Seventh Month of 233 A.L. King's Landing
Prince Aegon Targaryen
Winter bred harshness that was what his mother always used to say. But Queen Naerys had always been a kind woman, and a caring mother, and Aegon could never have imagined her as being harsh to anybody. She was the woman who had tempered King Maekar and his anger, and had made him into a great king and an even better father, at least that was what Aegon thought. But the winter had come and claimed Queen Naerys and the Peakes had claimed King Maekar, leaving Aegon to fret about the future. The death of the king without a properly announced successor had left the realm in a question over who should succeed him, there were some who wanted Maegor, Aerion's son to succeed but when the boy's own uncle had abandoned him for the Blackfyres those calls had ended, then there were those who wanted Elaena, Daeron's slow witted daughter as Queen, but when she had fled and then been found dead on the road near Harrenhal those calls had ended as well. Finally, they had offered the throne to Aemon and as far as Aegon could tell his older brother had rejected the offer for the throne, and so the throne was going to be offered to Aegon, but then the Blackfyres launched an invasion of the lands south of the neck, prompting even more fighting to break out meaning the council disintegrated as the lords of the realm went back to defend their own lands. Aegon and his family were left stranded in King's Landing, what with Daeron Velaryon having turned traitor and sailed his ships up the Blackwater and towards the Riverlands, they had relied on his second in command Ser Edmond Estermont to navigate the royal fleet and take Aegon's wife Rhae and three youngest children Jaehaerys, Rhaelle and Aelix to Dragonstone. Duncan remained in King's Landing by Aegon's side ready for battle.
His wife was a fiery and passionate woman, even more so when it came to their children and she had agreed quite readily to have them go to Dragonstone, but she had wanted him to go with them as well and that was something he couldn't do, should he flee their family's cause would be done. Duncan was as fiery and passionate as Rhae was, and on the battlefield that served him well as Aegon could attest to, but in court it often put him in sticky situations as the deflowering of that Baratheon girl attested to. Jaehaerys was more calm and peaceful, more reserved because of his health, Rhaelle was like a mixture of Aegon and Rhae, fiery, passionate and smart. Aelix was quite young only four years old, but he appeared to be more like Aemon than either of his parents. Either way, Aegon loved them all and worried for them.
The door to their father's solar opened and Aemon walked in looking weary. "What news?" Aegon asked. "Has there been word from Bloodraven?"
Aemon looked at him a moment, sighed and sat down. "Bloodraven's host was broken on the sight of where Redgrass took place. He, Blackwood and those lords who had fought for us were either captured or slaughtered. The Blackfyres now march on King's Landing with the strength of the north, and what strength remains in the Riverlands, for Lord Lyonel Tully has declared for them now."
"So the trout has ditched whatever loyalty it ever had to us. I always thought they were to ambitious by half. What news of Dorne, what has Arianne been doing?" Aegon asked.
"Dealing with the lords from Dorne who believe that they should declare for the Black Dragon, Yronwood is dead and so the support has died with him. Ser Doran Martell and the host sent north to the Reach has been beaten and smashed. Ser Alor Blackmont now leads the defences of the Prince's Pass, and Arianne assures me that she shall not let the Black Dragon get through. As for the Vale, the Corbrays and their allies have been beaten and Lord Jasper Arryn is marching alongside his men to join Baelon Blackfyre on a march to the capital." Aemon replied.
Aegon sighed then feeling that their whole dynasty was coming crashing down. "And what of the Westerlands. Please tell me the Lannisters have finally dealt a blow to the Reynes, and Crakehalls whoever else has sided with them."
Aemon shakes his head then and says. "Lord Gerold is ailing and his gooddaughter Elyn Reyne has Tion Lannister wrapped around her Littlefinger. The Lannisters are doing nothing, and as such the Reynes hold sway over much of the Westerlands now. There is too much going wrong for us, and not enough going right."
Aegon puts his head in his hands and then looks up. "Do you think there is any point in trying to rally the Stormlands to our cause and ride out and fight?"
"No," Aemon says decisively. "Robar has enough problems as it is. His wife is ailing and all other sorts of things are going wrong for him and the Baratheons. We cannot get them involved now. No it would be better if you and Duncan fled to Dragonstone and waited out the storm."
"Not you?" Aegon asks. "What would you do? Stay in King's Landing and have your head removed by that scum simply because of what your name is?"
Aemon shakes his head and says. "I am a maester of the citadel, my name means nothing now. I can try and offer the man council if he will heed it. See that Dragonstone remains ours, and try and build from there. The boy has no experience of ruling and will make mistakes, and Bittersteel was always too stubborn according to father to see reason from any other perspective but his own. He will make mistakes and the lords will want you back."
Aegon is about to protest when Aemon raises a hand and says. "Do not argue Egg. I am still your older brother. Do as I say, go with Duncan and leave for Dragonstone tonight. I shall do all I can to save our family."
Aegon sighs and nods. Later that night, he, Duncan and Dunk all board a ship bound for Dragonstone, leaving behind Aemon and two knights of the Kingsguard, and Aegon swears he will return.
Ninth Month of 233 A.L.
King Baelon I Blackfyre
Finally, after a long hard fought battle against Bloodraven they had emerged triumphant. At the place where Baelon's ancestor had been killed by the same man, Baelon had been the one to kill him this time. A sword through the chest, and Baelon had laughed with malicious glee when that had happened. The man's host had not broken, Lord Blackwood had rallied men and brought them charging against the wall that Lord Brandon Stark had command of. Stark held the wall and broke Blackwood and his men, ending the battle and destroying the last hope the Targaryens had. With that done, and the Westerlands now firmly behind him, Lyonel Tully had added what little strength remained in his kingdom to Baelon's, the Vale was also now part of their support. Dorne held out, the Reach engaged in combat with them, the Stormlands remained silent, and the Ironborn were tame again.
King's Landing had fallen easily enough; the lords of the crownlands fearing for their own skins had all but thrown open the gates to the city to him and his army. Then they had laid their swords at his feet as he mounted the Iron Throne, and the lords of the realm who had pledged their swords to him, bowed before him and gave him their allegiance. Only then had they given him the Targaryen Maester. Maester Aemon Targaryen, grandson of the Falseborn was a smart man and a good man that much Baelon knew and he was smart enough to realise that the man was likely going to try and encourage him to give his family on Dragonstone mercy. Baelon would not fall for such things, for he had decided soon after meeting the man that he was too smart to keep around and so had sent him north to take the black.
That done he had proceed to name a small council, Ser Aegor his uncle and teacher he had named hand of the king and Lord Commander of the Kingsguard before their campaign had begun. Master of laws he gave to Lord Lyonel Tully, master of coin was a position he gave to Edmond Reyne, master of ships was Daeron Velaryon and master of whispers he gave to Lord Jasper Arryn. The Citadel was to send a new maester soon enough. Baelon had been anointed and crowned by the High Septon in the Sept of Baelor, crowned with the crown of the conqueror, and proclaimed saviour of the kingdoms. And now once that was done, he had many other tasks to focus on such as rebuilding the kingdom, but first he needed to finish off the Targaryens. "So Long as they remain alive, they are a threat to my throne. Aemon Targaryen will take the black the minute he reaches the north. But there is one Targaryen who remains in King's Landing. The boy, Maegor Targaryen, who could prove a threat should he be allowed to grow." Baelon said.
"What do you propose then Your Grace?" Lord Jasper asked. "Do you propose that we have the boy killed? Doing such a thing will not endear you to the lords or smallfolk, the boy is but a babe and as such cannot be held accountable for the wrongs of his parents."
"Just as the Targaryens did not hold me or my father accountable for whatever perceived wrongs my grandfather and uncle did to them? No I think not. So long as that boy remains alive, he remains a rallying point for those Targaryen loyalists who are hiding now. And if he reproduces then my children and their children shall face threats." Baelon replied.
"There is another solution to this problem rather than just having the boy killed." Edmond Reyne said. "You could have the boy's reproductive organs removed and thus annul any chance that he sires any children be they trueborn or bastards."
"You mean make him an eunuch? We are not from the free cities, and surely doing such a thing would only make things worse for his grace?" Lord Daeron asked.
Baelon was silent a moment and then turned to his hand. "Ser Aegor, what say you?"
The man who Baelon considered more of a father than his own had been was slow to reply but eventually said. "Whilst the option does not appear all that savoury it could spare us a whole lot of bother. I say do it, the child is what two, three years old. Give him some dreamwine and have it done then and keep him on as a ward, so that we can keep an eye on him and know he will be siring no children and make sure none give him any ideas."
Baelon nodded and then said. "Very well then whilst we wait for the citadel to send us a new grand maester, Maester Lewyn shall do this job. Now how shall we deal with the Targaryens on Dragonstone?"
"You must wed Rhaelle Targaryen to ensure the Targaryen loyalists are kept happy. And you must kill the rest." Aegor said. "That is the only way you can ensure that peace lasts in the realm."
Baelon nods and so the plans for taking Dragonstone are made, and soon enough perhaps a week later they are sailing for Dragonstone. They engage in some combat with soldiers on the ships of the royal fleet, but all in all it is an easy battle and victory almost too easy. Once they land, the garrison there puts up more of a fight, Baelon gets to swing his sword and kill a fair few men, whetting his sword and painting the ground red. Baelon and his men push through the garrison killing them as they go, and eventually they come to the rooms where their sources say that Prince Aegon and his family live, and they find them deserted, except for one girl, with fair hair and eyes like his own. They stare at him and he wonders how they ever forgot to take her, and then he sees the dead bodies of her guards and realises that his own spies within the castle likely did the work for him. Rhaelle Targaryen is his now.