RHAENYS
Rhaenys had heard the bells too many times.
She was four the first time she heard the bells. Her uncle Valerion, a sickly babe after a sickly birth, had died not a year after he crawled from the womb of Rhaenys's grandmother. Her grandfather had ordered the bells rung whilst her grandmother wept.
The second time Rhaenys heard the bells, she was eight. A raven had arrived from the Eyrie, its dark wings bearing dark words. Her aunt Daella had died bearing Lord Rodrik Arryn a daughter. Her grandmother wept again, and her grandfather had the bells rung again.
Then, Rhaenys was ten, and she heard the bells once again. That time, it had been twin bells ringing one after the other. First, her aunt Alyssa had died of the sickness following childbirth. Then, the child she had died birthing, a boy named Aegon, had joined his mother half a year after.
The bells never rang to glad tidings. Only to death and tears. Rhaenys remembered that morning as she mounted Meleys for their daily flight, when Ser Ryam Redwyne summoned her to her grandfather's chamber. Her grandfather said nothing to her, only gave her a letter with the seal of the Evenstar of Tarth.
"I wanted you to know first," her grandmother had said as she wept,"Aemon was our precious boy, but he was your father."
Rhaenys had looked up, her own tears choking her words. They had clouded her judgment as well, and she only managed,"I am heir now, right?"
Her grandfather had looked to her with narrowed eyes,"Your father is dead, Rhaenys, and the first thing you think of is the Iron Throne." He had turned then to Uncle Baelon, asking him to ride to Tarth and avenge Rhaenys's father. When Uncle Baelon returned, her grandfather had named him Prince of Dragonstone and heir to the Iron Throne.
The day after, Rhaenys had departed King's Landing, the bells tolling for her father ringing after her and timely following her into her dreams. She was glad, however, that on Driftmark with her husband the bells remained silent for many a year. Until they rang again.
They rang one after the other. First, Rhaenys's daughter had succumbed to that accursed birthing sickness three days after birthing Prince Daemon's daughters. Then, her son had been murdered by one of those male lovers Rhaenys had always warned Laenor to be wary of. When the bells tolled for her son, Rhaenys had no longer found any tears. She had saddled Meleys to scour the Fourteen Seas for the knight that had murdered Laenor, but Prince Daemon promised her that he would give her Qarl Correy's head. True to his promise, Prince Daemon had delivered her the murderer's head not three days after, and Rhaenys had fed the head to her dragon.
That had been the last time Rhaenys heard the bells, and their haunting melodies had faded to a distant memory. This morning, she was again saddling Meleys for their daily ride around Driftmark. The red dragon was becoming sluggish as of late, telling Rhaenys to touch down after only two laps around the isle. Rhaenys had been asking the dragon what had come upon her when she heard the bells.
When Rhaenys arrived at her husband's solar, he found that he had already summoned his captains and was giving commands for the Velaryon fleet to raise anchor and sail for Dragonstone. Her husband Lord Corlys Velaryon was an old man, with his skin weathered and wrinkled by countless years of sea salt. His hair was the silver white of the dragonlords the Velaryons boasted descent from, and his voice showed nothing of his age. His voice boomed with the piercing force of one who has brought to heel the howls of storm winds.
"Cor," Rhaenys strode to him when all the captains had left his solar,"Why are the bells ringing?"
Her husband looked at her with a dreadful darkness in her eyes that she had seen only twice before, when they were told their children were dead,"The king is dead."
To her surprise, Rhaenys found a pearl of a tear streaming down her face. Though Viserys was an usurper, he was a kind man, jovial and the victor of both the love of lords and commons. In his reign, there had been a long peace, a feat not even Rhaenys's grandfather the Old King could boast of. Rhaenys had made her peace with Viserys the moment he named his daughter Rhaenyra his heir.
"Rhaenyra is queen," Rhaenys said,"I did not expect Queen Alicent to be true to her duty, and send a raven to Dragonstone telling the princess of the king's death." The last Rhaenys heard of Queen Alicent and her Greens, they were urging Viserys to name Alicent's son Aegon as the next king.
"Queen Alicent did not send a raven to Dragonstone," her husband said,"nor was she true to the queen. Last night was the night King Viserys died, and before his corpse was cold, Viserys's queen gathered the Small Council and had them name Aegon as the heir to the Iron Throne."
"But someone slipped word to Princess Rhaenyra," Rhaenys said.
"Aye," her husband answered,"Jace wrote from Dragonstone. Last night, Maester Gerardys had received a raven from King's Landing. The maester did not know who sent it, only that the letter told that the king was dead and that the queen planned to crown her son as the new king. Jace has called the banners, summoning us to Dragonstone."
"Jace?" Rhaenys asked,"Why is it not his mother the queen?"
"I do not know," her husband said,"We must sail to Dragonstone and answer his call."
"Then we have no time to waste," Rhaenys said,"At this moment, Alicent and her Greens are doubtless rallying their banners to usurp Queen Rhaenyra's rights. It is a day's sail from Driftmark to Dragonstone. I can get us there in a tenth that time."
"No," her husband shook his head,"I am not getting on your dragon again."
"Each second we tarry here is another second you give the Hightowers to usurp your grandson's rights," Rhaenys said,"Jace cannot act in anything lest he has the agreement of the Sea Snake. Ride with me to Dragonstone. Your fleet can follow us."
Her husband understood her, and nodded. He summoned Maester Codry to his hall and informed him that any ravens who arrive at Dragonstone must be set aside for only the lord's eyes, that Spicetown's trade tolls must begin to close, and the smallfolk must begin to gather their harvest. He also summoned his nephew Ser Daemon Velaryon and named him castellan of Driftmark in his absence.
Meleys had already been saddled by Rhaenys for her morning ride, and Rhaenys thanked the Seven for that. The red dragon would snarl with smoke issuing from her nostrils if any stranger came close, but Meleys had been used to Rhaenys's husband. It was only her husband who was not used to Meleys.
Rhaenys helped her husband up first to sit at the back of the saddle, fastening the chains to his belt. Then, she climbed to the front of the saddle, fastening her own chains and feeling her husband's arms wrap around her. She took hold of the reins with one hand, whipped the dragon with the other, and Meleys soared into the sky.
When the isle was only a pinprick behind them with the only sight in miles being the sea that was the same blue as the cloudless sky, she felt her husband's grip upon her waist loosen a little.
"Rhae," her husband said, his sailor's voice unperturbed by the howling winds,"I wonder, do you ever regret marrying me?"
"Sometimes," Rhaenys said,"When you refuse to ride with me on my dragon."
"You could have been queen," her husband said,"if you married Viserys. The Hightowers would never have had such a high place at court, and this whole debacle between the Blacks and the Greens would never have existed."
She pulled on her reins, and Meleys froze in midair, her wings beating as she hovered. Rhaenys turned back to face her husband, feeling the chains that bound her to her dragon pull on her. "I married the man I wanted to," Rhaenys said,"who gave me the seas and the endless skies. That is more than Viserys could ever give me in the scheming court of the Red Keep." She turned away and bade Meleys fly again,"I married a man whose son's rights I defended and whose grandson's rights I shall defend again."
Her husband was silent the remainder of the journey, and soon the black smoking towers of Dragonstone came into view. As Rhaenys soared above the walls, she saw that the battlements were manned and the crossbows of the garrison pointed at them. They did not loose their bolts, however, and Meleys soared above them without incident. Rhaenys landed her dragon in the great yard of Dragonstone, a wide space of black rock surrounded by statues of stone dragons.
Luke and Joff were there to welcome them with a company twenty strong of the Dragonstone garrison and a white cloak, Ser Erryk Cargyll of the Kingsguard. Luke's hand was nuzzling the snout of his dragon Arrax, whose white scales shone in the dawn light. Joff's hand was stroking the wing of his dragon Tyraxes, a beautiful creature with scales of emerald green. As Rhaenys tethered Meleys to a stone statue and unchained herself from her dragon, Luke and Joff strode forward to greet her. She dismounted and embraced both of the boys, pecking them both on the cheek. "Grandmother," Luke bowed his head when he pulled away. "Grandmother," Joff echoed as he did the same as his elder brother.
Rhaenys turned then to help her husband who was untangling himself from the chains and helped him dismount. "Grandfather," Luke greeted him, and Joff did the same. Her husband nodded to both of them.
"We received the raven from Jace," Rhaenys said,"What happened to your mother?"
"When the letter arrived telling of the Green treason," Luke said,"our mother ripped the letter to shreds and raged in her chamber, calling down the wrath of the gods on her half-brothers and their mother Queen Alicent. She went into labour prematurely, and she is still birthing the child and screaming in the towers. Jace has taken command in her absence, and called the banners."
"Father is already here," Joff said,"as is Lord Celtigar from Claw Isle. Truthfully, we only need grandfather to begin planning our next course."
"Jace has called a council," Luke said,"He is only waiting for grandfather for it to begin."
"Very well," her husband said,"Lead the way."
"Apologies for the garrison's bows, grandmother," Joff said to Rhaenys,"When we saw the dragon in the horizon, we feared at first that it was the usurper's dragons coming to attack Dragonstone. Then, before Father could go mount Caraxes, the scouts glimpsed that the dragon's scales were crimson. It was fortunate it was you, grandmother."
"If it had been the enemy," Rhaenys said,"They would have sent all of their dragons, knowing that we had six dragons of our own even now. If the usurper ever attempts to attack Dragonstone, it shall be after Daeron arrives at King's Landing and brings the usurper's dragons to four. But whilst Daeron flies, we shall be preparing as well."
The Kingsguard at the Chamber of the Painted Table, Ser Lorent Marbrand, admitted them when he saw the princes.
Jace stood at the head of the Painted Table, staring down at the map of Westeros. He looked down from the north, one of his hands resting upon the Shivering Sea whilst the other on the Lands of Always Winter. At Jace's sides Prince Daemon and Lord Bartimos Celtigar. Ser Humfrey Lark, the master-of-arms of Dragonstone, was also there, as was Ser Hugh Waters who was master-of-horse. Besides them, there was a fool huddling in the corner of the chamber, Rhaenyra's favourite whom she had named Mushroom. Rhaenys's gaze seemed to mysteriously be drawn to him.
"A prince's sigh, a prince's eye, a prince's wanton lie," Mushroom sang,"And a dance I see, a dance there be, blue and white and green, and after we have peace."
Joff's voice drew Rhaenys away from the spell of the fool,"Grandmother."
Rhaenys turned to see her eldest grandson, a brown-haired boy who was taller than her by a head. He had a flat nose and an easy grin, and his arms were thick with his hands calloused from the countless days of handling his sea-blue dragon Vermax.
"Grandfather," Jace turned away from Rhaenys and addressed her husband,"You are all we need. Shall we begin?"
"Lead on, my prince," her husband said as he strode to the Painted Table. His hands rested on the Narrow Sea. Rhaenys stood beside him, and Luke and Joff walked to the other side of the table.
"What is our strength here on Dragonstone, Father?" Joff asked.
"Thirty knights," Prince Daemon answered,"A hundred crossbowmen, and three hundred men-at-arms. Sufficient to hold a fortress of Dragonstone's strength. As an instrument of conquest, however, our army leaves something to be desired."
"The five hundred swords of Claw Isle shall be at the queen's service, Prince Jacaerys," Lord Bartimos Celtigar said,"and I have no doubt that Bar Emmon, Staunton, Darklyn, Darke, and Crabb shall all answer to my prince's call."
"You shall have my fleet," Rhaenys's husband said,"The Velaryon fleet is more than three hundred and fifty ships strong, crewed by three thousand veteran sailors. And my prince has me, still clinging to life like a drowning sailor clinging to the wreckage of a sunken ship. Mayhaps the Seven have preserved me for this one last fight."
"Even if the Crownlands declare for us," Jace said,"my uncle still has the advantage. All our hosts combined cannot match the power the Hightowers alone could field. If the Small Council has joined with Queen Alicent in her treason, then we cannot count on the Lannisters of Casterly Rock, the Wyldes of the Rain House, the Strongs of Harrenhal, and the Beesburys of Honeyholt."
"Aegon has legitimacy," Ser Humfrey said,"He sits on the Iron Throne and lives in the Red Keep. He most like wears the Conqueror's crown and wields the Conqueror's sword which had remained in King's Landing. And he is male, which in the eyes of many in the realm makes him the rightful king."
"Beware your tongue, Lark," Prince Daemon said,"You have sworn an oath to your rightful queen."
"He is right, Prince Daemon," Rhaenys said,"The queen's advantages are few. Older lords might yet recall the oaths they had sworn when she was made Princess of Dragonstone and named grandfather's heir, but if even old Beesbury had sworn to Aegon, that does not bode well for the loyalties of the younger lords. There had been a time when the queen was well loved by highborn and commons alike, when they had cheered her as the Realm's Delight. Many a young lord and noble knight had sought her favour then…but I do not know how many would still fight for her, now that she was a woman wed, her body aged and thickened by five childbirths and now a sixth."
Jace looked at her, and he did not seem to find an answer. Rhaenys knew that he was still a boy even as he tried to not act like it, and required her counsel.
"Your mother must not rely on the lords of the realm," Rhaenys said,"She must look to her own house. My husband's fleet shall give her superiority at sea and his Velaryon treasury all the gold that the queen may require. Prince Daemon had been tried and tempered in the Stepstones, having more experience at warfare than any of our foes combined. And the queen has dragons."
"As does Aegon," Prince Daemon said.
"We have more," Rhaenys said,"and ours are larger and stronger, but for Vhagar. Dragons thrive best here on Dragonstone. The usurper Aegon has Sunfyre, Aemond One-Eye has Queen Visenya's Vhagar, Helaena has Queen Rhaena's Dreamfyre, and Daeron has Tessarion. That makes four dragons of fighting size. The usurper's twins have dragons, but they are no more than hatchlings." "Against that," Rhaenys looked to Prince Daemon,"we have your Caraxes, and the queen's Syrax. My three grandsons are all dragonriders. And we have my own Meleys. We may soon find our strength joined by more. There are six more dragons who make their lairs in the smoky caverns of the Dragonmont, three of which had proven to accept riders. Find riders to master Silverwing, Vermithor, and Seasmoke, and we will have nine dragons against Aegon's four. Mount and fly their wild kin, and we will number twelve, even without Lady Baela's Moondancer and Prince Aegon's Stormcloud. That is how we shall win this war."
"Aye," Lord Celtigar said,"Knights and armies, many though the usurper has, cannot stand against fire and blood. We must follow Princess Rhaenys's course, and fly against King's Landing at once to reduce the city to ash and bone."
"And how will that serve us, my lord?" Rhaenys's husband was the one to object,"We want to rule the city, not burn it to the ground."
"It will never come to that," Celtigar insisted,"The usurper will have no choice but to oppose us with his own dragons. Our nine must surely overwhelm his four, and in the end, the usurper shall be dead before the city would see war."
"I do not suggest to rain fire and blood down upon King's Landing," Rhaenys said,"The usurper has only taken hold for a night, his hosts unready and his heart wary. It is no easy task to take a crown that is not your right. Strike this very moment, and his flimsy resolve shall shatter. There may be no need for a fight at all, as we shall only need to fly our dragons over King's Landing and accept the usurper's surrender."
"I may be tempted to do so, Princess Rhaenys," Prince Daemon said,"if you would do for me one thing. Search this castle and find three riders for Vermithor, Silverwing, and Seasmoke in a night, and we shall ride at once for King's Landing."
"I cannot find them in a night," Rhaenys said.
"So it shall be five against four, for we do not have your three riders, and my wife shall not be strong enough after childbirth to mount her dragon within the moon. My wife has entrusted me with her sons, and I shall not throw them against the usurper. In the Stepstones, my enemies learned to run and hide when they saw Caraxes's wings or heard his roar… but they had no dragons of their own. It is no easy thing for a man to be a dragonslayer. But dragons can kill dragons, and have. Any maester who has ever studied the history of Valyria can tell you that. I will not throw our dragons against the usurper's unless I have no other choice. There are other ways to use them, better ways."
"What do you suggest, Prince Daemon?" Rhaenys's husband asked.
"As of now, we have the advantage of time," Prince Daemon said,"The usurpers have kept King Viserys's death a secret, ignorant that we know of his passing. Two can play this game, and we shall keep the queen's coronation in secret as well, leading the usurpers to believe that they have time and shall thus delay their acts. All the while, our ravens fly to win the lords of the realm to the queen."
"We must fight this war with words before we go to battle," Prince Daemon said,"The lords of the great houses hold the key to victory, and their bannerman and vassals would follow where they lead. Casterly Rock has doubtless already declared for the usurper through Ser Tyland, and mewling Tyrell's mother would align Highgarden with the Hightowers, but the rest of the realm's great lords have yet to declare."
"Storm's End will stand with us," Rhaenys said,"I am of the Baratheon blood on my mother's side, and uncle Boremund was always the staunchest of friends. My cousin Borros shall be as true as his father."
"The Maid of the Vale will bring the Eyrie to our side," Prince Daemon said,"else her own rights shall be questioned. Only with the Greyjoys could the usurper hope to surpass House Velaryon's strength at sea, and the usurper would doubtless seek their loyalty. But Lord Dalton loves blood and battle, and the Westerlands is ripe for plunder. He might easily be persuaded to support the queen."
Rhaenys's husband grimaced when Prince Daemon mentioned the Greyjoys, but said nothing.
"The North is too remote to be of much import in the fight," Prince Daemon judged,"By the time the Starks gathered their banners and marched south, the war might well be over. Which leaves only the riverlords that are ruled only in name by House Tully of Riverrun. We have friends in the Riverlands, though not all of them dare show their colors yet. We need a place where they can gather, a toehold on the mainland large enough to house a sizable host, and strong enough to hold against whatever forces the usurper can send against us." He pointed at the map carved upon the Painted Table, at a castle above the God's Eye,"Here. Harrenhal."
"Shall my prince lead the assault on Harrenhal?" her husband asked.
"I shall," Prince Daemon answered,"riding Caraxes. The Velaryon fleet should close off the Gullet, blocking all shipping entering or leaving Blackwater Bay, whilst Princess Rhaenys and her dragon fly overhead to keep their foes from attacking their ships. We do not have the strength to take King's Landing by storm, no more than our foes could hope to capture Dragonstone. But Aegon is a green boy, and green boys are easily provoked. Mayhaps we can goad him into a rash attack. If he does not, though, ravens shall still fly forth to Riverrun, the Eyrie, Pyke, and Storm's End, to gain the allegiance of their lords."
"We should bear those messages," Jace spoke up at last,"Dragons will win the lords over quicker than ravens."
"Aye," Luke said,"Jace and I are men, or near enough to make no matter. Our uncle calls us Strongs, but when the lords see us on dragonback they will know that for a lie. Only Targaryens ride dragons."
"They are Velaryons," Rhaenys heard her husband mutter, and she elbowed him, but she knew that he was smiling and proud.
"I can join my brothers as well," Joff said,"I can mount Tyraxes, and bear one of the messages."
"Joff, you are eleven," Jace said.
"I first rode Caraxes when I was eleven," Prince Daemon said.
"Very well, Joff," Jace said,"but if you are to ride with us, you shall come with me. I intend to fly first to the Eyrie to win Lady Jeyne Arryn, then to White Harbour and Lord Desmond Manderly, and lastly to Winterfell to meet with Lord Cregan Stark. Joff, you are to accompany me to the Eyrie, but no farther." Rhaenys detected an edge in Jace's voice, and knew that he meant to leave Joff at the Eyrie, out of the way of the war.
"And what of me, Jace?" Luke asked.
"You shall take the shorter, safer route," Jace said,"Fly to Storm's End, where Lord Borros Baratheon shall give you a warm welcome."