Fifth Month of 237 A.L. Massey's Hook
King Baelon I Blackfyre
War, that was all Baelon had known as a child growing up, fighting, moving from one place to another. It was second nature to him by now, and so when he had decided that fighting to reclaim Dorne was the best option and his council had agreed some small part of him had been relieved, after all the peace was beginning to drive him a bit stir crazy. Dorne had been a challenge, he had read about the Conquest of Dorne and then he had read the true accounts of it all and so he knew that it would be challenging. What he had not expected was just how the divisions in the rest of Westeros would hinder their progress. Robar Baratheon had had Willas Tyrell killed after learning the man had done his duty and gotten Robar's daughter pregnant, that had caused Otto Tyrell to send his son Loras and a small force of reachmen to the Stormlands, but they had been beaten back and then the Ironborn had invaded the Reach and the Reach had to move out at full force. That had dented Baelon's progress somewhat, and then there had been the capture and later death of the one man Baelon considered to be a true father to him, Ser Aegor Rivers, the hand of the king and Lord Commander of the Kingsguard had led the charge at the battle of the yellow sands, and had paid for it with his life. That had significantly reduced their chances. Baelon had been warring on the coast doing lightening raids and had even managed to kill Ser Alor Blackmont the consort to the Princess of Dorne.
But then they had had to pull back for the Targaryens had invaded and had set up shop in Massey's Hook. The lords of the crownlands had sworn their allegiance to Aegon Targaryen, and then they had set a trap. Baelon had learnt about it from Lord Darklyn and so had not fallen for it, instead he had sent the remaining northmen under the command of one Ser Edwyn Tallhart out to fight the force, and they had been butchered but Robar Baratheon had been killed and his own force of Stormlords broken. After that Baelon had led his men towards Massey's Hook fighting Stormlords and other Targaryen forces as he went, eventually breaking them apart and setting up shop just south of the Westword Bridge, the bridge that connected the Hook together. On the other side of the bridge was where the Targaryens were camped. And Baelon had called a council to discuss the best methods to draw them out. "We cannot expect them to be lulled into a second false trap. After all Darklyn is dead by now, and Aegon Targaryen will be more alert than ever." Baelon surmised.
"Perhaps it might do to have them drawn over the bridge through the ability to talk about terms?" Lord Matthew Tarbeck asked.
"And do what?" Baelon questioned. "Draw them there and then fire on them in multiple choices? That is not an honourable course of action."
Lord Gerold Lannister laughed then and said. "Your Grace, this is war. There is no room for honourable action now. We must bring them over that bridge with as minimal risk to our own forces as possible. Asking them to discuss terms is the best way to do that."
"It makes sense Your Grace," Jasper Arryn said. "Aegon Targaryen will know that his force is nowhere big enough to be able to significantly deal with our own. He will be desperate to discuss peace and terms. The question is what these terms should be."
Baelon was silent for a moment and then said. "I could give him the Stepstones, or perhaps Dragonstone. In return for him accepting being properly attainted of all rights to any holdings that the family has previously held before. He would need to formally acknowledge this, and his son Duncan would need to take the black. That boy will cause trouble."
"You should also ask for his third son Aelix as a hostage." Jasper Arryn said.
Baelon nodded and the war council came to a close. The next day riders had been sent to ask for a discussion, but they came back empty handed, Aegon Targaryen would not meet with them it seemed. And just as Baelon was about to turn his horse round and prepare for war proper, horses seemed to be galloping across the bridge, Targaryen horses. It seemed Aegon Targaryen meant to give battle. Baelon roared for his archers to fire, and so they did and Baelon watched as the initial wave of riders began to fall of their horses and into the water. Soon enough though more riders were making it across the bridge than not, and Baelon found himself drawn into battle. He hacked and slashed his way through the men, his sword began dripping red with blood, and soon enough there were more men littering the ground as dead bodies than as actual beings.
The torrent of arrow fire continued as Baelon swung his sword left, right and centre cutting down men left and right. He took a few blows himself but mostly kept pushing forwards watching as arrows rained down on the Targaryen men. He began laughing manically as things progressed, the battle lust taking over, on it went. He met a tall strong man whom he would later learn was Prince Duncan Targaryen. They met in a hurl of steel and sparks and after what seemed many hours, sparring, hacking an slashing at one another, Baelon ducked feinted and then speared his sword into a gap between helmet and breastplate and killed Duncan Targaryen.
The battle raged on for several more hours and at its conclusion, Baelon and his men were bloodied and worn, and the Targaryens were covering the bridge, their bodies and blood blocking movement. Amongst the dead, Baelon had found Aegon Targaryen, his hair silver and his eyes purple, his body covered with arrows and wounds. Two Targaryens dead two more alive in Pentos, he gestured towards the body and as one of the Kingsguard held the body up he raised his sword and severed the head. Deciding to take it back to King's Landing.
Seventh Month of 237 A.L.: King's Landing
Queen Rhaelle Blackfyre
War a terrible thing and something men seemed to revel in, something she would never understand. There had been very few reports of what her husband had been doing since he had left Dorne, though she knew Dorne was still free and independent, and that gave her some hope. She knew her father and brother had landed in Massey's Hook and had been causing chaos amongst Blackfyre loyalists, and that gave her more heart. It also gave her cause for concern, for she knew what would happen should her father and brother succeed, her sons Viserys and Jaehaerys would see their lives forfeit, and that was something she did not know if she could survive. She might not love her husband, she was not even truly fond of him, but she loved their two boys more than anything else in the world, and the thought of them not surviving this war terrified her more than anything else.
Her two boys were her world, Viserys had just turned three and was so delightful, brash and wild, he caused havoc in the Red Keep and charmed everyone wherever he went, he reminded Rhaelle of what Duncan had been like as a child. Jaehaerys was just like his namesake and uncle, quiet and reserved but very, very clever even for a baby of one year old, he had already figured out certain things that his brother had struggled with at that age. Rhaelle loved her boys dearly, she only wished she could feel something other than pure loathing for her husband. She had tried for the good of their boys, had tried to see past the fact that the man she was wed to was an usurper and a liar, but she could not and it hurt her that she could not. Perhaps he would be better now that Ser Aegor was gone and his poisonous influence could not ruin what she knew her husband had, a good heart.
"Your Grace?" Ser Tion Lannister's voice took her away from her thoughts. She turned round and looked at the man. "The king will be arriving shortly."
Rhaelle nodded and stood up, going to pick up Jaehaerys from his cradle and walking with Viserys hand in hers, her son babbled excitedly about all he had done so far, and she cooed and awed in all the right places. Eventually when they got to the steps of the entrance to the Red Keep her boy fell silent and they waited. Soon enough her husband and his men came into view, her husband was dressed in black as night armour, which was caked in blood and dirt. He stopped his horse before her and their sons and dismounted, he kissed her hand and said. "My queen, you look dashing as always." Rhaelle curtseyed. And her husband turned his attention to their sons. He ruffled Viserys hair and kissed Jaehaerys cheek and then he turned back to her and said aloud. "My people, it gives me great pleasure to tell you that the false pretender Aegon Targaryen and his son Duncan Targaryen are dead. Those traitors who supported them are also dead." A loud cheer goes up at her husband's words, but Rhaelle simply feels numb. Her husband looks at her briefly and then says aloud. "We shall celebrate long and hard tonight, but first I must get changed so I can reward all those who fought bravely."
Later that night when the feasting is done she is in her husband's chambers and he is looking at her, and she is looking at him and then she asks. "Did you do it?"
"Did I do what my lady?" Baelon asks.
She glares at him then and snaps. "You know perfectly well what I mean. Did you kill my father and brother?"
Her husband sighs and says. "It was war my lady. Men die all the time. Your father and brother were fighting for what they believed in and they died for it. In a way yes, I suppose you could say I did kill them, for they were killed on my orders."
Rhaelle shakes her head. "That is not what I asked. I asked if you personally killed them."
"What difference does it make, whether I killed them personally or not? They are dead all the same." Baelon says.
"It matters to me!" Rhaelle shouts. And she realises it does, somewhere, somehow what her husband did has come to matter a great deal to her.
Her husband is silent for a long moment and then he says. "Then no, I did not kill them personally. Duncan was dead when I found him, and your father was killed by archers. I was fighting other men."
Rhaelle nods and then she says. "What will you do about Dorne now that my father and brother are dead?"
Her husband sighs once more and says. "I know not. Some of my lords want me to wage war on Dorne straight away, others argue for waiting and biding my time. Princess Arianne is not in the best of health and her heir is only a little girl. Sooner or later the woman must die and that might be the best time to regain Dorne. I am inclined to agree with them."
Rhaelle nods and then asks. "And what of my brothers who remain across the sea? Will you hunt them down then?"
Baelon sighs and shakes his head. "I know not what I am going to do about them. I do believe that should your brother Jaehaerys be willing to listen, the offer I would have made to your father will still stand. If not then I think either permanent exile or more war will follow."
Rhaelle nods and then says. "Perhaps you could help him set up in Pentos. After all, it would be a good way to heal the rift between our two families."
Baelon merely nods and says. "I shall think about it."