158 AC, King's Landing
The Hand of the King
Viserys sighed from his position on the Iron Throne as yet another petitioner came forth to present their case before the Crown. Viserys had excused himself from the judgements a few hours past, preferring to let the Justicar deal with the petitioners. The Master of Laws himself was also not present. Benjicot Blackwood had conferred his title of Justicar upon his man, Ser Olvyar Grey. It was a very curious decision, but one the King had no qualms about and Viserys let it be.
The Master of Laws himself was spending most of his time with the Prince. Viserys would have liked to believe that they were discussing matters pertaining to the invasion of Dorne, but he knew better. The Lord of Raventree Hall had seen the change in the air. The King was dying and the Grandmaester could not even give him a few more years. The Grandmaester professed that the King had enough time to set right his affairs in this mortal plane, but it all too short for Viserys.
Viserys was sure that Blackwood was spending all of that time trying to get in the good graces of Daeron. He had his young daughter brought to the capital, ostensibly to serve as a lady-in-waiting for Princess Daena. Viserys had seen through the ruse in an instant. He had lived through Titus Peake's schemes to put a crown on his daughter's head. He knew how to spot such men. Yet, Blackwood was the first of the Small Council, besides Alyn Velaryon who had gone over to the Prince and that carried a not insignificant weight to it.
It had rankled Viserys that he was the last to be included in this scheme of theirs. But, Viserys was not blind to the problems that plagued their realm nor was he blind to the role his brother had played in the development of such matters. And, yet he did not believe that answering those problems with war was the correct route to take. But the realm clamoured for it, the lords ever hungry for glory on the field. The Marcher lords were already preparing for war and Viserys feared it would let the Dornish know of their intentions prematurely. Viserys shook his head in an effort to clear his head of these thoughts and turned his attention to the next petitioner.
The next petitioner came forth, Lord Rennifer Byrch. He had been in the capital for at least a few weeks now and he brought his case against the Lord Boremund Bywater whom he accused of encroaching upon his lands and stealing his cattle. It was a tedious affair. Ser Olyvar looked to Viserys on what to do next. Viserys nodded, satisfied. It appeared as if the knight had not let his newfound position bring ideas of grandeur into his head.
"My lord hand!" Byrch addressed Viserys, "A grave injustice had been done! And beneath the King's own eyes, no less! Bywater has overstepped his bounds, my lord, and he now resorts to common thievery like brigands and bandits. The grasping fool that he is, he has also encroached upon my lands, passed to me by my father and to him by his own father for long even before the Conquest. I ask you to pass judgement and set this injustice to rights at once."
Bywater who was also in attendance drew himself up in indignation. He looked to Viserys who motioned for him to speak.
"I see no fool but the one standing in front of you, my lord hand! The lands are mine by rights and his own father stole them from me, sensing opportunity during the Dance. Do not trust this snake, my lord. His own uncle abandoned your mother when he was to escort her to Duskendale," Bywater said.
Byrch looked truly angry now. "How dare you! My uncle died protecting the Queen. You were the first to go over to the Usurper when her Grace, the Queen had to flee from the capital," he thundered. Spittle flew from his mouth and his movements were jerky, his face red. Viserys feared that if this were to go on, the Lord Byrch's heart would give out and he held up a hand for peace. Byrch stopped his diatribe, calming down. Viserys stood up and addressed the Hall.
"This is a very sensitive matter and as such a decision cannot be taken lightly. If either of you has any proofs to present before the Crown, bring them tomorrow and we shall give your concerns due consideration. That will be all," Viserys said and walked down the Throne and out of the Hall, a knight of the Kingsguard following him.
Viserys walked to where he knew the Prince would be at this time of the day. The godswood was a secretive part of the Red Keep, with very few visitors. So, Daeron had taken it over and held his own court there. Daeron did not dictate the realm's policy yet, but in all other matters, he was already the King, at least to the members of the Small Council. Viserys's brother was now confined to his rooms and rarely attended the meetings to discuss matters of the state, health permitting and Daeron had taken the opportunity to shore up his influence in the Court, with Viserys's help.
Viserys reached the godswood, which had another knight of the Kingsguard keeping guard. He bowed and moved aside as Viserys approached. Viserys heard snippets of conversation as he made his way deeper inside.
"... the Bank of Oldtown would be a far better choice than the Iron Bank, my prince. It will show them that their crimes in bringing about the Dance have been forgiven and we will not be indebting ourselves to a foreign power," Viserys heard Blackwood say.
"But surely we are not an enemy of Braavos? They have no cause to turn against us and have given no such sign of their inclination," Velaryon said. Viserys did not know if he was being contrary to Blackwood on purpose or if he still held something against The Hightowers after so long. Then, Ser Robert Darklyn spoke.
"I have reliable sources claim that an envoy of Dorne has been a regular guest of the Sealord for the past year. And our own envoy has been turned out of his quarters in Braavos, sometime around last year. Ostensibly, it was due to him being implicated in some Braavosi crime and they sent him back home, but I know Ser Daryl Waynwood personally. He is a most loyal and honourable man. He would not do anything to besmirch the name of the King whom he had been sent to represent. This reeks of a plot, my prince."
Viserys finally reached them. The lords of the Small Council rose for Viserys and he joined them, sitting on a fallen trunk just the others. Daeron sat on a stump, while they arranged themselves in a semicircle around him. It was a crude gathering, but one indicative of Daeron's growing influence, if the lords were willing to sit around like children playing some game for Daeron's sake.
"What of the First Sword? Does my son not maintain a close friendship with him? If anything significant has happened to sour our relationship with Braavos, we would be able to find out," Viserys said.
"Well, what I know beyond any doubt is that something significant happened in Braavos, personally pertaining to the Sealord. And it appears that he has taken it as something done by us. I also know he has no way of directly blaming us for this and so he seeks other venues for recompense. If he was able to deal with the problem in the manner he saw fit, he would have done so already," Darklyn said.
"So, he suspects our hand in some plot but he is unable to prove it, then? And he has a culprit in mind? It could either be Ser Waynwood, who the Sealord believes to have acted in our stead or it could be our cousin, Aegon. Was he in Braavos at that time?" Daeron asked. Viserys felt a sort of resignation fill him. Even in exile, Aegon found some way to muddle affairs of the realm.
"Yes, my prince. Prince Aegon and the Stormbreakers had completed a contract for the Braavosi and the Sealord even threw a banquet in honour of their victory. The Stormbreakers did not stay for long after that either, they left quickly in search of other battlefields," Darklyn said.
"So, it cannot have been something of their doing. If what you say is true, they would barely have been in the city for enough time to hatch any plots," the Master of Coin, Lord Bryndemere Tarth said, addressing Darklyn.
The Evenstar was a recent addition to the Small Council and his position had lain vacant for quite a while. The King had not appointed a Master of Coin for a long time and Viserys looked after the responsibilities of that office. He had then appointed Lord Clement Celtigar to the position who had died a few moons back from the flux, of all things. The Evenstar was appointed to the position on Daeron's recommendation. Daeron had wanted the realm to know that the Crown's isolation was at an end and Viserys approved of that. The King himself approved too, if only because he believed that Daeron exerting influence on the court was a good thing.
"And the First Sword of Braavos? Will he provide information if we were to approach him?" Velaryon asked.
"Hmmm. It is difficult to say. There is one main problem with him right now. He's dead. I was told that he was found drowned in a canal and that it was apparently a suicide, but foul play can't be ruled out," Darklyn said. Viserys sighed and rubbed his forehead. The man had a flair for the dramatic and he liked to draw out his news to give it a punch. Viserys spoke.
"Does this mean he knew something? Perhaps something that implicated my son in any plot, false or otherwise? You believe he was silenced?" Viserys asked Darklyn.
"I believe nothing. We don't know much about the situation except for Braavos's hostility. I do think it would be prudent to enter into a formal alliance with the Lysene. They have their own designs on the Stepstones, which Dorne annexed after the Daughter's war. They clamour for vengeance against the Tyroshi. They have tasted victory against the Tyroshi once, thanks to your son and now they hunger for more," Darklyn said.
"Why hasn't war broken out between Tyrosh and Lys yet, then?" Blackwood asked. "Do they fear the interference of the other Free Cities so much. I heard tell of their initial victory on Tryosh, but they seem to have dawdled for years now. Do we want someone like that as allies?"
"Whatever might be the reason for their lack of advances, the fact still remains that Braavos would not allow any of the Daughters to gain further power. Correct me if I am wrong but Tyrosh remains one of Dorne's principal allies. If we were to attack Dorne, they would harass us and would be a thorn in our side which would distract us from fully subjugating the Dornish. So, we let the Lysene eat from the Tyroshi cake. Braavos would not interfere in the Daughter's were to fight each other. And if we promise Myr some of the Disputed Lands, we would get them on board too," Daeron said.
"Well put, my prince. But we still need to put our alliance with Lys to paper. Marrying the daughter of their First Magister to our Prince Aegon would go a long way in showing our commitment to the alliance," Blackwood said.
"I mean no offence to the Lord Hand when I speak of this but I feel that this must be said." The Evenstar said and looked carefully at Viserys before continuing, "When Prince Viserys married Larra Rogare, there were many in the realm who objected to such a match. They wished for their own daughter to wed the Prince then and being Lyseni and thus a foreigner had soured their view of the bride. I fear that the same would happen to Prince Aegon and his Lysene bride," the Evenstar said. Everyone around the clearing looked at Viserys in caution as if he would explode in anger at a perceived slight. Viserys was silent for a while and thought of what to say.
"The problems which my lady wife faced here in King's Landing were in part due to the obscene wealth of her family. Her brothers simply threw their money around to fix their problems and many of the lords who had come to the capital after the war felt as if they were exerting too much influence on my brother and me. And she was too foreign, I have to admit. She did not keep to the Seven and she did not know how to interact with the ladies at court. She did not have any ladies-in-waiting and it isolated her from the rest of the court. But of all these reasons, the worst was that she did not speak the Common Tongue and made no attempts to learn it. In my love for her, I let her do as she pleased and my youth blinded me to the effects of these actions. These mistakes won't be repeated with Aegon and his bride," Viserys said. The memory of Larra was still fresh in his mind even if it had been almost two decades since she left for Lys.
"Does this mean you approve of Aegon's match then, uncle?" Daeron asked.
"You have convinced me of the necessity of such a thing, my prince. Perhaps we may find other allies. Something other than Lys. But if that is what you wish for, I will not stand in your way. Let Aegon marry his Lyseni beauty," Viserys said.
"Well. That's settled then. Lord Alyn, I want you to go to Lys and oversee the marriage. You will represent the Crown this alliance and show the Lyseni that we have a vested interest in this union," Daeron said. Velaryon stood up and bowed. Viserys suddenly felt pride well up through him. His nephew was barely of age but he had a kingly disposition already.
"As you say, my prince. If you would excuse me now, I shall make my preparations immediately," Velaryon said. Daeron waved his assent and Velaryon gathered his cloak about him, prepared to leave.
"Take care to be discreet, Lord Alyn," Viserys said. "The bride's father may be the First Magister, but it would not do for us to overplay our hand and reveal our cards before we are ready. Let those at the marriage think that Aegon is being married to the First Magister's daughter on the basis of his exploits in Essos. I understand that he's made a name for himself, the Sellsword Prince or some such. As long as no word of this alliance goes out to Dorne, we will have the element of surprise."
Velaryon nodded and made his way out from the godswood. Viserys saw that Daeron had turned to Tarth to give him instructions on what to do.
"My Lord of Tarth, I need you to go to Oldtown. Speak with Lord Hightower and get the Bank of Oldtown to finance our war in Dorne at as low interest as they can give. Tell him about the riches of Sunspear. Convince him of this war's necessity and of his own profit, should he lend us the money. I wish to obligate him only if convincing them fails," Daeron said.
"Yes, my prince," Tarth said and stood up, bowing. He too left after making his excuses and Blackwood and Darklyn too stood up, perhaps sensing that the session was at an end. They made their own bows to Daeron and made their way out of the clearing. Once they were alone, Daeron turned to Viserys to speak.
"Uncle, I am going to see Aemon and Naerys. Will you accompany me? The Grandmaester said that her fever had broken yesterday. Perhaps she would be awake now," Daeron asked.
"Yes. Yes. Let us go. It has been some days since I saw her. Perhaps the day of the birth was when I saw her last. The Grandmaester deemed her condition too fragile and so I did not dare disturb her rest," Viserys said and they too left the godswood. The walk to Naerys's chambers was in heavy silence, her condition weighing on both of their minds.
"Aemon seemed very devastated when I saw him last. And Naerys was very ill and had a high fever. The Grandmaester said she had an infection then and that the birth had taken a huge toll on her," Daeron ventured, hoping to say something to break the sombre mood.
"He has lost his child and that is always tragic. Doubly so for the child was stillborn. I expected him to mourn for quite a while, but it has been near to three weeks and he shows no signs of getting better," Viserys said. It had also been a few weeks since he had seen Aemon. Aemon had sequestered himself within Naerys's chambers and refused come out, always staying by her side, holding her hand through her fever and praying at the shrine she had gotten constructed in her rooms.
"Even little Jaehaerys and Rhaenys were inconsolable. I visited the nursery a few times when Aemon was with Naerys. My little brother tries to cheer them up and Jaehaerys is receptive to him, but Rhaenys is just a baby and she does not understand. There is only so much the maids can do to cheer her up too, " Daeron said, speaking about his cousins.
"It is good that you take some time to visit your brother and cousins. These children, you, Aemon and Aegon, all of you are the future of our house. We must educate them in the right way, to ensure that the mistakes of the Dance are never repeated. Family comes first, Daeron. Remember that. There may come a day when I am no longer here and when you would have to take up the Throne and then it would fall upon you to take care of the family," Viserys said and smiled when he saw Daeron nod seriously.
The pair reached Naerys's chambers and a knight of the Kingsguard stood outside. He bowed as they passed through the doors. Deeper into the rooms they went until they were inside her bedchamber. A pair of maids were waiting should Naerys need anything but Viserys dismissed them, seeing as Naerys was still asleep. Aemon himself was slumped over in a chair and he too was fast asleep. Daeron went over to Aemon to wake him up while Viserys walked over to Naerys.
Naerys had always been slight and pale, but now she looked somehow paler if it was possible. Her skin was waxy and had an unhealthy pallor. She twitched in her sleep as if in a nightmare and Viserys's heart ached to see his daughter in this way. He put his hand to her forehead and, to his relief, she had no fever. The Grandmaester was right. It seemed that the worst had passed.
By then, Aemon had woken up and made his way over to where Viserys stood by Naerys's bed, Daeron at his side. Viserys then got a good look at Aemon for the first time in weeks. Aemon's clothes were soiled and dirty and he himself was unshaven and looked ridiculous with his patchy silvery beard.
"Aemon, come with me out of here, we need to speak. I do not wish to disturb Naerys," Viserys said and led him to the outer chamber. Aemon followed mutely, but even as he walked he lingered behind, his eyes going back towards Naerys.
"How do you feel?" Daeron asked once they were out of Naerys's earshot.
"Miserable. All of this is my fault. I should have known better. The last two births were very difficult for her. I wanted another child. I did not stop to think of what it would mean for her. It was foolish and I don't know what I would have done if she had...," Aemon said, trailing off, unable to think of the extreme. His voice was scratchy and Viserys sensed that he had been crying recently.
"Snap out of it, Aemon. All you are doing is letting your grief cloud your actions. You haven't come to our meetings in weeks and we needed you there. And even if we could have excused you from that, you've neglected your children. Did you even think of Jaehaerys and Rhaenys or did you just wallow around content to celebrate your grief?" Viserys asked. Seeing Aemon in this state, Viserys realized the problem was more serious than he had imagined.
"How dare you!? My wife lay dying and you speak to me of duty? What is this duty worth if Naerys is dead? What reward does it bring, if Naerys would not be by my side to taste the fruits of my labour? And you bring my children into it? You who have failed Aegon and turned him away from us?" Aemon exploded, his frustrations over the course of the past few weeks boiling over.
"Silence. Do not speak of what you do not know. Do you think I do not love my children? Did you think I was happy when Aegon had to leave? What is done is done. It does you no favours to shout at me. I had in mind a special task for you, which we had to entrust to less competent hands now," Viserys said, his own anger barely in check.
"And what is this special task which I am uniquely suited for? Impress some more Marcher lords with my martial prowess? Convince the Vale lords of the necessity of our war? I have done all that and more," Aemon said, his anger ebbing away, but the sparks of it still lit.
"No. We needed you to go to Oldtown and speak with Hightower. The bank is led by Hightower in name but in truth, your Lyseni uncle is in charge of the operation. Financing a war is a sensitive matter and your presence would have smooth things out with both Hightower and your uncle," Viserys explained.
"Don't worry about it Aemon. I have entrusted the Master of Coin with that task. But Naerys is better now. And we have agreed on Aegon's marriage with the Lyseni princess. You could accompany Lord Alyn on his visit there to oversee the wedding. Take some time away from here and when you get back, Naerys should be as healthy as she was before," Daeron said, playing the peacemaker.
Aemon looked doubtful at the thought of leaving Naerys when she had only just recovered and Viserys jumped in, trying to take advantage of Aemon's doubt.
"Your brother is getting married in Lys and none of us will be there to represent the groom. That is not something I wish to show to the Lyseni. The same thing happened with my marriage and they took it to mean that they could do as they pleased once we came back to Westeros, thinking they had me in their grasp. I don't want the Lyseni to make that sort of assumptions again. If they want another Lyseni Spring, it has to happen outside of Westeros. I will not tolerate the Lyseni accumulating power here once more. You will go to Essos with Lord Velaryon and see that they understand this," Viserys said.
Aemon nodded. "Very well, father. I shall represent our house at Aegon's marriage to their princess. I only ask for one thing - give me your word that Naerys will be taken care of," Aemon asked earnestly.
"You are not going away to die in a war, Aemon. Nothing will happen to Naerys while you're gone. She was my daughter for long before she became your wife. I know how to look after her. It is you who has to ensure that you don't lose sight of your own responsibilities. When was the last time you visited your children? You have neglected them in favour of your wife and that is never a good thing," he said and Aemon grimaced before nodding in agreement.
Viserys cast one last look at Naerys before he left going back to his solar in the Tower of the Hand. Daeron and Aemon were talking about something in hushed tones and Aemon was smiling. Viserys wanted to stay with his son for a little more time, but he had work to do and the Realm would not wait for him.
A/N: Any feedback is appreciated.