King's Landing
The council room sat in silence as they waited for their King to arrive. A silent tension permeated the chamber, but the Lords gathered either pretended not to notice or distracted themselves with other matters. Not even half a year ago, many of these Lords stood on opposite sides of the battlefield. The War of the Five Kings had been a bloody one, and it had splintered Westeros once again into a fractured continent.
But now these Lords sat, gathered in King's Landing, all having bent the knee. Some willingly, others more forcefully. But in the end, they all surrendered and pledged their fealty once again to the Iron Throne. Fear made it very difficult for the Lords to disobey any longer, and nothing inspired more fear than Fire and Blood.
The wrath of House Targaryen came swiftly and furiously, conquering most of the continent in mere months. History was repeating itself as Aegon Targaryen, Sixth of his name, swept through Westeros atop his dragons with Rhaenys and Daenerys by his side.
When the Lords of Westeros first heard whispers of Targaryen forces stirring to the East, they had easily dismissed the threat. Hard to imagine how a few children without any supporters can cross the Narrow Sea, let alone bring Westeros to its knees once again.
Mayhaps Robert had it right all along. Stannis reminisced with a grimace. The Targaryen children had grown up, and now they returned to claim what was theirs with Fire and Blood.
Stannis thought back to a moment more than a decade past during the end of the Rebellion. Whether it was out of mercy or weakness, Stannis had allowed the last living Targaryens to escape his grasp on Dragonstone. Perhaps it was out of pity for the Queen Mother Rhaella, or perhaps it was an act to simply spite his elder brother for taking Storm's End away from him.
Ironically, the only time Stannis has failed his duty turned out to have the most severe consequences.
Footsteps echoing outside the council chambers took Stannis out of his musing as all the Lords stood and bowed at the King's arrival. Aegon walked in confidently, a stride that belonged to a seasoned warrior, not a boy of only sixteen name days. His silver hair and purple eyes presented a regal image befitting the crown atop his head. He had clearly been groomed to be King since a very young age.
"Sit, my lords. We have much to discuss." Aegon took the seat at the head of the table, and his Kingsguards slipped in quietly behind him, the legendary Ser Barristan Selmy and Lord Commander Gerold Hightower taking positions behind Aegon.
"How's the progress on the outer gates?" Aegon questioned, cutting right to the point. He had no patience for small talk, and though most of Westeros had bent the knee, he knew the war was far from over.
"The builders have already begun reconstructing the stone walls, your grace." Jon Connington replied, now serving as Hand of the King. "The damage from Dragonfire was minimum, and most of the buildings near the gates were unscathed."
Aegon nodded in approval. "Good. See to it that the city walls are secured within a fortnight. I want the Dragonpit to be rebuilt as soon as possible. The Red Keep won't be able to hold the Dragons for long."
"I must caution against chaining the dragons, your grace." Varys spoke up, the bald headed man whose true allegiance was unknown to anyone. His soft voice masking any true intentions, leaving behind only mysteries. "It is said that being held in captivity was perhaps the reason for the eventual downfall of the dragons. Near the end, they were no bigger than dogs."
"I don't mean to chain them, I know, more than anyone, the history of my House and the mistakes my ancestors made." Aegon responded, "I'll never lock my dragons in a cell, but we need somewhere for them to stay before we figure out a more permanent solution. Daenerys has been scouting the area around the Crownlands to find a suitable area far from any villages, where the dragons can hunt freely."
"Is that wise, your grace?" Jon Connington questioned. "There are still enemies to the crown who would seek to bring harm to the princesses. Surely that can wait until we've destroyed all of our enemies."
Aegon waved off his concerns. "They know how to handle themselves. Rhae and Dany are as good on top of their dragons as I am with mine. No army would dare to confront a dragon anyways."
"Speaking of enemies, what is to be done with the rest of the Lannisters, your grace?" Varys, for all of his mysterious motives, had shown his loyalty to House Targaryen when they sacked King's Landing. He had led the Targaryen forces through the castle and captured the Lannisters before they could escape. The former King, Queen Mother, and their conspirators all sat in cells awaiting Aegon's judgement.
"Send a raven to Casterly Rock." Aegon commanded. "Tell Kevan Lannister he has a moon to arrive at King's Landing and swear fealty to House Targaryen. Otherwise, we march on the Westerlands."
"To Kevan Lannister, your grace?" The Hand asked. "Lord Tywin is Warden of the West, and even then, his son Jaime is the closest heir. Kevan Lannister holds no real power in the West."
"You mistake me, Lord Hand." Aegon warned. He welcomed advice from his councilors, but he often grew tired when they questioned his every move. "Tywin and Jaime are my prisoners. I gave them an opportunity to surrender peacefully, but they chose to bear arms against me. Joffrey Waters will be executed within a fortnight for his crimes against the realm, but Tywin and Jaime will be given the choice of taking the black. If they refuse, they'll meet the block as well."
The Lords in the council room nodded acceptingly. They knew the price of defeat, and a new King cannot truly begin his rule until the old is disposed of. There was little love lost in any case for the lords present at the table; Joffrey didn't inspire much love amongst the nobility nor the people, ruling through cruelty and cheap fear.
"What of the remaining children, your grace?" The Lord Hand questioned. "Bastards born of incest hardly have a place in this world."
"No harm will come to Myrcella or Tommen." Aegon felt true pity when he saw the innocent eyes of those children clouded with fear when they captured the Red Keep. It reminded him of the same fear he shared as a child with Rhaenys and Daenerys, fearing for assassins in the dark and constantly on the run across Essos.
"They'll be returned to Casterly Rock where they'll live out the rest of their days. They will never take the name Lannister, and their children will never inherit. I promise this and their safety as long as Lord Kevan surrenders Gregor Clegane to the crown. The Mountain will answer for his crimes in this city before House Targaryen." Aegon continued, knowing the Mountain was not only for his own vengeance, but also justice for House Martell. "Write to Lord Kevan that I expect his presence along with the Mountain's within a moon. If he won't come to bend the knee, he'll be met with three fire breathing dragons upon Casterly Rock."
"Yes, your grace. Ravens will be sent at once." The new Grand Maester responded. Pycelle had been found guilty of conspiring with House Lannister, thanks to Varys, since long before Joffrey's reign had begun. He now sat in a rotting cell stripped of his titles awaiting the King's final decision.
"How are the other Kingdoms faring?" Aegon asked, moving on to more urgent topics. The Riverlands, the North, and the Vale have yet to bend the knee, and the longer he waits, the more opposition he'll face when he continues his campaign.
"The Tyrell forces have begun siege on Riverrun, your grace." The fat Lord Mace Tyrell puffed out proudly. "It won't be long before the Trouts surrender before your highness."
Aegon had to hold back a scoff. The Tyrells certainly had the men, but with a man like Mace Tyrell at the head of the armies inspired more jests than loyalty.
"You have my gratitude Lord Tyrell." Aegon masked his annoyance with a fake smile.
"Yes, your grace." His chess seemingly puffed up even more in pride. "In fact my daughter recently arrived in court and -"
"What of you Lord Stannis?" Aegon cut off quickly before he would have to deal with another one of Mace Tyrell's attempts at a betrothal. "I trust that the other Stormlords have been brought to heel."
"Yes, your grace." Stannis responded, his stone-cold face not yielding any emotion. "They will obey my commands. As the terms of surrender state, the Baratheon forces would return to the Stormlands. We swear fealty to House Targaryen, but will not engage in the wars to come."
Jon Connington bristled next to him, but held his tongue at a glare from the King. Aegon nodded in acceptance. He knew better than to expect the Baratheon forces to join him in the war against the remaining Kingdoms. Having the Stormlands neutral rather than in opposition was much more important than having them join his army.
They were perhaps the biggest threat to House Targaryen. The Baratheons commanded nearly 100,000 soldiers along with a strong naval force, and Stannis was as capable as any at leading a war. Fortunately for Aegon, he met the Baratheon forces in an open field where his dragons held a huge advantage. Faced with no other option, Stannis had to bend the knee.
"As a show of faith, I'll allow you to return to Storm's End and rule as Lord Paramount." Aegon announced to Stannis' surprise. "In return, Renly Baratheon will be kept here in the Red Keep as a ward of the crown. Do you accept these terms?"
"Yes, your grace." His surprise was quickly masked with a look of indifference.
Aegon knew he was taking a risk with this decision, but he ultimately chose to trust in the man of honor to uphold his vows and duty to the crown.
Creating further enmity with Stannis would be of no help to his cause. No matter how desperately he needed men for his army, it would be unwise to coerce Stannis into joining his forces.
In order to bring the rest of the Kingdoms to heel, he would likely have to lay siege Winterfell and the Eyrie, on top of Riverrun. With his current army, he didn't have nearly enough men to accomplish that. The dragons were near unstoppable weapons in the field, but they were far from being capable of burning down castle walls as Balerion the Dread had. They were growing at a tremendous pace, but it would be years until they were at that power.
For now, Aegon still needed soldiers to win this war.
"Dorne is at your command, your grace." Prince Oberyn spoke smoothly with his strong Dornish accent. "20,000 spears ready to march."
"Thank you, Uncle." Aegon responded sincerely. Dorne was his closest ally, but they didn't command the strongest forces. In the blistering deserts, they were without a doubt, extremely effective in their guerilla tactics. But once out of deserts, the Dornish soldiers were at a large disadvantage against well-armored and well-trained armies. Especially if they have to travel to the frozen lands in the North, Aegon doubted he would be met with much success there.
"I suspect the North will be the most difficult out of the remaining Kingdoms." Aegon continued, "It's the largest Kingdom, they command a sizable army, but most importantly, Winterfell is perhaps the most formidable castle remaining. They are well-supplied for a siege, much more so than Riverrun, which has been decimated by the Lannisters."
"There is a way to lure the rebel forces out into the open, your grace." The Hand suggested. "The castles may be impenetrable to the young dragons now, but villages are not. If the Starks and Tullys still want the support of their people, they'll be bound to march against us with their armies. Once that happens, we'll have no problem against them in the open field with the dragonfire."
Aegon shook his head resolutely. "I'll not burn innocent people as my grandfather had. The mad king earned his name, and any resemblance to him would turn the people against House Targaryen." Aegon scolded his Hand. "We'll use the dragons only in battle."
"Your grace, if I may, The Eyrie is perhaps the easiest castle to conquer." Varys suggested. "The Mountains of the Vale may be impregnable to an army on the ground, but the castle is the least fortified of the remaining rebels. As Visenya Targaryen had done in the first conquest, I suspect the Vale would surrender without much of a fight if met with a dragon in the middle of their courtyard."
Aegon pondered the thought for a moment and decided the idea held merit. "Very well. We'll fly the dragons to the Eyrie and secure the Vale within the fortnight. Uncle, have the Dornish army march to Riverrun and secure the siege there. Along with the Tyrell army, the siege should last no longer than a moon."
"Of course, your grace." Prince Oberyn dipped his head slightly. "I shall be marching alongside, it has been a while since I've tasted battle."
Aegon gave a slight nod in return. While the Dornish army may be questionable in real war, he had no doubts about the prowess of his own uncle. The Red Viper has been a renowned warrior throughout the Seven Kingdoms, and that title didn't come without him having proven himself in combat.
Aegon stood from his seat, as the other lords quickly followed in a bow. "We'll let the news spread and offer the North one last chance at a peaceful surrender. By then, Riverrun should be conquered as well. If the North still refuses, we'll take the might of our army and all three dragons upon Winterfell."
Somewhere in the Crownlands
Dany closed her eyes and allowed the winds to sweep freely across her face and she breathed in the fresh breeze of the country. It was much better out here than the shithole that had been King's Landing. The sewers of the city were in terrible conditions, the smell even permeating to parts of the Red Keep.
Daenerys couldn't help be partly disappointed with what she saw in King's Landing. All of the stories she'd heard as a child from Viserys, she had imagined a palace grander than anything she's ever seen. Sure the Red Keep was a magnificent castle, but the city paled in comparison to the wondrous cities in Essos.
But looking down at the countryside of Westeros from above her mount on Viserion, Dany couldn't help but feel a sense of belonging. The moment she set foot on the beaches of Dragonstone, she knew. This is home.
Once, that was all she had dreamed of. To be able to call someplace home, to be able to feel safe from her enemies. Atop her magnificent dragon now, there was hardly an enemy capable of posing a threat. When their dragons become fully grown, no one would dare oppose House Targaryen.
To think how far she'd come from that little lonely girl in Pentos, her cruel brother driven to the same madness that had plagued their father. Or so she'd been told by the Kingsguards that had escaped with them. The only thing that kept Dany from losing hope were her niece and nephew. Growing up together, Rhaenys was the eldest and always acted as a caretaker where Viserys failed to be. Aegon and Dany bonded as if they were true brother and sister, being nearly inseparable since they could even remember.
When Daenerys thought back to her childhood, it was these memories with Aegon and Rhaenys that brought a smile to her face. While Daenerys always dreamed of home, Aegon yearned for the Iron Throne. Ever since he was old enough to learn and understand, he had been prepared in the ways of Kingship. The stories of their ancestors and her brother Rhaegar drove Aegon to not only reclaim what was theirs by right, but also to become a King that would surpass all of the old monarchs.
At some level in her heart, she pitied her brother Viserys out of the love she still held for him. He would never get to experience any of this. What it felt like to fly far above the lands and the sea… what if felt like to step foot once again back in their country.
He had been removed by the Kingsguard from the rest of the Targaryen children long before they hatched their dragons. In a fight with Aegon, he had severely harmed the younger child who had been trying to defend Daenerys from his cruelty. That was an act the White Knights couldn't forgive, and that was the last they saw of Viserys.
Perhaps that was the main reason she had named her dragon after him. In some way allowing him to see Westeros again with her, and protect her as he should have as a brother.
Shaking off the old memories from her head, Daenerys guided Viserion to a small hill in the distance overlooking Blackwater Bay. The sun was beginning to set, giving off a beautiful reflection of the surface of the calm water. Soon Daenerys would have to head back to the Red Keep or cause the Kingsguards to worry unnecessarily. It was out of genuine concern, but no one felt safer in the presence of the dragons than the Targaryen children. Viserion won't let any harm befall her.
Dany reached out a hand and gently stroked the scales on Viserion's neck. The dragon let out a snort before nudging her affectionately with his snout. Dany let out a small smile; bringing Viserion out for a small hunt seemed to have improved his mood greatly. Out of the dragons, Viserion was by far the most temperamental, and the most intimidating. In that manner, he did take after his namesake. His scales pitch black with hints of red shining through, a perfect image of their House. But to Dany he had always been a sweet creature, rarely snapping if his hunger was satisfied. He was the first to be hatched from their rituals, but only slightly larger than his siblings.
Soon after, Rhaenys had hatched hers, a green dragon with bluish hues she had named Eliaxes after the mother she had lost in King's Landing. Aegon followed shortly behind and hatched a dragon with creamy white scales and hints of gold. He had named his dragon Rhaegal after his father who he'd never met, having only heard stories of the crown prince from the old Kingsguards.
When the dragons had first been hatched, they could hardly believe they were holding the magnificent creatures of legend within the cradle of their arms. The dragon eggs that Illyrio had gifted them were far from fossils. A ritual involving the blood of the rider they would bond with along with fire was all it took for them to hatch.
Perhaps it was destiny, and only those worthy to be chosen by the dragons were capable of hatching the eggs. But to Dany, it was all the same. Their path to Westeros was set the moment she shared her dreams with Aegon and Rhaenys. They would return back to their home and now they could on top of three intimidating beasts.
They had been hatched around 5 years ago, and already, they've grown to the size of small ships. A growth rate inexplicable by anything but magic.
"Soves" She commanded in High Valyrian, steering Viserion to take off back in the direction of the Red Keep. They had set aside a large courtyard for the dragons, but soon enough they would outgrow their confines. The plains she had found north of King's Landing was perhaps a good place for them. A spacious area with lots of prey, and most importantly, free of settlers.
Speeding past overhead of King's Landing, she observed the crowded city at night. It was a stark contrast next to the glorious Red Keep. While the royals lived splendidly, the rest of the people starved out in the city in jam packed roads and dirty sewers.
It was a topic she would remember to bring up with Aegon when they would meet. But she knew their priorities for now lay elsewhere. She didn't pretend to understand the tactics of war, but even she saw that delaying their conquest any further only weakened their claim.
Landing with a loud thud, Daenerys climbed off of Viserion and allowed him to stalk off to where his siblings lay resting. Walking up the stairs to the main royal hall, Daenerys was quickly flanked by her White Cloaks, Ser Oswell Whent and Ser Jonothor Darry, the two falling in step wordlessly behind her. Now used to the Princess's antics, they didn't even question why she had returned at such a late hour, and only followed her silently to the King's chambers.
The group arrived and the guards gave a subtle nod to Ser Barristan who had been stationed at the door.
"The King and Princess Rhaenys have been expecting your presence, Princess Daenerys." Ser Barristan gave a small bow before announcing her arrival and leading her inside.
Daenerys strode in and Aegon and Rhaenys looked up from their discussion. A frown upon their face seemingly at the parchment on the desk currently.
"Thank you Ser Barristan." Aegon said, "Send for the servants. Dany will be dining with us as we have much to discuss."
"Yes, your grace." And with that, the Kingsguard left the three Targaryens alone to their discussions.
"What's the matter, Egg?" Daenerys could see Aegon gripping the parchment tightly in his hand, no doubt the cause of an argument between the two siblings before her. "Who's the message from?"
"Robb Stark." Aegon gritted out the two words with frustration. "The boy fancies himself a King having not even fully won a war yet."
Dany raised a curious eyebrow as she took her seat at the round table. "If I were to guess, he's around the same age as you. You would hardly be one to criticize another monarch for his age."
"His age is not what frustrates me. It's his ignorance of the power that stands before him." Aegon passed the parchment to Daenerys. "Here, read what he says."
Daenerys took the parchment and quickly read over the message from the self-proclaimed King in the North. "... Declaration of Northern Independence… to rule as sovereign over the North as its own Kingdom…" Daenerys finished, laying the parchment down on the table. "Much of what I expected. The North is far away from the other kingdoms, and they wouldn't just bend the knee to some rumors south of their border. Once they see the dragons for themselves, flying over their own lands, they'll be quick to surrender as any of the other houses."
"My point exactly." Rhaenys exclaimed towards Aegon, giving Daenerys a look of gratitude. "Which is why we should fly directly to Winterfell and demand immediate surrender. If the North falls, its allies would have no choice to surrender as well. It's the quickest way to end the war, why can't you see that brother?"
"I do see that, but it's not as easy as it makes it seem." Aegon growled. "What if the North doesn't surrender, and they simply retreat within their castles. Then we would have no choice but to wait for our armies to march North which could take moons. If we display an act of aggression now against the North and wait for moons to actually attack, it would be seen as a sign of weakness. Especially for our dragons."
"On top of that, if winter sets in while our armies are trapped in the North, there would be no way to supply them from the Southern Kingdoms. I'm not about to send tens of thousands of men to their freezing deaths in a wasteland." Aegon continued, hoping to make Rhaenys and Dany see reason.
"What do you propose then?" Rhaenys questioned, "We'll have to meet the North eventually. Waiting out this upcoming winter would be out of the question. It could be years before we see the next summer."
Dany nodded in agreement. "By then, it would be hard to convince the lords to march with you to reclaim the North. Whatever we do, it has to be now."
"I've sent Uncle Oberyn and the Dornishmen up to Riverrun. They'll enforce the siege, and I trust he'll be able to take the castle in one moon." Aegon began detailing his plan. "In a few day, we'll fly directly to the Eyrie and demand their surrender."
"All three of us?" Rhaenys questioned. "Surely, one dragon would be enough. Visenya first took the Eyrie all by herself."
"Yes, but Vhagar was already a fully grown dragon by then. Our dragons are formidable but far from fully grown." Aegon knew his dragons were a huge advantage, and key to them retaking Westeros. He'd prefer to take as few risks as possible but he knew this was war, and riding out in battle was the only way they would win. "The Vale might be able to over power one dragon, but they'll be no match for all three of us."
"A good plan." Daenerys nodded in contemplation. "And once Riverrun falls as well, the North will be alone and isolated. At that point, they'll likely surrender without even a war. We'd have no worries of armies being trapped in the North."
A small smile slowly formed on Aegon's face. The years of planning along with the war and the politics had weighed heavily on Aegon's shoulder. Dany reached out and clasped Aegon's hand with a small tender smile of her own. It was in these moments when they could see their goals in sight, do they finally allow a small sense of contentment.
If all went well, they could finally reunite the Seven Kingdoms, and Aegon will sit the Iron Throne, with Dany by his side as queen.