A/N: Hey! Hope you are all happy and healthy, as always.
This is probably the longest chapter I ever wrote. When it comes to writing stories, I do not skimp out on the details because they add important context to the plot ("the devil is in the details," as we all heard before). Please bear with me.
Sam shifted nervously, adjusting his robes and running his hands through his hair for the twelfth time in a row. He was walking alongside Meiying as they waited in the courtyard of her family's house. They were only ennobled recently, and they had a small estate in the outskirts of the capital, which took Sam and Meiying about an hour to travel by horse.
"Sam, calm down," Meiying assured him. "It's just afternoon tea with my family."
"It's just… this is the first time that I will meet your parents. Given what has happened between us for the past few moons, I have a strong feeling of why they asked me here."
"Don't worry so much. Once they see you speaking guanhua very well and then how you've done great work so far, they'll like you. Don't worry," Meiying tried to calm him down.
"Let's hope so, May," Sam called her by her nickname, which they had decided last moon. She smiled and kissed him on the cheek.
"My lady," they turned to see a servant open the screen doors to the house. "Your parents are ready."
"Shall we?" May gestured to the doors. Sam took another breath before following her.
Yesterday marked the third moon of their courtship. May took him to her favorite teahouses and shops throughout Yin, showing more of the capital than Sam was exposed to. What really surprised Sam was that May was a painting enthusiast, as she took him to various presentations by the popular painters within the capital. She even did some painting also, which were quite good after she showed them to him and spent much of her spare time with other painters.
"You could make a living out of painting, May. I'm not saying this just because I like you," Sam told her.
"I'm very happy that you said that, but I don't think my family will like it if I did pursue painting full-time," May replied with sadness.
"Why not?" Sam asked.
"Painters are not guaranteed to live comfortably, and my family are nobility, so to have their daughter be an artist is something that they don't want to happen."
"Anything else?" Sam had to know.
"As of now, I am their only child and they want to pass on their wealth to my future husband. So, for me to be a painter would be an embarrassment to them."
In that moment, Sam felt closer to May than before. His father Randyll Tarly forbade him from becoming a maester despite his love for books and instead forced him to be a warrior. When that ultimately didn't work, Randyll threatened him with that hunt.
"You don't have to listen to your parents all the time, May," Sam said.
"I must not disobey my parents, Sam. You might have found a way to disobey yours, but they're all the way in Westeros while mine are close by. To dishonor your parents is unthinkable here, Sam."
However, after seeing how well she painted, Sam didn't want her to give it up. "Maybe… you could paint in the palace. I do have privileges after all, and your parents shouldn't have any problems with you being there."
"You would do that for me?" May asked hopefully.
"Of course. I like you and your gift shouldn't be wasted."
May grinned and she gave him a strong kiss on the cheek.
Going back to the present moment, Sam walked further into the Yoon house. It was as decorated as other places owned by lords and with screen doors opening into several other rooms. One thing that Yi-Ti gets right, they know how to be efficient with space. Even though the house looked small, it had more rooms than expected of its size.
Sam and May arrived at the main chambers, where her parents sat on one side of a low table. As was customary, Sam and May kowtowed before them. "Good afternoon, Lord and Lady Yoon," he introduced himself. "It is an honor to finally meet you."
Standing back up, Sam laid a wooden box of fresh pears in front of them. In Yi-Tish culture, the pear symbolized grace and nobility and bestowed wisdom and health, with many legends saying that the pear gives women fertility. Strangers always had to give pears to each other on first meeting so as to wish them good fortune.
May's parents looked surprised that Sam even knew that custom at all. Gesturing them to sit down, Lord Yoon poured Sam and May cups of tea, which they held out with both hands. They didn't drink until after Lord and Lady Yoon drank from theirs.
"Meiying has told us much about you," Lord Yoon spoke in guanhua. "At least only the good parts."
"I hope that is enough for you, my lord," Sam replied back. Lord and Lady Yoon were more surprised at how well he spoke guanhua.
"How long have you been here, Lord Sam?" Lady Yoon asked.
"A few years now, my lady."
"And yet, you speak guanhua better than most who have lived all their lives," Lady Yoon showed how impressed she was.
"Thank you very much," Sam replied, smiling from the praise.
"Our daughter told us what you do, but I would like to hear it from your mouth, Lord Sam," Lord Yoon spoke. "You work in the household of Prince Kaijin?"
"Yes, my lord. I am the assistant to his steward," Sam answered.
"And you have regular access to His Highness?"
Sam had some understanding of why he would ask that. "Yes, I do."
"Hmmm," Lord Yoon said aloud. "How does a white devil like yourself manage to enter the service of the imperial family?"
"Father," May was shocked. "Why would you say that?"
"No, no. It's all right," Sam prepared himself for that. "Perhaps you know of Daeron Targaryen?"
Lord Yoon snorted. "You must be joking. Ever since "The Conquest of Dorne" was released in circulation, he's all my friends have been talking about. They even purchased black robes with red lining and flags with the three-headed dragon since they want to honor the one who was named after the Young Dragon."
Sam smiled in pride. The most recent book he had translated for the Grand Secretary was "The Conquest of Dorne," written in the hand of the Young Dragon himself. Given that Jon was the only one in the empire who could control a dragon and shared his name, many nobles and commoners started to dress themselves in black and red so that they could feel as if they were a part of the Targaryen legacy. The book sellers throughout Yin were overwhelmed with requests for the Yi-Tish translation of "The Conquest of Dorne" after the ones who read it praised its elegant simplicity and richness of blood, battles, and bravery while allowing a glimpse into Dornish culture. Because of the book's success, Sam was granted a small portion of the sales.
"I was the one that translated it, my lord," Sam answered. "Prince Daeron is my friend."
"Truly?" That was something that Lord and Lady Yoon didn't expect.
"He was my friend when no one else would be, and he fought for me back in Westeros. That's why I came all the way with him, even though I still had family."
Lady Yoon set down her cup. "No wonder why that book has become so popular. You helped translate and you had a direct source of information. I have to admit that when I read it, I found myself… captivated. But then again, you can't go wrong with war accounts."
"No, you cannot," Sam admitted.
Lord Yoon pursed his lips in thought before finding his next question. "Now that we have spoken on your achievements and position, tell us more about your family. Who are they?"
Sam talked about the history of House Tarly, how they were descended from Garth Greenhand, and how his father was a great warrior back in Westeros.
"But if your family was so powerful, why did you leave them?" Lady Yoon asked.
"Mother, that's a… personal matter for Sam," May was uncomfortable.
"From how he described them, he comes from a good family. Why did he have to leave?"
Sam sighed before he found the words. "My father is a great warrior, but he expects both of his sons to follow his example. When I couldn't meet his expectations, he forced me out."
Lord Yoon crossed his arms. "So… you are the eldest, but not the favorite son."
Sam laughed uncomfortably, while May was looking at her father with offense. "That's one way to describe it."
Lord Yoon nodded. "I see… But will you still inherit your family's lands and castle?"
"Father!" May scolded her, causing him to return the look.
"No matter what my father has to say, since I am still alive, that's the law," Sam was slowly disliking Lord Yoon.
Lord Yoon poured himself more tea. "You must understand why I ask this, Lord Sam. A stable income and secure station are paramount to a successful and happy marriage."
Sam coughed while drinking his tea. Marriage? "My lord, I think you have the wrong idea. I never made any proposals to your daughter."
"But why else did you woo her for three moons? It is certainly not companionship, or she wouldn't have talked about you so much," Lord Yoon stated.
Sam cleared his throat. "My lord, it is true. I like your daughter and I don't wish for our time to end prematurely. But I understand that marriage is a serious subject and I haven't broached it with her because I didn't want to cause misunderstandings."
"And why haven't you mentioned it? You two are of the age to marry and my daughter already turned down many other offers for her hand," Lord Yoon revealed.
Sam wasn't sure how to answer, but then, he had his own questions to ask. "Why do you bring up the topic of marriage, my lord?"
"First off, you're a white devil, which means that you already have obstacles to negotiate, more so than one who was born here. You might be in Prince Kaijin's household, but His Highness was born from a tea server and therefore is far down the line of succession for the phoenix throne. You haven't taken the examinations, so you will be out of a job should something bad happen to His Highness. Lastly, you might come from a lord's seed, but you are far away from home and the chances of you inheriting your family's properties are slim given how you described your relationship with your father," Lord Yoon listed. "With all that taken into consideration, your position is very unstable, and you might not enjoy the favor of the emperor forever. How can a strong marriage be built on a shaky foundation?"
May blinked and her lips trembled from critical her father was of Sam.
But he was unmoved. "Those words that you have just said, won't they apply to you also?"
"What do you mean?" Lord Yoon narrowed his eyes.
"You only became a lord a few years ago and your father came from merchants, the bottom of society. And I heard that you only got your lordship because you paid for it. But you should know that lordships are hard to hold on to, especially for newly ennobled," Sam was blunt.
"What are you trying to say to me?" Lord Yoon cocked his head at him.
"You might think that being a lord gives you protection, but the moment you are found to be useless or a liability to those that put you in that place, you'll find that being a lord doesn't really mean much. I should know because I've seen just how unstable nobility is," Sam continued.
Lord Yoon was very displeased. "You think you can judge me and tell me what my position is?"
"That's exactly what you did, my lord. And I would have thought that given how recently you became a lord, you would have become wiser about where you are. But apparently, being a lord only made you more complacent and inflated your ego," Sam added.
Lady Yoon gasped while Lord Yoon became livid. "Is this how you speak to your elders, boy?"
"You talk down to me, I will do the same thing to you," Sam answered.
Lord Yoon scoffed. "Then you don't understand. I am the elder and I can talk to you however I want. But you should keep your mouth shut and be silent when I say words. It seems my daughter chose poorly on her future partner, for you have no manners."
Sam was in no mood to stay in Lord Yoon's presence. Standing up without getting his cue, he bowed slightly to May's father. "I am sorry to have wasted your time today, my lord. And I just realized that I have other duties to attend to. If you'll excuse me."
He saw himself out of the house, but before he exited through the gates, May caught up with him. "I'm so sorry, Sam. I didn't know he was going to do that. All I said that I was impressed by you and that you were well-read and that I enjoyed every second that I am by your side."
"I don't blame you, May," Sam told her. "But if your father is going to talk to me like that, elder or not, I have nothing more to say to him."
Going for the gates, May grabbed onto his arm. "I will see you later, right? Please, I'm sorry."
Sam turned back to her. She's not him, he reminded herself. And he did need some time to cool down, but he didn't want this relationship to end so badly. "Yes, of course. How about I see you tomorrow? The teahouse where we first met?"
May smiled widely. "I'd love that."
Sam pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. "See you tomorrow, then."
Khiara moved through the Samchun Quarter of Yin, which was the area of the capital that had the largest concentration of merchants and commoners and was also next to the port. She was scheduled to inspect the fleet assigned to the Central District on behalf of her father, with Admiral Okamoto at her side when the review commenced.
However, what really weighed in on her mind that day was Arya Stark at her side. Today marked her first assignment with the Jade Order, where she was to serve as her personal escort during the fleet review. She, along with the other women who were inducted with her before Yujin rudely interrupted and her usual entourage of guards and servants, would accompany her to the fleet review.
From the streets to a member of the Jade Order, Arya Stark was like her adopted brother in that they both started out as castaways and rose up through sheer effort and connections, although they would not admit the latter. Hopefully, they both know that without people to help them, they'll never get anywhere.
More importantly, Khiara had inquired about Arya's personal details from Gong-Er besides the "Underfoot" detail. She had watched her father be relieved of his head and had spent much of the recent years on the run from the agents of the Baratheons and Lannisters, both of whom had some very colorful histories but paled when compared to even the azure line. How typical… everyone thinking that they're the center of the world when we are all but insignificant.
As they neared the port, where activity increased as they walked closer, Khiara turned to Arya, who walked beside her. She was dressed in the customary white robes over jade green shirt, with her swords hidden from view. What continued to amaze Khiara was that despite the existence of the Jade Order and clear records of their accolades, people still made the mistake of thinking the women of the Jade Order were weak and therefore easy opponents. And every time, they were not only proven wrong, their heads were put on display once they were killed. Arya provided a perfect example of how the Jade Order was deadly, as she didn't look particularly threatening from her size alone, but she carried a hardened outlook on life and was very capable of killing those who either tried to kill her or had ever wronged her.
"Lady Arya," Khiara spoke to her in the common tongue. Good thing the rest of the commoners don't speak the common tongue, or they might report back to the Prime Minister if I spoke guanhua.
"Yes, Your Highness," she responded.
"How is your first day as a member of the Jade Order?"
"I'm very honored to be part of this group, Your Highness," Arya answered.
"Please speak plainly, Lady Arya. You are amongst other women who are like you and you wouldn't have come here if you spoke properly all the time," Khiara urged her.
Arya nodded. "I never felt more comfortable around many people before, Your Highness. At Winterfell and at King's Landing, I was always told to be around other ladies like myself, but I never did take to dancing and music before I came here. And to see other women like me who also tell me that music and dance do not make me weak… the best feeling that I had in a long time."
She doesn't like to be weak. "That's good to hear, Lady Arya. Gong-Er also tells me that you are very good at being sneaky, since you were able to hide in the most unlikely places like under the stairs during training and you did hide from those who tried to kill you before," Khiara said.
"The first time that I learned to hide, I had to, or my life would have ended quickly. So, it was more desperation rather than coming naturally to me," Arya admitted.
"Still, shows that with the right amount of training, you can also protect me from very unlikely threats. Gong-Er recommended that you be sent to a specialist, where you will learn secret arts. Assassins come in many forms and the best way to defeat them is to understand and learn their ways," Khiara offered.
Arya beamed. "Thank you, Your Highness. I guess it doesn't hurt to have more than one skill."
"Indeed, as your dance performance showed," Khiara agreed, causing Arya to blush from embarrassment. She might be good at dancing, but she still is not comfortable in her mind. "Tell me truthfully. Who was your first kill?" Arya looked at her, unsure how to answer. "I'm not talking about accidental killings or telling other people to hurt for you. I want to know the first time you deliberately wanted someone dead and followed through with your own hands."
Arya swallowed. "Why do you wish to know that, Your Highness?"
"As you're in the Jade Order, you will have to kill to protect me. I just want to know if you can take a life without regrets, as thinking too much on that will undermine you greatly," Khiara explained to her.
Arya blinked rapidly. As Khiara's request was very clear, she could not avoid it. "I… It was back in the riverlands, when I was being taken to the Twins with the Hound. I was hopeful to return to my brother and even my mother because it had been so long since I've seen them. But while there, I saw Freys and Boltons massacre my brother's soldiers and the only reason why I was able to escape was because the Hound knocked me out."
"The Red Wedding," Khiara recognized.
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Go on," she urged her.
"Me and the Hound were passing by a few Frey bannermen and I heard one of them talking about how Robb died, going into detail how they mounted his direwolf's head on his body. After hearing that, I couldn't control myself and I walked to them, pretending to be a little lost girl who wanted food. They told me to 'fuck off,' but they were starting to change their minds when I showed them a coin. After dropping it, I stabbed that man in the neck over and over, wanting to kill him for talking too much," Arya added.
"Did you kill the other Frey men?" Khiara inquired.
"No, the Hound killed the rest. As for me, I picked up my coin, which was given to me by a Braavosi, and whispered 'Valar morghulis,'" Arya finished.
"All men must die," Khiara had heard that too. "Valar dohaeris."
"Very good, Your Highness," Arya was impressed. "You seem to know much about the world outside of your palace."
"More than you can imagine, Lady Arya," Khiara decided to test her by speaking High Valyrian. When she rose an eyebrow, she switched back to the common tongue. "Right, you don't speak High Valyrian."
"How do you know how to speak that?" Arya queried.
"For those that came west of the Jade Gates or the Bone Mountains, the common tongue or High Valyrian were the only ways to communicate with them," Khiara explained. "As I sometimes have to deal with newcomers, those are two foreign tongues that I had to learn."
Arya had to be reminded that the surface of a person could not easily accepted, as that would prevent her from seeing their depths. "Makes me wonder how little of the world I've seen."
"You're young, Lady Arya, so you have more time than I do, if only a little," Khiara replied. "Which makes me wonder. Has Prince Daeron ever journey outside of Winterfell or the North before he came here?"
"No, but I'm sure that he'll be able to go anywhere now that he is trying to mount Meleys," Arya told her.
"Mounting? You mean trying to fly her?" That was certainly news for Khiara. "Is he well enough to do that?"
"He's a dragon besides being a wolf, Your Highness. He has to do it eventually. Besides, I always wanted to see someone fly through the air on a dragon," Arya spoke dreamily.
"How does he plan on accomplishing that?"
"One step at a time," Arya answered. "No one has done that in over a century, so he can't rush it."
"Understandable," Khiara acquiesced. "I have to admit also, that'll be a sight to see. On another note, I trust Daeron is retraining himself? The last encounter with my bad-tempered brother could have ended badly."
Arya's face twisted in anger at the mention of him. "Let's just say that he's relearning everything he was ever taught about fighting and Hoon Ti will help him get there. He's not going to fall for the same trap twice."
"Good," Khiara nodded in approval. "Will be a shame if I have to take care of him again."
Arya gave an uncomfortable smile at her jest. In all honesty, Khiara found herself liking the feel of his back muscles, his face, and his hair. Now I'm beginning to understand why Valyrians were so known for their beauty, even though Daeron is half-Valyrian. And she also got a closer look at his developed chest and she was tempted to bed him right then and there, but she knew that would push him away and she wanted to get him close to her. That was why she opted to kiss his forehead instead. It won't be long before he will succumb to my advances, she thought with triumph.
After arriving at the port and greeting Admiral Okamoto, he signaled for the fleet review to commence. All she had to do was sit down and watch as all of the ships passed by her observation point, and Arya and the others had to stand guard for all that time.
"What have you heard from the Ministry of Justice?" Khiara knew that Admiral Okamoto had people who owed him favors in that particular ministry.
"The vice minister was able to obtain the new list of potential subversives to be put under watch. You're not going to believe who was included," Admiral Okamoto whispered before saying the names.
"So… the Prime Minister is trying to damage Daeron and his family," Khiara thought aloud.
"That's not all, Your Highness. I got word that the southwest and southeast captain-generals were having provosts follow myself, Lord Buko, and Lord Joon among others. They're trying to come after us now," Okamoto added.
Khiara laughed in amusement. "Looks like they have just declared war on us, on me. Only way to respond is to retaliate." She looked at Admiral Okamoto. "We can trust the admirals and the captains to side with us when the time comes?"
"Of course, Your Highness."
"So that leaves the northern armies then. I can take care of the Northeast Province and the Five Forts. Have Minister Zong put more pressure on Lord Joon. If he sides with us, the northern provinces will be in our grasp," she commanded.
"Yes, Your Highness."
"And leak what you've learned to Lord Buko. Chances are that he'll be threatened and whatever he's planning with the other insurgents in the army will have to be accelerated. I don't like the idea of working with potential mutineers, but for now, our interests and theirs have aligned. We both seek to destroy the Prime Minister and his faction," Khiara assessed.
"I agree with you, Your Highness. But when the time comes, we'll have to deal with the mutineers."
"That we will, Admiral. That we will."
After the fleet review was complete, Khiara went back to her palace and decided to eat dinner alone. If I invited Daeron, he might be pushed way also. I give him more space to think, to reflect, and he'll see eventually.
But not entirely alone. She kept her personal guard with her, including Arya. But instead of eating with her, she had them play a song. Although Arya was not a singer, she played a pipe and was part of the accompanying band. Khiara observed how tight knit those women were, as they laughed and bantered with one another over things like who had the most dust on their clothes and who sweated the most during practice. They then tuned their instruments, making sure that they were in the right pitch, before playing the song. The singer of the group sang:
Zui dou zui le he bi fei yao xing zhe
Shang dou shang le fan zheng bu hui yu he
Shuo dou shuo le mei you li qi ke ze
Kuai le bei ai kun zhe ye shi zhong xuan ze
Ya dou ya le zai ku ye shi wu sheng
Xia dou xia le sui yan qian yin chen
Tong dou tong le kan lai ye xi guan teng
Shi shui chang guo de tong bing kuai le zhe
Zi nüe zhe xiang shou ai de hei se jing ran ye gan dao kuai le
Qing yuan bei du she chan zhe ju jue chuang wai bai ge
Jiao huan de zi ji xiao de mei xiang guo yi yi bu she
Ài wǎn'ān wǎn'ān wǎn'ān wǎn'ān wǎn'ān
Ài wǎn'ān wǎn'ān wǎn'ān wǎn'ān wǎn'ān
Ài wǎn'ān wǎn'ān wǎn'ān wǎn'ān wǎn'ān
Ài wǎn'ān wǎn'ān wǎn'ān wǎn'ān wǎn'ān
Ài wǎn'ān wǎn'ān wǎn'ān
Pian dou pian le hai shou lian de pei he
Wan dou wan le he bu xiang shou ye se
Leng dou leng le shui dui shui bu bian leng
Qing tian jiu suan bu duo hai bu shi de guo
Ai dou ai le shi shui fei yao bu ke
Cuo dou cuo le cheng ren you ru he
Si dou si le tian liang le zai shuo
You shen me zi ge shuo shi shui de cuo
Zi nüe zhe xiang shou ai de hei se jing ran ye gan dao kuai le
Qing yuan bei du she chan zhe ju jue chuang wai bai ge
Jiao huan de zi ji xiao de mei xiang guo yi yi bu she
Ài wǎn'ān wǎn'ān wǎn'ān wǎn'ān wǎn'ān
Xin shang zhe ai de hei se xi guan le mou xie zhe mo
Qing yuan bei du she chan zhe ju jue chuang wai bai ge
Dai zhe xie xing de xin de gan yuan bei fu de shen ke
Ài wǎn'ān wǎn'ān wǎn'ān wǎn'ān wǎn'ān
Ài wǎn'ān wǎn'ān wǎn'ān wǎn'ān wǎn'ān
Ài wǎn'ān wǎn'ān wǎn'ān wǎn'ān wǎn'ān
Ài wǎn'ān wǎn'ān wǎn'ān wǎn'ān wǎn'ān
Ài wǎn'ān wǎn'ān wǎn'ān
Khiara nodded to the group, showing her approval of their choice of song. Always was interested in how we unintentionally cause pain to ourselves and yet still feel the rush from it. She lost count of how many times she made decisions that ran against her conscious, decisions that her girl self would've never made. However, the path to power and safety was narrow and treacherous and only a few would survive.
Also, there was something… liberating about causing pain to the self because it showed that person how fragile they really were and thus, there was no point in being afraid. If I am vulnerable, so is the other person. And that means that I can fight against anyone, including sorts like the Prime Minister. As they wisely say further west, we all die. And knowing that we will go back into dust makes me more certain of how I should live.
And that was her secret of not being afraid of all obstacles, as any put up by man would eventually fall. Officials, generals, princes, and rulers all came and went, and her rivals in the Prime Minister and Prince Yujin of all people were no exceptions.
As she finally dismissed Arya for the night, she began to ponder if her thoughts also applied to dragons, the actual ones. And for a moment… she could find no answer as to whether she could overcome them. If they're not obstacles, I best make them work to my advantage, and I know who to do it with and how to.
Daenerys paced around her chambers, confused at what she had seen last night. Seeing herself flying atop of Drogon in a dream and killing that wyrm or wyvern was something that she had seen before. Adding to her joy was seeing Daeron ride atop of Meleys and joining her in killing the false dragon, which could only mean that they were meant to fly together in the air and rule as true dragons. Maybe that's the same conclusion he reached.
But nearby the corpse of the false dragon, she noticed a woman staring at it and both Drogon and Meleys flying down to her. As she got closer, Daenerys noticed that she had all of the traits of a Dornishwoman, with tan skin and black hair. Her beauty became more obvious after both of the dragons landed in front of her.
To her surprise, the Dornishwoman was able to touch both Meleys and Drogon and calm them down. As the dream ended, Daenerys had just managed to notice that she had purple eyes and heard her, "I am the blood of the dragon."
The Dornishwoman's last words were what got to Daenerys, as those were the same words that Daeron said when they first met, and it was until the second time that she got his name and how they were of the same blood. However, she didn't know any Dornishwoman who even shared Targaryen blood besides the Martells born from one of her namesakes, the one who was married to Prince Martell in order to fully incorporate Dorne into the Seven Kingdoms, and their share of dragon blood was too diluted. Or do I?
In House Targaryen's most recent memory, the only Dornishwoman connected to them was Elia Martell and she bore her brother two children, both of whom were brutally murdered. Digging through her mind, she did remember Viserys talking about Rhaenys resembling "more of a Dornish shit" than a true dragon.
Daenerys' eyes widened at that. Could that be… Rhaenys? It certainly fit the description and there was no other way that she could have approached the dragons unless she had Rhaegar's blood, dragon blood. And if her attractiveness said anything, she truly inherited Elia's supposed good looks.
But it can't be. How did Rhaenys survive? And who died then? That was the one thing that Daenerys couldn't comprehend. It would have been hard to disguise a small girl with another that would have looked like her and even so, Rhaenys would not have survived unless she had a protector. And even that presented problems, as whoever wanted to keep her alive would not have done so because they were loyal to House Targaryen. The stag usurpers were on the rise, so anyone who wanted to curry favor would have turned her over if they really wanted to.
Daenerys wanted to believe in the best outcome, and that included that a part of her family besides Daeron was indeed alive. But as life taught her, the good things in the world were few and far in between. Most importantly, if Rhaenys was indeed alive, she didn't expect a warm reunion. If she saw me, I can imagine her first question being, "Why didn't you try to find me? Why did you leave me?" And I might have been born after her, but I am still her aunt and who would blame her in asking that? I would, Daenerys thought with sadness. And she's a Targaryen, which means that the past twenty years would not have been kind to her, and she would only be filled with anger and bitterness towards everyone, like myself.
But she was going to ponder that another time, until the next dream. Maybe I'll have more answers then.
She heard shouting echo through the halls of the Great Pyramid, prompting her to run towards the source. She then saw a group of Unsullied bring Ser Barristan into the throne room, while all of them were cut and bloodied. Fearing the worst of her the old man she grew to like, she ran towards Ser Barristan and was relieved to find him still breathing, but he was severely wounded.
"What happened?" she turned to Grey Worm.
"We were ambushed," Grey Worm answered in High Valyrian. "Harpies. I was about to be killed before Barristan came in and saved my life. But he's hurt bad."
"Let's take him to my chambers. We have to make sure that he doesn't die," Daenerys ordered as she followed Barristan and the Unsullied group.
A few hours later, she sat on the side of her bed while Barristan was resting, wrapped in cloth to cover his wounds. Daenerys that Barristan, the one who spoke so well of her brother, was a tough old man, but age did have its drawbacks and he might grow weaker even if he did recover. However, she didn't want the former Kingsguard to die, as he was the only one left who really understood Rhaegar and there was so much more that she wanted to know of her brother.
She heard footsteps approaching the bed, seeing both Tyrion and Daario enter her chambers.
"Will he be all right, Your Grace?" Tyrion asked after Ser Barristan.
"He just needs rest," Daenerys answered. "They sewed up all of the wounds that he received, but he'll have to wait before wielding a sword again."
"Given how deadly the old man is, he might go crazy from all of the action he'll miss out," Daario chuckled. But Daenerys was not amused, and she made that clear with the glare she sent his way.
"How is Grey Worm?"
"He'll be all right, Your Grace. Missandei is at his bedside," Tyrion answered.
"Of course," she mused. "But onto more pressing matters. What have you learned?"
"I had the men look around, and they were indeed harpies," Daario started with. "I can only surmise that you considering reopening the fighting pits made them bolder, as they might have interpreted it as you cracking under pressure."
"I'm not interested in your conjectures, Daario. I want to know how they were able to almost kill Grey Worm and Ser Barristan," Daenerys wanted to retaliate against those were involved.
"I tracked down the prostitute that led Grey Worm and the Unsullied with him down that trap," Daario revealed. "It appears that she got into the brothel for the sole purpose of getting close to us and that she was in close league with whoever connected her to the Harpy himself."
"Did you bring her here?" Daenerys finally found where to direct her rage.
"Yes, she's secure," Daario affirmed.
Daenerys laid her hands upon Barristan's sleeping form, silently hoping that he would recover soon. I need you, Ser Barristan. "Show her to me, in the catacombs."
In the darkness of the catacombs, where Viserion and Rhaegal rested, Daenerys stood while the Unsullied and the Second Sons brought in the prostitute name Vala. Drogon was flying around somewhere and Daenerys was about to let her other two dragons out of the catacombs so that they could grow more properly. But for now, their presence was needed.
After Daario forced Vala on her knees, Daenerys could only see how much hate she had for her. But why? She didn't look like someone who would prosper under the rule of the slave masters, so there had to be another reason why she would do what Daario said.
"We finally meet, after I heard so much about you," Daenerys have a hard gaze.
"I should be honored, then. I must've caused much a lot of hurt if you had to see me for yourself," Vala spat, causing Daario to slap her on her head.
"Daario, please," Daenerys stopped him. "This is the second time that you hurt people under my care. I'm not going to go over the how in what you did. There is no denying that you are in league with the Sons of the Harpy. But I'm not understanding why you would help them. It doesn't look like you lived an easy life while the slave masters were around."
"And you think you're better?" Vala scoffed. "How typical."
"Why do you think so?"
"You think that giving these slaves freedom, who didn't even know what that looked like, will make this world a better place? No," Vala shook her head. "There's more violence these days and I don't know if I will make it past the next day because of what you did."
"There was no guarantee that you would continue to survive while the slave masters were in power either," Daenerys pointed out. "Yes, what I did was something that no one had ever seen before and yes, there is still instability. But no one should have to live in chains. Whatever benefits the slaves will later benefit you."
"Not the way I see it," Vala denied her reasoning. "All I see is a queen who wants power and found a way to gain a lot of it by breaking those who were in power before her. By freeing slaves, you break the power of the slave masters and you are now in control. Rather I have many in power than just one, which is you."
Daenerys shook her head at that logic. "If you think that the slave masters used their power wisely, then you are more of a fool than I thought you were."
"I'm not done," Vala added. "These new freedmen… there is an order to things, and you disrupted it. And I cannot tell the difference between those who were free before and those who were free now."
"Is that why you did this? Because you didn't like it that you couldn't tell who were slaves, and who were not?" Daenerys asked pointedly.
"My life was hard before, I admit that. But you made it more difficult for me. I can't even feed my child that well because there is just too much of those who want food," Vala included.
"Oh, we know about your child. It must've been hard for you two," Daenerys stared down at her.
Vala's eyes widened. "What have you done to him?"
"Nothing," Daario told her. "But on my command, he will be harmed."
"That won't be necessary, Daario," Daenerys shook her head. "I hope you realize the situation you are in. You're going to die because the consequences must follow. But whether or not you want your son provided for will be dependent on what you have to say to me. I need to know who the Harpy is, and who's supporting him. If you tell me that, your son will be safe and I'll make sure that he'll live a good life. It's your choice."
Vala gulped and blinked rapidly. Sighing in resignation, she nodded. "Okay. I can't tell you who the Harpy is because I never actually met him in person. But I do know who is supporting him. I just hope that you're prepared for what I have to say."
"Well, that's a start," Daenerys relaxed.
Vala told her that the slave masters of Yunkai, Astapor, and Volantis were funding the Sons of the Harpy, and that the Volantene tigers were ready to send troops and a fleet to Slaver's Bay since Daenerys' actions would threaten them eventually. She, along with Daario and Tyrion, were shocked, as the conspiracy was much larger than they had anticipated.
"But that's not all. There are rumors that the Harpies will support the one called "Young Griff," who has the Golden Company at his back. They plan to replace you and appoint your supposed nephew in your place, provided that he return things back to normal," Vala finished.
Daenerys groaned, while hiding her distress at the situation turning. So, this is what they're planning. I have to face my supposed nephew sooner than I thought. She wasn't sure on fighting "Young Griff," nephew or not, but this wasn't something that she could ignore. She knew that she had prepare accordingly.
But first, she had to punish Vala as promised. "Vala. I, Daenerys of House Targaryen, First of My Name, Breaker of Chains and Mother of Dragons, sentence you to die." She turned to Rhaegal and Viserion. "Dracarys."
Vala closed her eyes as both of them unleashed their flames onto her. There was no screaming on her part, just silence as she was turned into ash.
Rubbing both of their snouts, she turned to Daario and Tyrion.
"Get as many men who could fight. We need to be ready when our enemies come on our doorstep," Daenerys commanded them.
"As you wish," Daario affirmed before running off to issue her orders.
"What do you plan on doing with the new threats? With the forces we have now, we might not be able to hold against the Harpies, the slave masters, the Volantenes, Young Griff, and the Golden Company all at once," Tyrion stated.
"We have to buy time," Daenerys answered. "I'll have to tell Daeron that he needs to hurry."
"It might be a while before he can come here. Even so, whatever he brings might not be enough," Tyrion added.
Daenerys sighed. As she walked through the Great Pyramid and thought about how she could buy time, she tried to reach out to him. Please, Daeron. We need you here. I need you.
Robb accidentally bumped into a Volantene, who cursed at him in High Valyrian, a tongue he couldn't understand. But he scurried away as soon as he saw Grey Wind growl at him. "It's okay, boy," he rubbed his neck.
After first arriving at Tyrosh, he looked around for any word on the Company of the Rose from the Tyroshi and the captain of the ship. However, no one had seen the sellsword company made up of northmen descendants on the island or in nearby Myr. But after drinking some ale, he happened upon a couple of sellswords who were discussing their business in the common tongue and they mentioned something about the Company of the Rose on contract in Volantis. Approaching them, Robb asked, "Good sers, might I trouble you with some word on the Company of the Rose?" As they were sellswords, he slipped them two gold dragons and paid for their drinks.
Obliged, the sellswords told him that the Company of the Rose was currently commanded by a northern exile, a man by the name of Cayn Moss, their Captain-General. House Moss, a minor house, he thought. Although not as large as the Golden Company, the Company of the Rose comprised of five thousand men and they didn't break a contract, were well-equipped, and experienced in heavy combat.
Before Robb left to find another ship to Volantis, one of the sellswords told him, "If I were you, I would also look for the Wolf Pack. They might be crazy fuckers, but they number three thousand men and are the types you want on your side. Since you're a northmen, they might be more amenable to you than others."
Robb only heard a few words about the Wolf Pack. Founded by Hallis Hornwood and Timotty Snow in the aftermath of the Dance of the Dragons and the collapse of the Triarchy, it was the only other free company operating in Essos that consisted chiefly of northmen and their descendants. "I'll take that into consideration. Thank you, good ser."
And here he was, in the most notable of the Free Cities and looking upon the famed Black Walls, where only those of the Old Blood were allowed in. Where Talisa's family originated from.
Robb had no time to mourn her while he was on the run, but after Lord Royce granted him shelter at his hunting lodge, he spent most of his days crying and cursing himself for all of the deaths that happened because of him. Countless northmen, Lord Karstark's sons and then him, and now the ones that were corpses at the Twins. He had to watch Talisa die, Wendel Manderly sacrifice himself so that he could escape, and he dreaded thinking about his mother. If she managed to stay alive for only a moment, the Freys and the Boltons would have killed her to silence her and anyone else that might have contradicted their claim of killing me.
Yohn Royce told him that his uncle Edmure Tully was a prisoner after his bedding of Roslin Frey, the Freys were made Lord Paramounts of the Riverlands and granted all of the Tully lands, and the Boltons were raised as Lord Paramount and Warden of the North while receiving all of the Stark lands. It hurt his heart to know that his home was occupied by the enemy, but as Lord Royce pointed out, there was nothing he could do. And if he reemerged, he would only end up dead. Wendel would have died for nothing if that happened.
Grief for his wife and mother turned to rage, and he was tempted to go all the way to King's Landing and fight his way to the Red Keep, but he quickly put that thought away once he realized how ridiculous that sounded. Then rage turned to hopelessness. I was a king and I led armies into battle, to victory, but that wasn't enough as it shows. His father never taught him how to deal with futility, as he seriously doubted that his and his father's situation were the same.
Finally, Robb accepted his new circumstances thanks to Yohn Royce's words and his father's friend gave him a reason to continue. It would be dishonorable if he wasted Lord Royce's gold if he didn't use it for its intended purpose and Robb remembered his words on how hardship could define who he could be as a man. And he did promise to come back with men. I'm not going to leave this city until I find and recruit the Company of the Rose, no matter how painful that will be to me.
Walking along the Long Bridge, where he was struck by how well-made it was over a river as powerful as the Rhoyne and how much shops lined it, Robb struggled to brush off those who tried to sell things to him, things that he didn't need. Them speaking certainly mostly High Valyrian certainly didn't help matters, as he couldn't understand one word of what they were saying. As he walked towards the center, he saw many pairs of hands and many heads displayed on pikes. Must be some local trouble. Not going to trouble myself with it.
Many eyed Grey Wind with some alarm, as they had never seen a direwolf before. And Robb tied Ice to his back, keeping a strong grip on the straps. Then, he glanced around and noticed two men looking and following him. They've been following me since the docks, he thought with alarm.
But Robb had the good sense to not run, as they were locals and they would find him again. Looking up, he looked at the famed Temple of the Lord of Light and figured that they wouldn't try to harm him near a holy sight. If they are as pious as those who follow the Seven, I should be fine.
As he finally stepped off the Long Bridge and neared the temple, Robb recalled all that he knew of the Temple of the Lord of Light. The date of its construction was not known, but the temple was an enormity of pillars, steps, buttresses, bridges, domes, and towers flowing into one another as if they had all been chiseled from one colossal rock. It was indeed many times larger than the Great Sept of Baelor, although Robb had never seen that before. He also saw a hundred hues of red, yellow, gold, and orange meet and meld in the temple walls, dissolving one into the other like clouds at sunset. Even with this splendor, it still doesn't beat the heart tree at Winterfell. For a brief second, he missed home.
Upon finding a fountain and passing by many red priestesses who preached in front of the Temple, he untied Ice and unsheathed it while Grey Wind drank from the fountain. Scratching his direwolf's head, Robb turned around and readied himself, but he was surprised to see ten men encircling him. They were all dressed in armor and had tattoos of every kind on their face. From what Talisa told him, freeborn Volantenes tattoo themselves to show off their prowess in battle and their individual exploits, but Robb couldn't really understand what each of them meant.
"You from Westeros, stranger?" one of them asked in the common tongue while stepping forward. By now, a small crowd was forming around them. Robb nodded. "You from its northern kingdom?" He nodded again. "What's your creature's name?"
"Grey Wind," he answered.
"So… you are Robb Stark, formerly King in the North?"
Robb gulped. He couldn't deny it, as that man clearly knew what to ask and already had a strong idea of what Grey Wind was. The direwolf rumbled, sensing the threat.
"How did you know?" Robb kept his grip on Ice.
"We had some idea on who you were the moment your ship docked. I'm afraid you'll have to come with us," the man told him.
"I'm very sorry, but I have important business to attend to. Can you tell whoever sent you that I am… unavailable?" Robb tried to talk his way out, even though that was his first time doing so in front of strangers.
"I wish I could. But no one turns down the invitation of Triarch Maegyr."
"Maegyr?" Robb was stunned. "You mean… Malaquo Maegyr?"
"Exactly. Please follow us. He told us not to harm you and to bring you to him. But if you remain uncooperative…"
Robb was very nervous. He didn't expect to be approached by Talisa's powerful uncle, who was the patriarch of one of the most influential families in Volantis. Whatever he wants with me, it can't be good. "My direwolf comes with me."
The man bobbed his head, accepting his condition, before escorting him away from the Temple and towards the Black Walls.
Robb was struck by the profound differences between Volantis within the Black Walls and the city outside of it. Talisa told him that the Black Walls protected a literal labyrinth of palaces, courtyards, towers, temples, cloisters, bridges, and cellars. She also said that the Black Walls were a great oval of fused black dragonstone, harder than steel or diamond, built two hundred feet high by the Valyrian Freehold while it reigned supreme. It protected the oldest part of the city on the eastern shore, often called Old Volantis, and they were wide enough for six four-horse chariots to race around its top abreast, which happened every year to celebrate the founding of the city.
Many inside the Black Walls keep the old gods of Valyria. Courtesy of Talisa, Robb recognized shrines to the gods that his deceased wife described, which included: Arrax, the ruler of the gods, law, order, justice, governance and strength, Balerion, the god of death and of the underworld, Meleys, the goddess of love and fertility, Meraxes, goddess of the sky, Caraxes, god of the sea and twin of Meraxes, Vhagar, god of war, and Tessarion, goddess of music, arts, knowledge, healing, plague, prophecy, poetry, beauty, and archery. Talisa told him that those of the Old Blood weren't exactly devout to the gods of Valyria, but they only worshipped because it further tied them to old Valyria, while those outside of the Black Walls worshipped R'hllor. Just like the Faith in a way, Robb thought.
After passing by many palaces that looked similar to each other, the group turned towards a very large manse, which dwarfed Winterfell by several proportions. Passing by the many hallways and chambers, they came to the largest one, where an old man was flanked by six female slaves lying on his side on a couch.
Talisa had told Robb about her uncle only once. Besides being an old man, Malaquo Maegyr had no teeth left, but he was still just as potent and eager for conflict as in his prime. Although he was bitter enemies to the more peaceful elephants, the sellswords at Tyrosh had whispered that the actions of Daenerys Targaryen in liberating the slaves had sent shockwaves throughout the Free Cities and anyone who owned slaves suffered losses. And he even tried to hire the Golden Company to suppress the followers of R'hllor, since they were preaching for Daenerys, only to find that they were already under contract somewhere else. So, this is the man that made Talisa leave her home because they didn't agree on slavery.
The old man gestured for Robb to sit down while sipping his goblet. "Welcome… King in the North."
"I am afraid I don't have that title anymore," Robb made clear that he had accepted his new place.
"Do you know who I am?"
"You are Malaquo Maegyr, one of the three triarchs of Volantis and the leader of the tiger party," Robb answered.
"Very good," Malaquo was impressed. "How did you know that?"
"I was married to your niece, Talisa," Robb hesitated.
"Right. The ill-fated union," Malaquo sighed in sadness. "I don't blame you for marrying her. She was a beautiful woman. The ones who are at fault are the ones who butchered her so mercilessly. You have no idea how long my brother and goodsister mourned her."
"I am sorry that I couldn't protect her," Robb apologized.
"You are right to place the blame on yourself, since a man should protect his family and you haven't done," Malaquo spoke cruelly. "Although… that same charge could be made against me also, since I didn't try hard to make her stay. But what's done is done."
Now I see why Talisa never really talked about you. You don't really miss her, Robb thought angrily.
"Enough about memories. What brings you here to our great city?" Malaquo inquired.
"I have business to attend to, which your men rudely interrupted," Robb said.
"What kind of business does the King in the North, I'm sorry, former, have in Volantis?"
Robb exhaled. "I am looking for sellswords to hire."
"Which company do you refer to?" Malaquo sat up fully.
"The Company of the Rose, for starters."
"Ah, the northerner descendants," Malaquo recognized. "Well, I will be happy to tell you that they are currently here in this city."
"That's why I'm here in the first place."
"But… they are currently under contract for someone of the Old Blood and you should have a basic understanding that contracts for sellsword companies cannot be broken unless one of the parties defaulted on payment or service," Malaquo revealed.
Robb nodded. "That much I understood."
"Unless of course you have the coin necessary to buy out their contract and hire them into your service."
"I have enough coin to accomplish that," Robb told him.
"That maybe the case, but you are a Stark and a descendant of Torrhen Stark, the very king that made them go into exile in the first place. You really think that they're going to work for you?"
"How I persuade is none of your concern."
"I'm afraid it is," Malaquo leaned forward. "You come into my city as a fugitive from Westeros. And you were married to my niece, who I am obliged to exact my family's vengeance onto anyone that hurt her, which would include you."
"I thought that you said that you didn't blame me," Robb became uneasy.
"You did marry her, which got her killed. And the fact that you're here looking for sellswords to hire means you are trying to fight again. The question I have to ask is who you are fighting? Volantis is making its own preparations for war and we don't need those who could potentially fight against us," Malaquo explained to him.
Robb sighed. "With the sellswords that I have, I plan to go back to Westeros. I have family who need me, and I cannot allow them to wallow in despair. And you are right in that I do have responsibility in Talisa's death, but I don't intend on letting those who had a more direct hand in her demise remain free from punishment. They killed my father, my wife, and my unborn child, so I have more reason to avenge her death than you do."
Malaquo narrowed his eyes at the Young Wolf, trying to see the sincerity in his words. But also hearing that Starks were bad at lying, he leaned back, satisfied.
"Very well. I will give you the name of the person who hired the Company of the Rose. If you hire them, then I would like for you to leave Volantis. Go back to your home and try to retake it, if you can."
Robb nodded, but he also hid his irritation at the toothless tiger. "Thank you."
Leaving the manse with Grey Wind following him, Robb wanted to leave the Black Walls as soon as possible, even though Malaquo told him that he could come back and only needed to mention his name. Maybe this is why my father struggled at King's Landing. How can you deal with those who for too long thought themselves above others?
Once Robb found and hired the Company of the Rose, he was going to leave Volantis as soon as he could. Maybe I could find the Wolf Pack if I have the time and know where to look.
As he finally exited the Black Walls, he bumped into an older man, who dropped a chest as a result.
"Oh, I am so sorry," Robb moved to pick up the chest, only the man to wave him away.
"It's all right, good ser. And please don't touch anything. I have the greyscale."
Robb immediately stepped back, not wanting to contract the disease, but he also got a good look at the man. Dressed like a sellsword with red-wolf skin cloak, he had blue hair, but his eyebrows and beard were red. He could also see in his eyes that this was a man experienced with the hardships of life, and he saw that his hand was indeed infected with the greyscale.
Picking up the chest, the blue-haired man looked at Robb with curiosity. "Are you from Westeros?"
"Yes. You appear to be so," Robb told him.
"That's a mighty big wolf you have there," the blue-haired man pointed to Grey Wind. "Where did you get it?"
"It was a gift," Robb answered.
"What brings a man from Westeros into the Black Walls?" the blue-haired man asked.
"I was invited. What about you?"
"So am I, although I've been invited more than you have," the blue-haired man noted. "Well, I must be off now. What's your name, good ser?"
Although Malaquo knew his real name, Robb didn't trust anyone else with it. "Brandon. Brandon Rivers," he thought of his dead uncle and didn't want to reveal his northern origins.
The blue-haired man nodded, as if those names meant something to him. "Well met, Brandon. Good to see another Westerosi all the way."
"What's your name, if I might ask?"
"Griff," the blue-haired man turned on his heels and walked deeper into old Volantis.
"Griff… strange name," Robb thought aloud as he and Grey Wind exited the Black Walls and moved towards the one who had the services of the Company of the Rose.
But as he moved to the other side of the Long Bridge, he didn't notice two red priestesses watching him closely. He got their attention the moment he was at that fountain, and his direwolf only confirmed their suspicions.
"He has no idea how much danger he's in," Kinvara talked to the other priestess. "He must live, as the Lord of Light wills."
"What do you want me to do?" the other priestess asked.
"Follow him. Keep watch and make sure that no one tries to harm him. But also maintain your distance, as he's not in a position to understand what is happening," Kinvara commanded.
"It will be done. What about the one they call Aegon Targaryen and the Golden Company?"
"The Lord of Light wants Daenerys Targaryen to succeed. We'll find a way to help steer things towards that resolution," Kinvara said.
"And the tigers? They're not going to stop trying to kill us, and they're already planning to attack Meereen," the other priestess pointed out.
"With strength exerted elsewhere comes weakness nearby," Kinvara stated cryptically. "We will wait until that occurs."
Walking back to her sanctuary, Kinvara looked into the flames one more time. Afterwards, she pulled out a glass candle and watched it burn, which began ever since the dragons returned. Whispering an invocation, she heard the voice of someone that she hadn't heard from in many decades.
"Kinvara," came the voice of Ardroon.
"Good to hear your voice again, Ardroon," Kinvara greeted the shadow man. "I think the time has come for the next step. You have kept watch over Daeron Targaryen?"
"Close watch. He hasn't noticed me yet," came the response from the other end.
"Get into position. What I've seen will come to pass. You know what to do."
"I do," Ardroon affirmed. "I'll let you know when it's been done."
"May the Lord of Light protect you, old friend."
"You, too."
Kinvara sat down and closed her eyes in thought. Your will is everything, but we are not infallible. Please let your will and ours be one in the coming moons, she prayed.
Margaery walked through the gardens of the Red Keep, having grown used to people addressing her as "Your Grace" and become accustomed to her new station as queen.
But today, Margaery noticed a certain change in the air. It can't have been from Joffrey, she thought.
With each passing day, his flaws had compounded. He started drinking in large quantities and spent most of his days with whores, while he wasn't present at most small council meetings. Just like his father. If people didn't see him fit for kingship before, they certainly see it now, Margaery scoffed.
After they were married and the bedding came, she lied back and prepared herself for what he would do, dreading that Joffrey would treat her the same way as Sansa Stark, who went missing after Tommen died. But the most unexpected thing happened. Joffrey couldn't get his cock up for some reason after he pulled down his breeches and he must've drunk too much wine, for he fell asleep on the bed before he did anything else. She could clearly remember that she breathed a huge sigh of relief.
The moons that followed showed to her that the only reason Joffrey remained king was because Tywin and Cersei were the only ones propping him up, alongside Ser Kevan and Pycelle. And judging from the looks on their faces, Joffrey's habits of drinking and whoring were not anything new that they just resigned themselves for another Robert Baratheon. I don't know if the rumors of his parentage are true, but he sure is acting like the fat stag.
Margaery showed up at the Small Council chambers, where her father, Cersei, Tywin, Kevan, Pycelle, Qyburn, and Prince Oberyn were already seated. Receiving the usual glare from Cersei, she took her seat and the Small Council started their business.
The first matter to be discussed was the letter from Roose Bolton requesting assistance from the crown regarding the wildlings breaching the Wall.
"Why should we even listen to that turncoat?" Cersei exclaimed. "He's our Warden of the North. Whatever happens in that ice waste doesn't concern us."
"That's true, Your Grace, but the strength of the northmen has weakened in the aftermath of Robb Stark's rebellion and thus, they don't have the manpower to deal with one hundred thousand wildlings," Kevan answered.
"If we ignore the request of one of our subordinates, the word of the crown will not mean much in the future and thus, people will have other ideas that will harm all of us here," Tywin told her before turning to Qyburn. "What have your little birds have to say about the wildling threat?"
"My little birds have been rather silent regarding that area and the reports have been murky, Lord Hand," the former maester answered him. "But I will agree that whether or not these are trained fighters, one hundred thousand wildlings breaching the Wall is something that we can't afford to ignore. And should the Boltons be weakened, the North will be in danger of collapse and will inevitably threaten the south."
"Kevan, how many men can we muster to assist Lord Bolton if he asks again?" Tywin asked his brother.
"I'd say about fifteen thousand from the west, as we cannot take from our commitments elsewhere. I will have to ask Lord Frey if he can spare troops also, as he is tied to the fate of the Boltons no matter what happens."
"Do that. And remind him that we can unmake him as easily as we did," Tywin commanded. "Lord Mace, I trust that we can rely on the Reach should the threat become more serious?"
"Yes, Lord Hand," Mace nodded. "However, I doubt that the wildlings will advance very far."
"Still, we must be prepared for every eventuality. But for now, we'll see how Lord Bolton handles the situation. Perhaps the wildlings will kill him for us before he sends for help again. Rids us of another turncoat," Tywin moved on to the next order of business.
Throughout the small council meetings, it was usually Tywin that gave the orders and directed all of the topics. Despite being Lord Paramount of the Reach, Mace was very weak and unsuited for the rigors of politics.
And what Margaery really fearful was when Loras told her that Tywin knew about his liaison with Olyvar, but he stopped Cersei from exposing him. When Loras asked what he wanted, Tywin stood up, commanded Loras to kneel, and said, "Your unwavering, unquestioning loyalty."
Margaery calmed down her brother and hugged him. "Just play along, Loras. Be a good servant to Tywin, as he will kill you the moment that he doesn't see you as useful. But I'll protect you also. I'll make sure of it."
The next order of business was the continuing rebellion of the stormlands. "How is your son doing regarding the stormlords?" Tywin turned once again to Mace Tyrell.
"Garlan has reported continued difficulty getting them to heel. Even though Stannis Baratheon might have lost at the Blackwater Bay, retreating to Storm's End was probably the smartest thing he had done, as he is on his power base," Mace explained.
Tywin nodded, as the head of House Tyrell made a sensible comment for once. "Kevan, does our commanders' reports match what Lord Garlan has said?"
Kevan bobbed his head. "Very much. While they can't get through Nightsong, our troops have been continuing to struggle in the kingswood. We only got as far as the northern bank of the Wendwater and they've dug deep on the southern bank."
Despite being encircled, Stannis Baratheon had caused much trouble for the crown and had used the geography of the stormlands to maximum advantage. The Red Mountains and the Dornish Marches protected from the west and south, while the kingswood and Wendwater protected his northern approach.
"Why hasn't Lord Paxter been able to bring down his ships to bear?" Tywin turned once again to Mace.
"Lord Hand, you asked for as many ships as he could spare, but he needs as much as he can retain to fight the ironborn reaving against our lands," Mace mentioned. The small council were aware of the ironborn seizing parts of the Shield Islands and the Reachmen along any point of access by water were on alert.
With the Lannister and Tyrell bannermen stretched, Tywin turned to Oberyn, which he found distasteful given their conversation when he arrived in King's Landing. "Prince Oberyn. Can Prince Doran spare some Dornishmen to fight against Stannis? We do have an agreement through my granddaughter."
Cersei shook her head at Myrcella being in Sunspear, but everyone ignored what she thought.
"Given that Dorne has remained out of your War of Five Kings, we are in a position to provide fresh troops. But they will only do so if they feel threatened by Stannis Baratheon," Oberyn answered.
"Surely, Stannis threatens us all. If he is still alive, House Martell will be in peril due to Princess Myrcella being tied to Trystane," Pycelle pointed out.
"Whatever strength he can muster is focused against the rest of you, not at the Boneway or the Prince's Pass," Oberyn answered. "You'll have to offer more compelling reasons for any Dornishmen to fight against the stormlanders, even though we have traditional animosity towards them from centuries of warfare."
"All right," Tywin was willing to hear Oberyn out. "What does Dorne, and your brother, require from us that we haven't already given?"
"I believe I speak for my brother, and in fact all of us here, that wars are costly in coin and blood. There must be a fair exchange of both before one Dornishman bears arms alongside you lot," Oberyn outlined.
"Ridiculous," Cersei scoffed. "You expect us to pay you while you currently have my daughter in your family's bed? I knew you were rash, but this is-"
"Done," Tywin interrupted. "Have your brother send us the costs and we'll see what we can do."
"Thank you, Lord Hand," Oberyn gave a smirk to Cersei, with even Margaery amused.
The most serious order of the business, more than the continued haggling from the Iron Bank regarding the crown's debt, came when they discussed the Targaryens in Essos.
"If the rumors are true, we have four dragons to deal with and their angry riders when they come back to Westeros," Pycelle stated.
"My little birds have told me that there was an uprising against her rule in Meereen and she had disappeared on her dragon before they could kill her," Qyburn added. "If she is smart, she'll have realized the futility of ending slavery and not come back. What's more, Meereen is under the regency of Tyrion and he's not guaranteed to last long."
Tywin, Cersei, and Kevan's faces darkened at the mention of his name.
"But that will leave two more potential Targaryens, both of them male and thus more potent," Mace stated. "And even if we could find some way to deal with one of them, that leaves the other. And this Daeron Targaryen is east of the Bone Mountains, way beyond the reach of any in this room."
"Not exactly," Qyburn answered.
"Do you have a solution to our problem?" Tywin turned to him.
"We can contact the Faceless Men and have them send someone after either the one calling himself Aegon or Daeron. But I must remind that with more distance comes more cost."
Tywin thought about that for a moment. "We'll talk later on that."
After the small council adjourned, Margaery observed Prince Oberyn. For someone who had a closer connection to the Targaryens than anyone else in the room, he was strangely calm about the mention of Daenerys, Daeron, and his supposed nephew.
"Something on your mind, Prince Oberyn?" Margaery asked.
"Just thinking about the Targaryens. Either it's an insulting mummery or the cruelest trick the gods played on my family."
But Margaery paid close attention to his words. She expected more emotions from him, but he kept them back, which was something that he normally wouldn't do. And that concerned her.
"Do you know something, Prince Oberyn? Something that you haven't told the Small Council?" Margaery asked.
But Oberyn stood up from his seat. "Just talking about it rubs salt on the wound. Your Grace," he bowed before he saw himself out.
He evaded the question. There's something else going on, she thought.
Margaery told her grandmother what she observd from Prince Oberyn, as well as the other matters. "Hiring the Faceless Men to kill one or all of the supposed dragon pretenders is something only Tywin would do if he was really desperate," Olenna told her. "But considering that he has more immediate problems to deal with, I doubt he would do that."
"But won't it be unwise if Tywin ignored the threat from Essos? He wouldn't have the Mountain kill children if he didn't regard them as threats," Margaery posed.
"One of the things that Tywin is good at is waiting. He didn't throw his strength against the Mad King until after Rhaegar fell at the Trident. And he didn't approach us until after Renly died. He's going to wait and see how the Targaryen situation transforms," Olenna responded.
"Besides Tywin, what really made it strange was how Prince Oberyn reacted. I expected him to be more sensitive about the Targaryens given their history, but he was quiet," Margaery brought up.
Olenna thought about this. "It could be possible that he is privy to his brother's plans. After all, Doran Martell did say that he wanted one of his sons to marry Daenerys Targaryen and that could be why Oberyn was not expressive about it."
"Maybe," Margaery acceded. "But I get the feeling that something else is going on. It is known that Doran and Oberyn do not always see eye to eye, and Oberyn wasn't really concerned about power."
"I'll have someone look into it. But on another matter. How is Loras doing?"
"He's afraid," Margaery admitted. "I never seen him so scared of anyone before, and he trembles at the very mention of Tywin."
Olenna sighed in sympathy. "As cruel as this may sound, it's good thing that Loras is not the only son of House Tyrell. And I was tempted to have him return to Highgarden as soon as I heard of what Tywin did, but it's better to have him near us than away. At the very least, Tywin knows he can't hurt Loras or our alliance will be broken."
"Even though I did want to be queen, this alliance between our houses is becoming more troublesome with each day, especially with Joffrey on the throne," Margaery groaned.
"Not all alliances are meant to be perfect. But we have the advantage because Tywin needs us. And I'm just waiting for the day that he makes his first big mistake, or Joffrey. Once they do, we can start finding alliances elsewhere. Since you still have your maidenhead, you can easily get out of the marriage when the time comes," Olenna assessed.
Margaery didn't like the idea of surrendering her crow but given that Tommen was dead and Joffrey was left, there were no good options.
"What about Cersei? It's only because of Tywin that she hasn't done anything serious against us?"
"There is a man who calls himself 'a man of the people', one they call the High Sparrow," Olenna revealed. "Maybe we should see how he would react when I tell him of the rumors regarding Cersei."
Margaery took a moment to know her meaning. "Ah," Margaery finally understood. "True or not, the Faith will be in an uproar regarding incest."
Olenna smiled. "Let's see how that will turn out. We may yet damage the Lannisters without raising our own hands."
A/N: Sam's meeting with May's parents went as well as it went. But they're not going to let strict parents stop them.
Khiara is now making her own preparations and who nows how exactly she'll respond? The song is A-mei's "Autosadism" (not an inspiring title, but I'd recommend it)
I felt that Vala had a BS fate in S6, so I gave the fate that she deserved. On the other hand, Dany will now have to face multiple threats. Can she meet them? And she's even more confused about who Rhaenys really is.
Robb just met Malaquo, who I made Talisa's uncle, and then JonCon. Oh, boy. Whatever Kinvara has concocted, it better be soon and helpful to the dragons. I told you that we'll the shadow man that Jon ran into again.
And here, we have our first King's Landing scene. Why did Prince Oberyn act that way? (He's not dead, like Ser Barristan, both of whom were wasted characters). With Tywin alive but Joffrey in control, it's a struggle. I added more references from the books. And I figured that given Joffrey's personality, that's the only way he would act. And hopefully, Olenna's plan doesn't backfire. Also, Stannis doesn't head north because there's no point without Jon and with the wildlings through the wall. However, him remaining at Storm's End will reveal another angle of the larger plot at play.
To speed things along, I had the Harpy Rebellion happen and now Dany's disappeared. Where will she end up is the next important question.
Hope you guys enjoyed!
