Chapter Ten: Corlys II
"Your Grace, the Triarchy now have almost total naval control of the entirety of the Stepstones, yet we still sit here refusing to take any action."
"We discussed this already Corlys," replied the King, "an open war with the Triarchy would have devastating consequences for the realm. Lord Beesbury can attest to that."
"Yes..." coughed Lyman Beesbury, "the damage... to the treasury... would be-"
"So you suggest doing nothing?" demanded Corlys. "We should have dealt with the Triarchy long ago, before they were a threat to anyone. Not just me, but houses all across the realm have lost countless men, and ships, yet you dither around as if there is no issue! The Free Cities already see us weak with..."
"Lord Corlys," the King interrupted, sternly. "you said that marrying your daughter to me would solve this. I caved to your demands then. What would you have me do now?"
"With all due respect, Your Grace, that was five years ago. Your marriage to Laena did quell the troubles, for a time, as did the birth of Daeron. Now, so many years later, you still refuse to act. Naming my grandson as heir would be a start."
"The King named Princess Rhaenyra as the heir. Might you need be reminded again, Lord Corlys?" questioned Ser Otto Hightower, the Hand to King Viserys.
You wish for Rhaenyra to remain as heir so your son can marry her. Just because the King does not see your little games, it does not mean I cannot, Hightower.
"The King named Princess Rhaenyra heir before he even married Laena, Ser Otto. Prince Daeron should be officially declared heir as of now. Not doing so breaks hundreds of years of tradition and precedence. It is a small wonder that the Free Cities see us as weak, Your Grace."
The King sighed. "She is my heir, and shall remain so. Could we not, say, send ravens, to Pentos, or Volantis, or Braavos, in order to form an alliance instead?"
She remains your heir but still refuses to do her basic responsibilities as heir. It had been years since the Princess was told to marry, and after her countless refusals to even consider the option, the King and Otto Hightower had to step in and arrange for a marriage tour for her. What heir would refuse to marry and still expect to remain as heir. The Old King would have disinherited Rhaenyra from the entire line of succession if he was still king, even if Rhaenyra was a boy!
"Your Grace, an alliance with Pentos or Braavos may create a... conflict of interests, especially regarding your brother's... actions there," warned Lyonel Strong.
"And what of Volantis? They may be willing to come to alliance, should we offer them terms." The King asked, exasperatedly.
"It may be an option, Your Grace, but..."
"Brilliant! Otto, we must send envoys to our Volantis, at once. The matter is dealt with!" announced the King.
"At once, Your Grace, it shall be done." Otto Hightower nodded.
This matter is nowhere near dealt with.
"Your Grace, this may have worked seven years back, but now that the Triarchy control almost all of the viable shipping lanes through the Stepstones. Sending envoys would have little effect now. The Volantenes would rather ally themselves with the Triarchy than us, that is plain for all to see!" said Corlys, outraged at the King and Council's inaction.
"The matter is done, Lord Corlys." stated Otto Hightower, plainly. "The King has spoken, and the King's words are final."
"This is an absurdity! This... inaction shall be the undoing of the entire realm!" declared Corlys, before storming out of the council chambers.
Corlys was tired of the King's passivity, as well as his council of lickspittles. He had tried petitioning the King to do at least something regarding the Triarchy, yet he refused, declaring that the marriage between him and Laena was more than enough. And that refusal had led to hundreds of sunken ships, dead men, and lost income.
The King had also refused to name Corlys' grandson, Daeron, as the new heir, despite the boy already turning three. Corlys had wondered why the King had not done so yet, was he waiting until Daeron came of age; or was it the King's indecisiveness; or did he wish for Rhaenyra to remain heir?
If he wishes for his daughter to succeed him, he would be disregarding the very same inheritance laws that allowed his very own grandfather to become King.
Later, he had lunch with his daughter, the Queen Consort Laena Velaryon. They nibbled on blue cheese from Qohor; a salad of onions, parsley, and raisins; and a lamprey pie, which was all washed down with a thick, black beer.
Laena was now ten-and-eight, and had become a comely girl, with long curly silver and bright lilac eyes. Though she had learned the ways of acting as noblewoman did, she still possessed the dragonfire in the veins.
"So, tell me daughter, how fares my grandchildren today?" asked Corlys, between a mouthful of pie.
"They are both doing well, father," beamed Laena. "Daeron remains obsessed with scribbling on parchment with the Maester's quill-and-ink. He shall grow to be a learned man one day."
A learned King one day.
"And what of my sweet granddaughter?"
Laena laughed. "Sweet? Baela fights in her bed, fights with the maids, and fights with anything she sees."
"Then she certainly takes after her mother in that," smiled Corlys.
"I guess she does. Her egg has gotten hotter too. The dragonkeepers say the egg is already close to hatching soon. Come, take a look."
Laena opened the lid of the scalding cauldron, and inside was a pearl and pale green egg, that glittered in the sunlight. It was hot to hold for too long, so Laena put in back in the pot, and closed the lid before it would burn her. Meanwhile, the egg that was placed in Daeron's cradle had also hatched in the prior week, and the hatching now residing within the Dragonpit. Corlys had not seen the she-dragon yet, but the dragonkeepers had described it as beautiful, with cobalt wings, and copper scales and horns.
"It shall certainly hatch soon. Mayhaps Baela shall ride a dragon before you!" japed Corlys.
Laena rolled her eyes. She still refused to claim a dragon from the Dragonpit, even refusing her mother's offer of one of the eggs from Meleys' recent batch. She had instead insisted that she was to ride Vhagar someday, and that she still heard her song sometimes during the night.
"So, father, what of your... endeavours to make my son the King's heir?" asked Laena, cautiously.
"The King still refuses, as he has done for the last three years. Have you not tried asking Viserys to change the succession as of late?"
"And what difference would it make? Another day of badgering my husband is unlikely to change his mind." Laena sighed. "In truth, if he did not declare Daeron as his heir as soon as he was born, he most likely shall never. Mayhaps if the King wishes for Rhaenyra to succeed him, then so be it, there is no need to force the issue."
"So be it? So be it?" scoffed Corlys. "Your mother was robbed of being Queen, this family shall not suffer another slight against it! I am not doing this for ambition, but for yours and Daeron's own sake. His mere existence is a threat to Rhaenyra's claim. It makes no matter if him or you or me are on good terms with her. I am ambivalent towards the Princess myself, but all it takes is one disgruntled lord, one, whispering in Daeron's ear that he should be King, and war shall break out. Naming Daeron as heir now would prevent this."
"Though Rhaenyra is a strong willed woman, but the lives of mine own children? Even I have doubts she would..."
"Then that is where you are mistaken. Remember this, daughter, when the Iron Throne is at stake, there are no limits as to how far one would go."
