Interlude IV: Aftermath
Taken from "Fire and Blood: A comprehensive history of House Targaryen", by Archmaester Yandel of the Citadel
Chapter 19: King Aegon VI's far too short reign
...Evidence was later found in his room, namely a small bag of golden dragons and the remnants of a letter amidst the ashes of the hearth, that allowed the kingsguards to discover the truth. Sandor Clegane had been payed by someone, whose identity remains unknown as of today but who was undoubtedly someone working for the imposter, to kill King Aegon...
...Nobody knows for certain what prompted Clegane to accept such an offer. Was it hatred, secretely harbored after years of serving Houses Lannister and Targaryen? Was it just greed? Perhaps a combination of both. Perhaps, Sandor Clegane had only claimed to be loyal to his masters, all the while despising them and waiting for the right chance to do them harm. We shall never know. The only other person who could have answered these questions, the red priestess named Melisandre, was found dead in her cell, seemingly after committing suicide by sliding her throat with a knife she had hidden somewhere. Clegane died fighting against the kingsguards who had rushed to the royal sept, all the while protesting his innocence and blaming the death of the king on a shadow that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere...
...Many people have speculated that Sandor Clegane, knowing that he had next to no chance of fleeing before he could be caught, had chosen to either kill himself or die facing the knights of the Kingsguard. However, it's also likely that he planned to escape through a secret passage which location was known only to him. It's a well known fact, after all, that the Red Keep is full of hidden tunnels built on King Maegor I's order. As for his ramblings, they are commonly attributed to either desperation or some form of insanity. The latter seems more plausible, given what is known of the man in question and his infamous brother. This episode would contribute to House Clegane's grim reputation, casting a shadow that haunts its members to this very day...
...Having died before he could even come of age, the reign of King Aegon VI is remembered for being the shortest of all Targaryen history. It was not uneventful, though. Aside from the end of the Blackfyre line in what many call the Imposter's Folly, also known as the Sixth Blackfyre Rebellion, this period was also marked by Maron Greyjoy's uprising...
XXXXXX
Taken from "History and lore of the Ironborn", by Maester Walder of Gulltown
...Even after the death of the mysterious Qarteen warlock at Pyke, it would take some more time for the Iron Islands to be truly pacified. It would only happen two and half months later, after Maron Greyjoy's death in the siege of Old Wyk, when the Redwyne fleet and the Lannister army finally managed to take the last of the rebel strongholds...
...This is possibly the event that most defined the fate of the Iron Islands. After young Lord Dagon Greyjoy finally managed to reclaim his birthright, garrisons from the Reach and the Westerlands were stationed on Pyke and the main islands, formally under the command of regents Lady Cerenna Greyjoy, her goodsister Lady Asha Greyjoy, Ser Harras Harlaw of Grey Garden, and Ser Theon Harlaw, heir to Ten Towers. In truth, these troops were under direct orders from Highgarden and Casterly Rock, and although they were at first meant as just a safety measure for Lord Dagon, they would end up having a more profound and lasting effect.
In fact, this began the slow, final eradication of the so-called "Old Way" and the faith of the Drowned God, replaced by the Faith of the Seven. With so many nostalgics of the old ways dead, the survivors either realized the foolishness of following that which had led to their doom, or simply put up a facade to save their hide. Whatever the reason, the result is that now, years after the end of the rebellion, the Iron Islands are for the first time truly part of the Seven Kingdoms...
...Another mistery from this event that remains unsolved is the one surrounding the last days of the then maester of Pyke. Maester Gormon, formerly of House Tyrell, had played a pivotal role in organizing the loyalist forces on Pyke, and, according to some rumors, had even had something to do with the aforementioned warlock's death. He was well known for his wisdom and his kind demeanor.
However, a few weeks after the surrender of Old Wyk, he began to show signs of mental illness. Reports from various sources talk about how he would often be found whispering to himself, of his sudden fear of ravens and crows, and of his many suicide attempts. Undoubtedly, the stress of the rebellion and his old age had taken a heavy toll on him. This is further corroborated by a few notes found on his personal diary, which talk about an evil voice in his head trying to corrupt him. Followed by a series of incoherent ramblings, the diary ends with Maester Gormon talking about his choice to kill himself by jumping into the sea from one of the rope bridges connecting the towers of Pyke, all the while stabbing his heart with a dragonglass dagger. In his own words, this was the only way to stop the "evil voice" once and for all. Unfortunately, despite being constantly surrounded by guards acting on Lady Asha's orders, he succeeded in his intent. His corpse was recovered a few days later on the shores of Pyke, with a satisfied smile on his face. Perhaps, in his final, delirious moments, he had defeated the so-called "evil voice"...
XXXXXX
Taken from "Fire and Blood: A comprehensive history of House Targaryen", by Archmaester Yandel of the Citadel
Chapter 20: The Young Queen
...Her reign didn't begin under the best of circumstances. The third monarch in less than a year, after the death of her father and brother, Queen Visenya found herself in one of the darkest moments of House Targaryen. Luckily, and thanks to the competent advisors that surrounded her, she was able to navigate through the many difficulties that plagued her early reign, suppressing the fears of those who did not look favorably to a woman sitting the Iron Throne...
...Thanks to her charisma and her kind soul, Queen Visenya managed to earn the love of nobles and smallfolk alike. And, although some maesters would disagree, even the Seven. For what else could that red comet be, the one that appeared in the sky exactly seven months after her formal crowning? What else, if not a sign of approval from the gods...
...Although this book is about the history of House Targaryen, in the end it's dedicated to our good and gracious Queen Visenya, First of Her Name, and her sons Prince Beron and Prince Rhaegar...
AN: Hope you enjoyed it, folks. Brace yourselves for the epilogue!