Here's another update


Rhaegar VI

They arrive at the Red Keep early in the session of the court.

Everyone had worn back their armors including Azalea.

They entered the court together as a party. Rhaegar was at front, at his immediate right was Azalea, just a step behind. They had decided to not hide her role in the expedition. How exactly she would deal with his father was something only she knew. Rhaegar had not been pleased when he could not get her to confide his plan to him but he decided to trust her.

After Azalea, the Kingsguard were in a formation and so on.

Everyone fell to their knees. Murmurs about Azalea and her armor had already begun.

It was Hightower who briefed his father on the rough end; the brotherhood was dead, Lady Swann was back at her home, and Smiling Knight was executed in the battle.

"Who killed the Smiling Knight?" Aerys asked. His fascination with madness so akin to his was not surprising to Rhaegar.

Azalea lifted her head and said without any ceremony, "I did."

The murmurs went louder.

"My son took you into battle?" Aerys was not happy.

"He didn't. I entered of my own will. They were outnumbered, it was an ambush. I was not about to sit on outskirts as they attacked the crown prince. The Smiling Knight wanted the prince for ransom or for gloating. He was not alive for long enough to clarify." She simply said.

"How did you kill him?" Aerys asked.

"Took his head off." She promptly replied without hesitation.

The whispers broke into chatter.

"Lord Swann wrote about how you saved his daughters' life."

"It was Prince Rhaegar's idea. He thought the woman would be more talkative to me. But they simply released her to me, so I improvised." Azalea simply said.

It was to his Kingsguards' credit that they did not say a word or move a muscle at the blatant lie.

"There was a reward at The Kingswood Brotherhood and their dispatching, especially that knight…" Aerys said, "Tell me, Lady Azalea, what do you ask of your king?"

"That is very gracious of you, your highness. I was only doing my duty to the crown prince and paying my debt." Azalea said.

"Your debt is paid, then." Aerys said, his mood souring. Azalea liked to play with fire.

"It is, your grace. But if your grace is willing, I would like to continue to impeach on your hospitality. The ritual goes well." Azalea said, her head bowed.

That appeased him.

"Tell me the reward you want, Lady Azalea. I want Westeros to remember how my gooddaughter took down the outlaws for me and my blood even before the bond was settled…This is the blood of dragon."

"I made a promise in Kingswood, your grace. The smallfolk want some rights. Sellswords, merchants, hedge knights and even some notable names walk all over them. Brotherhood whispered false promises to them and threatened them. They had no one to turn to. I made better ones. I made them believe that no outlaw brotherhood can match the generosity of the dragonlords. I simply wish that my word is respected." Azalea asked directly.

"Done…" Aerys said, clearly taken by the compliment to the royal blood.

Azalea inclined her head in gratitude.

The whole court had gone into uproar. But of course, no one in their right mind said anything. Disagreement with Aerys meant burning.

Mostly people were marveling at how well Azalea had played the game.

His father had called her his gooddaughter. They were not even betrothed yet.

She had saved their skin, all of theirs by directing attention to herself and by simple, innocuous flattery.


"I take my words back. She can feed into his self-importance for as long as she keeps him from burning anybody." Arthur told him later.

And of course, his father had intoned the conquerors. Visenya, the warrior queen of Aegon.

Azalea had not shown a blink of emotion on her face.

'What is your armor made from, my lady?" Lord Velayron had finally asked as they had gotten up after being dismissed. It was rather strange and rather light.

"From willingly given Dragonscales, of course, Lord Velayron. It is the Valyrian way. I inherited quite a collection for personal use and my dowry." She again responded easily without any dramatization.

That silenced the court.

Aerys would have said something had she not mentioned the dowry. His sly, cunning, little ….Rhaegar was very impressed. He was very impressed, indeed.


His mother was very worried about Azalea and him. She is concerned about the influence Azalea is beginning to wield.

He confessed to his mother about his attraction and admiration for her.

And that he did not begrudge what she did at court. She could have easily been burned for her words or actions but she took them anyway because it helped the realm.

I wanted to go to Summerhall, mother. She convinced him for me. She is a good companion.

She knows how to play a lady and take care of realm.

Viserys falls more in love, after Martell regales and embellishes how she defeated the smiling knight.

Another problem arose in the form of Cersei Lannister, who had returned to the court with even more decorous clothing. She could not outclass Azalea who had promptly turned back to graceful court dresses.

She joined the ladies and did her best to ridicule Azalea, who took everything in stride and responded back very kindly but firmly, seemingly unfazed.

His mother actually laughed alongside him as she described to him how expertly Azalea defended her desire to be a warrior and a lady, citing the great many women who were warriors. The beauty of Valyria faded, its glory outlasted everything.

Cersei apparently did not take it well.

But Azalea unnerved her by praising her embroidery next and what good care she must take of her father and brothers after the loss of their lady mother.

All of it happened very innocently.

Rhaegar had escaped any encounter so far.

His time was solely for the court or for Azalea, a fact his father seemed to encourage. He took full advantage of the encouragement, even if Azalea and he were merely plotting.

They had managed a perfect setting for calling the Great Council, a tourney at Harrenhal, a competition like no other happening in 2 moons.

Of course, Lord Whent had been the one who had sent the invites and the like while they were at Summerhall.

But he liked spending time with her all the same. If he could, he would spend all of it with her.

Arthur, Hightower and Whent had taken up to teasing him, rather strongly.

But of course, Azalea's deftness could not keep his father's madness at bay forever.

This fit of madness came in the form of Lord Blount. Apparently, he had been doing something that Aerys found treasonous. It was ludicrous.

He was given a death sentence and the means was wildfire. While he contemplated how to reason this out or prevent the death, perhaps subterfuge..

He did not know how Azalea heard it. She was away in the gardens.

And yet, she ran to the court, her eyes blazing.

"When is the trial?" She clearly asked, challenging his father for the first time.

Rhaegar froze. No. no.

"I am the judge," Aerys began angrily.

"But you cannot be, your grace. There needs to be a committee. He needs to be given an allowance of trial by combat."

"And who will champion a man who commits treason?" Aerys was losing it.

"I will." She said with a voice of steel.

There was a cacophony of noises. People dissuading her.

"I cannot in goodwill let this happen. I cannot let people say that the crown is not just. He will have a fair trial and if it means a woman has to be the voice of reason and arrange a champion, then so be it." She said over the voices, her firm and reprimanding voice traveling.

"Where is the champion?" Aerys was losing it. His father must have really wanted her bloodline to allow her to even do this.

"Every party gets 2 days. I will ask for no more, no less." She simply said.

Aerys and she had a staring match, a long one.

Aerys sneered finally and dismissed her.


Arthur cornered him. Martell cornered him. Whent cornered him. Hightower cornered him.

He ignored them. He needed to see her.

They entered the library as one.

"You can start yelling." She simply said.

"My lady, it was very bold but rather stupid…" Arthur began.

"Stupid, was it?" She says in an icy voice, "Was it as stupid as the sheer cowardice of the whole court room?"

"We could have done something, my lady. His champion is fire…" Hightower pleaded.

"And no matter how good a warrior you are, there is no way you can beat fire..." Whent was cataclysmic.

She did not reply because she had met Rhaegar's eyes and they were staring at each other.

Rhaegar was tempted; to yell and scream and rage and ask her what was she doing, to embrace her or hide her.

Instead he just asked, "Have you been able to reach your champion?"

He received a slow but firm nod.

He gives her a nod and leaves. He is so afraid. So afraid.


The trial by combat will happen in dragonpit. His father wants to make an example. He would defeat her champion and then have her on her knees for defying him and get her to marry Rhaegar.

The lords are assembled. A lot of soldiers are there. It is a spectacle.

Azalea stands alone on the other end.

A firepit is created and alighted.

"Here is the champion of Targaryens, Where is yours, Lady Azalea?"

Out of everyone in the pit, Azalea looks the most fearless. It is ironic because she is the one being subjected to a fire trial.

She simply bows to Aerys in deference and calls out loudly, "Valor."

The most horrible screeching noise and another noise, which Rhaegar deduces to be flapping of wings is heard and suddenly a dragon is descending into the dragon pit for the first time in more than a century as it blows flames into the sky.

Valor descends to shrieks and screams and simply stands beside Azalea, who is the only one who has not flinched or moved otherwise.

"My champion, your grace." She simply says and exchanges a look with Valor, who with rather intelligent eyes moves forwards, walks into the fire which dies down considerably, eventually ending and then returns back to his mistress.

She has won.

The Kingsguard move to surround Aerys and him.

Arthur gives him a look which Rhaegar does not return.

"I believe that false information was given to your higheness. Lord Blount is innocent after all." She says over the pervasive silence.

His father is in shock. Everyone is.

"My life is yours, my lady." Lord Blount kneels in front of her.

"Swear a fealty…" Azalea begins.

"What is your house" Lord Blount.

"Not to me, to the crown." She replies back evenly, "Thank his highness for allowing me to champion you."

There are gasps again.

She loves doing that, eliciting gasps. Rhaegar realizes with a mental start.

When Blount looks dumbfounded, Valor roars and forces him to the knee and solemnly and rather fearfully swears a fealty to the crown.

Azalea looks rather satisfied.

"He obeys you," Aerys asks in a raspy voice and there is no question that he is speaking of the dragon.

"A dragon is no slave, your highness. He imprinted on me as a babe, he is just a tad bit protective." Azalea simply says.

As if a live dragon and such obedience are commonplace...

"Are there others?" Aerys is rather excited. And just like that, Rhaegar knows that she has his favor again.

"He is only one alive in the realm as far as I know, your grace." She replies.

Not a lie. Eggs are not alive dragons, after all.

Aerys is not very disappointed, "Dragonfire can bring back the dragons…"

"Come near, Lady Azalea." He barked.

Azalea went and stood on Aerys' right side and Valor followed, following her, throwing a rather cautious glance around everyone. He stood behind Azalea but such that his wingspan would cover Azalea in an instant.

No one missed the gesture or the warning.

'See the might of dragons and tremble!" Aerys yelled and thumped his stick rather wildly.


Azalea went with Valor for a ride but not before meeting his gaze and passing the message that they would talk once she returns.

That night was rather interesting.

"Dragon, a bloody dragon…" Arthur kept saying over and over again in disbelief.

Martell, Darry, Hightower and Whent were very taken aback too.

He knew that ravens would be flying out rather rapidly, especially to citadel. The seven kingdoms would never be the same again.

"She had formidable control on the beast. Did you see that it did not do any harm, did not try to burn anyone? No dragonrider has had that kind of control. It is unprecedented…" He had overheard Martell telling someone.

He wondered what Jon Connington would say. But he was away the Griffin's roost taking care of familial matter against House Morrigon.

Lanmouth and Moore were also very taken aback and Arthur had taken great leisure in regaling Rhaegar's plight about wooing Azalea.


Arthur would corner him after everyone was asleep.

"You knew about the dragon, you did not react as afraid or taken aback?" Arthur said without preamble.

"I have met Valor before, yes."

"I hope you are not pretending to be in love with her to get the dragon." Arthur also said.

"Azalea has already promised me the dragons, Arthur whilst she thinks I am going to marry someone else. So no, my love is not a charade. And her dragons play a rather small part in that love. I was half in love with her already when she told me about Valor. I am grateful for her support with him, but it was more of the fact that she gave me such hope and she talked about being a dragonrider so nonchalantly and she cared about the dragons so very much. She did not ask for anything in exchange except that they be treated well." Rhaegar said.

'Dragons…so there are more. She lied to the king?"

"Yes, there are more but no she didn't lie. There are live eggs that are yet to hatch. Of course, it was not safe to disclose that to father. But as far as live dragons are concerned, Valor is the only one." Rhaegar said

Next day, Rhaegar would actually see the cruelties his father did onto his mother. He had always known, always heard and always been afraid to bring it up with her.

It was by chance that her sleeve would go up and Rhaegar would see bruises.

He is horrified and he can no longer ignore it. The anger makes him incoherent, numb and he cannot get words out.

She tells him that it is better that it is her, not him or Viserys or even Azalea. He does not agree in the least but she distracts him with Azalea.

She is curious about the dragon and afraid that his father would try to commandeer it.

"Valor is bonded with Azalea. He will not take command from anyone else. Father is not foolish enough to try. And as for trying to fire eggs to hatch them, I doubt she is planning to keep Valor here. She is quite protective of him." Rhaegar tells.

"But people will be after her. She needs the protection more than ever." Her mother intones.

"She is rather good with sword and words both. And she will have my protection. And probably Father's, as fickle as that is…And try as I might, I do not control her actions nor do I wish to," Rhaegar shakes his head.


It was as he predicted. Valor was gone. His father was not happy.

Azalea simply told him that she did not trust the citadel, which got Pycelle into a lot of trouble with his father and left Azalea trouble free.

Rhaegar thought that his father was flattered by her continued deference which is why Azalea was so safe. It fed into his importance and delusions.

On one hand, there were fewer questions on Azalea's suitability for him. What better bride could they find in comparison to a dragonrider?

On the other, there was a lot of fear about what the dragon would do in hands of his father. But there were also murmurs of Azalea's control and her mercy and her courage.

What she had done with Lord Blount had caught the attention of people, a positive, right kind of attention.

Even Tywin Lannister gave her rather thoughtful looks, very discreetly. If Rhaegar had not honed himself to read Tywin, he would have missed it.

The rest of the small council was not happy. Suddenly, father did not take their opinions. But they were also taken by the fact that she had not attempted to gain more influence…

She confused them, which worked in their favor. They will not realize until late the part that she would play in the Great council.

And as they were too busy trying to figure her out, they would miss crucial information.

Varys was a problem, but unfortunately for him, Rhaegar had been brought up in the Red Keep and knew the pathways.

He and any of his conspirators never talked in rooms that had passages.

And whenever he and Azalea met, there was a lot of romancing involved. They were rather good at appearing to be talking on things.

Of course, Varys was not a fool. He would try his earnest but they could thwart it the best way.


He had kept his mother's plight from Azalea. He knew she would not take it well. Not well at all.

Rhaegar, on the other hand, had not felt so helpless in ages.

His mother was suffering and his love for Azalea was unrequited.

He knew that he could fix his mothers' suffering in the Great council. But the Azalea bit was eating him away.

His friends noted it. His shortness, his misery, his problem.

In fact, they pitied him so much that they had even stopped teasing him about it. In fact, they did not mention it much at all.

It was not until he was sitting in his solar just ending a discussion with Whent, Lanmouth and Moore discussing the tourney and probable new faces that Arthur came with a rather ambivalent look and the issue was touched in 2 sennights.

Lanmouth and Moore left as Whent lingered back, clearly in on whatever Arthur wanted to discuss.

Of course, it was about Azalea and their lack of romance.

"I do not wish to speak of it." Rhaegar said, "If it is not meant to be, if her heart is not into it…"

"Oh, stop that train of thought Rhaegar. Your misery was so bothersome that I went and asked the lady myself why she was so opposed to a match between you two and why did she keep rejecting your offer?"

"You did not…" Rhaegar said in disbelief and then dismissed it, "Doesn't matter."

"Aren't you a little bit curious about what she said?" Arthur said.

"She gave you reasoning?" Rhaegar asked. He does not think Arthur's intervention is helpful in the least. It only makes him more miserable.

"Very sound one. She is rather wise," Arthur was enjoying his pain too much in Rhaegar's opinion, "You, on the other hand, are clueless."

"I do not wish to hear if you agree with her reasoning…" Rhaegar started getting up. Arthur may be his friend but he would not stand to be humiliated...

"Sit down you fool. She is opposed to the match because she thinks you do not want a match with her. She thinks you are rather fond of Elia Martell. She tried to look nonchalant but she was too composed at the prospect. Every single courtship thing that has happened, she thinks it was acting because of your arrangement." Arthur said.

Rhaegar turned so quickly to face him, "What?"

"And I quote her when I say this that how can she possibly reject you when you made no verbal offer or advances on her. She had nothing to reject. When I argued that everything, all the gestures…She simply said that she cannot hold you to gestures, that anyone can interpret anything. Cersei Lannister can come say that you love Cersei. Gestures are not given words. And if she has to marry a man, she will marry one who gives her words that she can hold on to till the end of her days. She said she will not make you miserable by forcing you into a match with her because you clearly do not want it." Arthur swiftly completed it.

Rhaegar was stupefied.

"Now, please tell me that this is some misunderstanding. Tell me you have asked for her hand…" Arthur said.

"As a matter of fact, I did not." Rhaegar confessed slowly.

"And you assumed that…The lady is right, Rhaegar. She cannot possibly reject you if you have not even made your intentions clear."

"She really thinks I like Elia?" Rhaegar says weakly.

"Apparently, you favored her over Cersei. And you did not mention other candidates…"

"So, she stalled my father simply because she thought I did not want the match. We could have been wedded by now…this is insane." Rhaegar shakes his head.

"Thankfully, it is a problem easily fixed. Ask for her hand. I do not think she will deny it." Arthur pointed out rather helpfully as Whent sniggered.

Rhaegar was lost in thoughts. This had to be special. He had to make up for things somehow.


Another one done. I don't know how it went, honestly. But the mild angst should end soon!

Flipped is giving me trouble. Like a lot of it. I am planning to rewrite one section and see.

But it should have an update soon.

Leave me Reviews!