept it in my jewelry box all this time, and as I was getting dressed earlier, I noticed it, and decided that it would be fitting to give it to you on your wedding day, Maelor."
Maelor, who had been looking at his mother as she informed him about the ring's history, glanced back down at it to study it after Helaena had finished. It was a simple piece of jewelry, but its sentimental worth was what made it truly special to Maelor. A warm feeling of nostalgia had surged through him, and with it came a flicker of an old memory of the Young King handing the then two year old prince that same ring all those years ago. That warmth grew deeper when Maelor learned that his mother had decided to give it to him after all of these years. Without a word, a touched Prince Maelor slipped the ring onto his right index finger; it was a perfect fit.
Before long, the hour of the wedding approached. Instead of the sept on Visenya's Hill, the ceremony was going to be held in the throne room before the Iron Throne itself. It seemed more fitting to have Maelor and Visenya married before the Iron Throne since their union was meant to bring the Blacks and Greens together, thus bringing the issue over the line of succession to rest at long last, not to mention sparing Princess Laena Velaryon from having a panic attack if she were to see or enter a sept. The master of ceremonies was the High Septon himself, who had arrived at King's Landing just three days before with a sizeable cortege of knights from the Reach. Queen Rhaenyra sat on the Iron Throne from where she observed how crowded the throne room got.
Six of the Queensguard flanked both sides of the throne with Lord Commander Clothair Blackwood standing in front on Rhaenyra I's right. Standing on the right alongside Clothair were the Black Targaryen's, except for King Daemon Targaryen since he was going to walk his daughter down the aisle, and to the queen's left were the Green Targaryen's. Dowager Queen Alicent Hightower stood with her children, daughters-in-law, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Maelor was with his family waiting for his time to stand before the Iron Throne to await the arrival of his bride. Aemond and Lydus both looked especially pleased, and it was not just because Maelor was getting married.
Aemond had met with his older half-sister yesterday afternoon with both Lady Sam and Alys Rivers present to discuss an important issue. The issue in question was the legitimization of Ser Lydus Rivers.
"The spirit of reconciliation is in the air, sister." spoke Aemond. "Your daughter is going to marry my nephew tomorrow, and we all hope that this will finally put the bad blood between us to rest. I think that legitimizing my son Lydus could be another stepping stone that can be added to this road towards a more unified dynasty. Do you not agree?"
Rhaenyra I raised an eyebrow. Her snake of a half-brother was exploiting the nature of the Black and Green Wedding to try get his bastard son by a witch to be lawfully named as a Targaryen prince.
"How old will Lydus be this year, Aemond?" asked Rhaenyra.
"Six and ten." replied her half-brother.
"Why do you petition for his legitimization now when you had all of the past sixteen years to do so?"
Noticing that her lover had turned red at the queen's question, Alys laid a calming hand on Aemond's shoulder and spoke in his stead.
"The tensions between the Blacks and Greens have kept him from doing so, your grace. Aside from that, there are two other reasons as to why we have come before you today to beseech you to name our son legitimate."
"What are the other two reasons, Lady Alys?" Rhaenyra found it to be strange calling Alys a lady. Before Alys could answer, Aemond began speaking again, his red face having simmered down to pink.
"My son deserves respect for one thing. Lydus was knighted by Lord Lyonel last year for the exemplary skills he had displayed in the Hightower's training yard during a duel. He was four and ten, one year older than King Maegor was when he received his knighthood."
Rhaenyra and Samantha exchanged glances after hearing the one-eyed prince mention the infamous tyrant. They continued listening to him anyway.
"The title of "Ser" has given Lydus some respect from his peers, but not as much as he deserves. Boys look up to him for his skill in swordplay, but as they grow older, they shun him because he is baseborn. Because of this, Lydus has had no real friends in his life. Valarr worships Lydus, and he hopes to train alongside his cousin next year when he starts serving as a pageboy for Daeron. The two boys enjoy each other's company, and Lydus hopes that the babe that is being carried in my wife's womb is a boy so that he can have a friend for life through a half-brother.
This also brings me to my third and final reason as to why I now seek for my son to be named trueborn. I do not want a younger son to inherit everything before his older half-brother in the event of my death. Naming Lydus a Targaryen will not only give him the title of "prince" and the respect that is rightfully due to him, but also the rights of a trueborn eldest son. He is your nephew, Rhaenyra, and he has never done anything malign against you. I have never asked you for anything until now, and this is all I want.
Please give Lydus this chance. Please."
Rhaenyra was impressed by her younger half-brother's words. She had only known him as being a vile and mean-spirited man, but here, in her royal solar, she saw another side to him: a caring and loving father. Aemond's words did make the queen feel some guilt over her having told her grandsons during the visit to Oldtown in 140 AC to not associate with Lydus after he accidentally injured Baelor in the Hightower's training yard. Without further exposition from Aemond, Rhaenyra I agreed to legitimize her half-nephew, changing his name from Ser Lydus Rivers to Prince Lydus Targaryen. His legitimization and name change were announced during the pre-wedding feast the night before.
Looking up from her assembled family below, Rhaenyra glanced around at the guests as they filled up the throne room. The most prominent guests stood the closest to the Iron Throne, and the lesser lords and ladies stood closer to the Great Hall's doors. To the right, were guests from the Crownlands, with the guests from Houses Velaryon, Darklyn, and Celtigar having the privilege to be able to stand the closest to the Iron Throne on Rhaenyra I's right thanks to their historical and marital ties to the dynasty; the Stormlands, the Vale, the Riverlands, and the Westerlands. To the left were guests from the Reach, with the guests from Houses Hightower, Beesbury, and Tyrell standing the closest to the queen's left; the North, Dorne, and the Iron Islands. Merchant-princes and magisters from the Free Cities, including an envoy from the Summer Isles, intermingled amongst the Westerosi nobility.
The queen recognized some of the faces of the people who were standing up front, while everyone else was a stranger to her. She could recall some of the names from guest list, but mainly the leading lords and ladies, or their titles at least. All of the Wardens were in attendance, including the Lord Reaver of Pyke, Dalton Greyjoy, and the Princess of Dorne, Aliandra Martell, whose presence irked the Stormlander guests. And speaking of the Stormlands, Rhaenyra was not surprised that Lord Borros Baratheon had not accepted his invitation, and his wife and son were attending in his stead. The Lord of Storm's End never left his family's seat unless it was to head out to repel Dornish raiders, so maybe it was a good thing that Borros was not breathing the same air as Aliandra and her family were now in the Red Keep.
Rhaenyra was surprised to see Cornelius Wylde, the Lord of Rain House. Only a year old when he assumed leadership of his family following his great-grandfather's failed rebellion back in 130 AC, Cornelius had finally reached the age of majority early last year in 145 AC, and he was now ruling on his own. House Wylde had been struggling over the past sixteen years after their fall from grace and from being downsized in both land and status. Intel from Mysaria had kept the crown up to date from time to time about the goings on of the Wylde's.
The Wylde's who had been taken hostage had either married into their captor's family or another noble house, had been serving in the household of their captor, or sought their fortune as sellswords across the Narrow Sea in Essos. Those captive Wylde's had been living quietly, and had never made any more fuss since the Ironrod's failed attempt to usurp the Dragon Queen and to put her half-brother on the throne. According to Mysaria, Cornelius was now looking for a wife. Cornelius was hoping to "win back" some of his family's lost lands through his future wife's dowry, and he had three bridal candidates to choose from: Lady Mertyns, whose family had prominence but had only annexed a tiny fraction of House Wylde's land in 130 AC; Lady Rogers, whose family was wealthy thanks to their amber mines in the Rainwood, and they had expanded their domain into House Wylde's former holdings after their downfall; Lady Trant, whose family had annexed the most land, but who were of a lesser standing in comparison to the Lords of Mistwood and Amberly.
Perhaps attending the Black and Green wedding would allow for the Lord of Rain House to find other prospective wives? Rhaenyra considered Lord Alyn's daughters. Just like what Aemond had said yesterday, the spirit of reconciliation was in the air. Maybe the next reconciliatory act made by the Iron Throne was to make another match between Houses Wylde and Velaryon? But, Maelor and Visenya had to get married first before thoughts of other weddings could even cross the queen's mind.
It was not long before the hour of the ceremony approached. The High Septon entered the hall wearing his white and gold vestments swinging a censer that spread evanescent blue clouds of sweet-smelling incense in the air. Six white clad acolytes walked behind the High Septon carrying candles, with one cradling the Shepard of the Masses' opulently decorated copy of The Seven-Pointed Star with his left arm. The gathered audience created a wave of bowing heads as the holy entourage made their way towards the Iron Throne. After the High Septon and his acolytes had taken up their positions before the Iron Throne, the groom took his place in front of both the High Septon and his half-aunt's seat of power.
Trumpets sounded, and the heralds announced the arrival of the bride. Gasping and whispering could be heard after Visenya entered the throne room with her father. Visenya enjoyed the attention, and she walked with her chin up, a proud smile on her face. Other than the appearances of the bride and groom, the wedding guests noticed that both Maelor and Visenya were wearing wedding cloaks. But the unusualness of the wedding did not stop there. Maelor's cloak bore the heraldry of the Greens: a golden Targaryen three-headed dragon a black field, while Visenya's cloak bore the heraldry of the Blacks: two of the Targaryen red three-headed dragon on a black field, the Arryn blue falcon and white moon on a sky-blue field, and the Velaryon silver seahorse on a sea-green field.
Once Visenya reached the Iron Throne, the ceremony began. The wedding proceeded normally. The High Septon led the prayers, the blessings, and the singing. When he asked out loud for anyone to speak their objections to the Black and Green Wedding, only silence answered the High Septon. If anyone had any lingering doubts or animosity, they kept it buried deep within themselves. Pleased and relieved, the High Septon turned his attention back to the bride and groom and he stretched out his arms as if he wanted to gather them both into an embrace.
"And now, at long last, the time has come to shed the discord and hatred of the past, and replace them with the peace and love of the present. Change the cloaks."
Daemon and Helaena stepped forward to remove their children's cloaks. Jacaerys and Aegon the Elder then handed their respective stepfather and sister-wife another set of wedding cloaks. These both bore House Targaryen's normal heraldry, and they also happened to be the same cloaks that the Young King had draped over the shoulders of his wives when he married them, with Queen Aemma's cloak being given to her only granddaughter, and Queen Alicent's to her grandson. Handing the cloaks to Maelor and Visenya, the bride and groom each took turns draping their cloaks over their shoulders and clasping them with brooches. They had rehearsed this gods knew how many times, and practice made perfect, for the ritual was done without error. Two red dragons hung from the backs of the bride and groom, symbolically uniting the realm and the Iron Throne at long last.
The High Septon announced this unification nearly word for word. Sealing this unification would be the exchanging of vows and a kiss.
"With this kiss, I pledge my love and take you for my lord and husband." intoned Visenya.
"With this kiss, I pledge me love and take you for my lady and wife." intoned Maelor.
The vows were recited simultaneously, the syllables echoed off the walls and dragon skulls, and flowed into the ears of the silent crowd of onlookers. History was being made here. Not only were a man and woman coming together in holy matrimony, but so was an entire realm. With nervous smiles on their lips, Maelor and Visenya leaned in and kissed. It was a sweet and tender one, and after the bride and groom's lips parted, the High Septon began the closing phase of the wedding.
"I pronounce thee, Prince Maelor Targaryen, and Princess Visenya Targaryen, as man and wife. You are now one flesh, one heart, one soul, now and forever." he added one more line. "And now, through the union of Maelor and Visenya, House Targaryen of King's Landing is whole again. May the light of the Seven bless them forevermore."
Clapping and cheering erupted from the wedding guests at a deafening volume. Muffled cheers could be heard coming outside along with the joyous peals of the bells from the city's main sept. The walls of the throne room, no, the whole castle, shook from the strength of the sound. Tears fell from the eyes of both Queen Rhaenyra I and Princess Helaena Targaryen. A brand new beginning had come for House Targaryen.
The queen stood up from the Iron Throne and walked down to greet her newlywed daughter and son-in-law. Bowing her head to the High Septon, who bowed to her and allowed her passage, Rhaenyra embraced her daughter and half-nephew. Clapping her hands, the queen announced for the feast to begin. The doors to the Great Hall opened, and servants began carrying in tables and chairs. Candlesticks were placed on the tables, soon followed by plates, bowls of fruits and fresh baked bread, spoons, knives, and goblets.
More servants came in with flagons of wine and platters of roasted meats and fish, and freshly baked cakes, pies, and fruit and custard tarts. Toasts were made, and people ate and drank merrily. There were seven courses, and the food seemed to be even grander than the fare that was served for Rhaenyra's coronation seventeen years ago! Exotic delicacies like grilled porpoise and Ghiscari octopus stew was served alongside the traditional fare of roasted auroch, peppered boar, butter poached sturgeon, spiced crabs, and pork chops served with stewed apples to name a few. Roasted swans and peacocks still wearing their plumage were served too alongside marzipan sculptures that were molded in the shape of dragons and the Hightower Pharos.
Wine flowed like water, as did hippocras, ale, mead, and stout. Musicians set a lovely and relaxing ambience with the music of their drums, flutes, lyres, and harps. Entertainers like acrobats, jesters, pyromancers and fire eaters, sword swallowers, jugglers, and even a dancing bear act brought much enjoyment to the guests as they ate, drank, and conversed. Seeing the sword swallowers caused both Princes Aegon and Viserys Targaryen to remember the Essosi sword swallower that they encountered with Ser Clothair Blackwood during their tour of the fairgrounds at the tourney held to celebrate their mother's coronation. They still had the two daggers that the man had given them all those years ago when the brothers were young boys.
About an hour after the feast had begun, the wedding pie was brought in and set down before the bride and groom. Deciding to add some humor to his daughter and son-in-law's wedding celebrations, King Daemon handed them Dark Sister to use to cut open the pie with instead of using a knife. Visenya was excited at the idea, and Maelor went along with his half-cousin/wife even though he was a little nervous about using his father-in-law's sword. Clasping Dark Sister's grip together, Maelor and Visenya were able to cut through the pie's crust. Birds like mockingbirds, blue jays, cardinals, doves, pigeons, and songbirds flew out, happy to be freed from their pastry prison.
The birds flew to the windows of the Great Hall, the ceiling, some perched themselves carefully on the blades of the Iron Throne, or flew out the open doors, which had been opened to allow more fresh air to flow in. Outside the castle walls, the taverns and winesinks of King's Landing were full to bursting with the smallfolk as they celebrated the wedding. Roasted meats, fruit tarts, and freshly baked buns and bread that were full of nuts and candied fruit were sold or given away for free in the streets. As night fell, drunken singing intermingled with laughter and talking. One humorous incident occurred was when the apprentices of a butcher from Pig Alley tried to race on pig back while drunk!
The highborn guests at the Red Keep were also becoming inebriated as the hours went by. There was singing, hysterical laughter, and some vomiting of course, but thankfully none of the nobles got the "bright" idea to race on the backs of the pigs in the castle's pig yard. The brother, cousin, and uncles of the groom drank, laughed, and had a good time. Daeron, Jaehaerys, and Lydus drank moderately in comparison to Aegon the Elder and Aemond. Dornish strongwine proved to be a new favorite for the two brothers.
Taking another swig of strongwine, Aemond glanced down the table and noticed Princess Alysanne. Baelor and Rhaena were helping her up out of her chair, no doubt to take her up to her chambers to rest for the night due to her pregnancy. Both Aemond and Garmund had escorted their wives up to their chambers earlier so that they could put their feet up and spend the rest of the evening in bed. Aemond noticed how his half-grandniece lovingly rubbed her pregnant belly, grinning all the while, and saying something that he could not hear to her mother and husband. He then observed Baelor's brown hair.
Aemond then turned to his brothers, nephew, and son.
"How much do either of you want to bet that the whelp Luke's oldest girl is carrying is going to come out looking like a Strong?"
Daeron, Jaehaerys, and Lydus stared at the one-eyed prince, their eyes widened in disbelief over what he had just said. His older brother, on the other hand, was in a betting mood.
"I'll take you up on that, brother."
The princes' youngest brother leaned in and whispered, "Keep your voices down! Do you want our sister, or the White Worm to hear you?"
Aemond and Aegon looked down the table at their older half-sister. Rhaenyra was happily chatting away with Lady Sam, who had moved up next to the queen after Daemon retired to bed early. Mysaria was resting her head on the table cushioned by the fatty tissue of her left arm. The fingers of her right hand were lightly grasping the stem of her goblet. Aemond turned to Daeron.
"Rhaenyra is too busy yapping with Lady Sam, and the White Worm is drunker than we are!"
"Yes, I can see that." Daeron hissed. "But the White Worm can have other worms in the woodwork here in her employ who will report back to her or Rhaenyra."
Aemond snorted. "The spirit of reconciliation is in the air, brother. My tongue is safe."
Minutes later, the call to bed the bride and groom was sounded. Guests who were in various stages of intoxication both male and female rose up from their chairs to initiate the bedding ritual. Helaena and Jaehaera got up to oversee the disrobement of Maelor, while all five of Visenya's brothers got up to make sure that their little sister did not get groped or fondled too much. Both Aegon the Elder and Aemond got up as well.
"Where are you going, father?" asked Lydus. His cousin Jaehaerys had the same question on his tongue, and his face bore an expression of bemusement.
"To help with the bedding, son." Aemond said in a matter-of-fact tone of voice. "Is there something wrong with that?"
"Visenya is your niece. Kin are not supposed to help with beddings."
"We are Targaryen's, Lydus. We marry family!" Aemond said a little too loudly. Mysaria rose her head up somewhat to peer at Aemond, her drunken stupor being a facade. Rhaenyra and Lady Sam glanced over at him too, along with some of the other guests who had remained seated within earshot.
"Your Aunt Helaena and Uncle Aegon are brother and sister, your cousins are married to each other, and your Aunt Rhaenyra is married to our uncle. If your stepmother births a girl, you might marry her, Lydus."
Lydus felt a shiver of disgust crawl up his spine. Daeron agreed with his nephew.
"Lydus is right, Aemond. It would be improper for both you and Aegon to participate in Visenya's bedding."
"Oh, lighten up, Daeron." Aegon said as he rolled his eyes.
"Aegon, would you have liked it if grandfather or Uncle Gwayne had participated in Helaena's bedding when you two got married?"
It was Aegon the Elder's turn to look disgusted. This disgust made him see sense despite his drunkenness, and he sat back down in his chair. Aemond smirked, and he spoke the next words even louder than before.
"Where is the harm in me helping with the bedding? It's not like I am the one who is going to bed her. Our dear nephew will be doing that."
Daeron looked from his brother to their half-sister. Rhaenyra's purple eyes were wide with anger. Thinking quickly, he called for the Queensguard. Sers Victor Royce and Robert Darklyn seized the drunk prince at Daeron's command.
"Take him to his chambers. He needs to sleep off the wine."
Aemond protested, but the Queensguard knights had a good grip on him, and they dragged him off to his bedchamber with Lydus and Alys following after them to lead the knights to the room. The queen was glaring angrily into space as her dear friend tried to comfort her. Regardless of the tension, the bedding of Prince Maelor and Princess Visenya went off without a hitch, and the newlyweds were carried off to their marital bed by the guests. The consummation of their marriage would be a peaceful and, most importantly of all, joyful rite of passage for the two. As Maelor and Visenya enjoyed their first night together as husband and wife, the rest of the guests began retiring to their beds with a sense of peace in their hearts desite the crass behavior that was displayed by the newlywed's uncle.
Seven days of festivities followed to celebrate the Black and Green Wedding. A grand tourney was held, and more feasting and drinking followed along with hunting and sailing excursions. Thankfully, Prince Aemond did not say or do anything else foolish while drunk after the first wedding feast. However, his relationship with his half-sister had soured considerably. Rhaenyra and Aemond never said another word to one another throughout the rest of the week.
Rumors circulated that, as the guests departed for bed during the wedding night, the queen was overheard saying to Lady Sam that she would not suffer the presence of her half-brother at the Red Keep again for as long as she lived. Alicent agreed that her middle son's actions were foolish, but she felt that Rhaenyra I was being too harsh on Aemond since he was drunk that night. Learning of her stepmother's sentiments made Rhaenyra the First of Her Name rather tetchy. At least Maelor and Visenya were happy. They enjoyed the celebrations together as a happily married couple should whether it be hunting side by side in the Kingswood, sitting next to each other in the royal box in the stands to watch the jousts, or flying together in the sky on the backs of Meteor and Dyannerys.
The jousts proved to be interesting. A mystery knight who went by the name of "The Knight of the Lilies" proved to be a fearsome jouster. He was brute who easily mowed down his opponents as easily as if he was jousting the wind. Six knights fell before the Knight of the Lilies' lance: Ser Amaury Peake, Ser Isaac Peckledon, Lord Loreon Lannister, twin brothers Sers Jaime and Jon Waynwood, and Lord Ogden Manderly. The Knight of the Lilies finally met their match in Prince Lucerys Velaryon.
Knocking down the mystery knight, Luke commanded him to take off his helm and reveal himself to the crowd. Removing the helm, the true identity of the Knight of the Lilies surprised everyone. The knight was not a he, but a she. She was Lady Sabitha Vypren, the wife of Ser Forrest Frey, the Lord of the Crossing, and the mother of his only son and heir, Cinean. Sabitha's actions came as no surprise to her husband.
His Lady of the Crossing had a violent streak in her, and Sabitha was reported to be a misandrist, although she was by all accounts a loving and caring mother to their son. Sabitha had also been seen to be slapping the rears of passing serving girls during the feasts and occasionally disappearing with one of them as the night wore on. Many wondered how Forrest tolerated his wife's antics. Those with the lewdest minds speculated that Forrest enjoyed being "roughed up" by Sabitha in their bedroom from time to time, or they at least tolerated each other for the sake of their son. Hearsay later reported that Lady Vypren had made a bet with her husband that she could win the tourney as a mystery knight.
After the scandal over a woman participating in the tourney had subsided, the event carried on as normal. Prince Lucerys Velaryon won one victory after another, and many were positive that his lady wife was going to be crowned as the Queen of Love and Beauty again. All expectations were dashed after Luke was knocked down by the Lord of Duskendale, the brother-in-law of Prince Viserys Targaryen. By defeating the Master of Driftmark, Ser Rodrik Darklyn was named as the champion of the tourney. After shaking hands with Luke, who was impressed by Rodrik's skill, the latter took the crown of roses, and placed it on the head of his wife, Lady Celia Staunton, crowning her as the Queen of Love and Beauty.
The wedding celebrations ended on a high note. The Blacks and Greens parted ways on a friendlier note, although things were still cold between Queen Rhaenyra and Aemond. Rhaenyra I sent off her dear friend Samantha with a lovely parting gift, a cask of a vintage of sweet Lyseni white wine that the Dowager Lady of the Hightower had become fond of during the feasts. Sam greatly appreciated the gift, and the two women hugged. Waving off the Hightower's and Green Targaryen's, everyone felt confident that all would be well after the conclusion of the wedding celebrations.
That is, until a raven arrived at the Red Keep bearing a black wax seal that was stamped with House Hightower's heraldry about nearly a month after the Black and Green Wedding. Grand Maester Gerardys gasped after he read the letter, and he rushed to Rhaenyra's solar to deliver the letter to her at once. It was the queen's turn to gasp after she read it. The news that the raven bore did announce a death, but it was one that would take everyone by surprise.
The decedent was Lady Samantha Tarly.
Dun, dun, DUN! Cliffhanger! I am on a break week right now from school, so I have plenty more free time to try and type up the next chapter so that you will all have the answers to this chapter's ending. Thanks for reading, and please review! :)