King's Landing – 122 AC
On 120 AC, screams sounded through the close doors of the queen and king's chambers. The new royal couple, having decided not to have separated chambers.
After two years of a peaceful and prosperous reign, the royal couple have been blessed with another child. A new prince will be joining the princes of eight, five, and three namedays.
However, the process was not an easy one and her screams woke up everyone in the Red Keep, as Syrax roars could be heard from all corners of King's Landing.
Thankfully, as this was the fourth time, the new prince came to this world soon. A beautiful babe of silver hair and amethyst eyes, that had everyone gasping at his etheral beauty. He was named Aegon after the first Targaryen king.
Even with his pure Targaryen looks, the queen refused to put a dragon eggg on his crib, which confused many.
"He has no need for an egg, his dragon is on Dragonstone," was all the queen said, flashing her mysterious smile.
A smile that hided knowledge that even I, as Master of Whispers, will never hope to get.
Two years later, another song blessed the royal family, once more this babe was pure Targaryen in looks. Silver hair and amethyst eyes. This babe was named Viserys, after the last king and the queen's father.
Once more, this babe was refused a dragon egg.
"His dragon is on the Narrow Seas," the queen whispered, as she rocked young Viserys in her arms. "A worthy dragon for the future Prince of the Narrow Seas and Lord of the Stepstones."
No one paid any attention to the queen's puzzling words. Eveyone focusing on the Gods great blessing of five princes. A blessing they've not seen since Alysanne Targaryen sat as queen. Nobles and commonfolk, alike, saw this as a sign of the gods. The reason why no boy was born from the union between King Viserys and Queen Aemma was because Queen Rhaenyra was meant to sit on the Iron Throne. She was meant to be the first queen and her line was meant to continue the Targaryen dinasty.
Something that I can agree with. I was sent by the Old Gods, my gift as a greenseer might not be as powerful as the queen's dragon dreams, but I knew that I am meant to protect and aid the queen. At first I thought it was queen Aemma or whoever came after, when the birthingbed finally took her. But it ended up being Rhaenyra Targaryen, the first Queen of Westeros, that will go down in history as the Dragon Queen.
For that I will be eternally grateful. We've done so much good in the realm since she ascended as queen. Even as princess she could only do so much, relaying on a king that prefered to spend coin in tourneys and banquets. But now as the highest power in the realm, she was truly pushing for changes and reforms.
The seat of Grand Maester was changed to Grand Healer, now both masters and healers could sit on it. Geradys, forever loyal to the queen, continued sitting on the seat. But who knows? Maybe during the reign of Prince Jacaerys a woman might take that seat.
Learning institutions were being built all over the realm, making trade and business more profitable, and bringing even more taxes. If while the queen was a princess we thought the coffers was full, now it wass bursting. Poeple have started calling this era the Golden Reign of Westeros, in honor of the great economy and the queen's dragon's nickname.
Many women, highborn and lowborn, have been starting to take part of the realm's growth. Starting with taking duties as matrons, teachers, and organisers, that took charge of the orphanages and soup kitchens. Though, it was when they started becoming healers that things began to change for the better. No longer, were maesters called at all times for healing, if anything having a healer in the family was prefered. My three sister, yes, even my baseborn sister, have decided to take on those studies. Alys even going as far as to Essos to complete her training.
Maybe I could find her a good position here in court, I thought. With our family's growing influence, I'm sure a knight won't mind marrying her, even when she is a bastard. The queen and king have no issue with bastards, even employing various sands. A Sand Knight will do nicely and we can sweeten the deal with the dowery I know my father has prepared for her. Not as good as my other sisters of course, but more than any other bastard would receive for sure. My father is a kind man after all. Talking about my father...
"What has the Red Keep so excited?" My father asked me, as we walked down the halls, heading to discuss some business for the Small Counsil.
"Crown Prince Jacaerys is finally ten namedays, the queen is overseeing him on his first solo flight on Vermax," I informed him.
"That's right!" My father beamed. "The crown prince will finally become a fullfledged dragonrider!"
"Let's hope that after this, my brother will finally calm down," I sighed. "I had to hear him fret all week about his charge being high in the sky without him there to protect him."
"He is the Sworn Shield of the Crown Prince, given to him after fulfilling his duties to the queen," my father chastited me. "You would be panicking as well, if you were on his position."
No, I wouldn't. I would have seen the outcame with my greenseer abilities. I thought, but kept to myself.
We entered my office and I picked up the missives I've received while I was away. I frowned and quickly went through all of them, my frown becoming more pronounced.
"Father, we need to gather the Small Counsil," I told him grimly. "The queen needs to know about this."
"Son? What's wrong?" He asked me worriedly.
"Nothing good," I told him with a grimace.
Without anything else to say, we went to work. As most of the Targaryen and Velaryon family were in the dragon pits, it took them around an hour to make it back to the Red Keep. I took that time to review what my spies have sent me and double check. I liked it even less now, and so did the rest of the Small Counsil.
"The Greyjoys?" Rhaenyra repeated stunned. "The Hightowers allied themselves with the faithless ironborn, the same ones that raid Old Town's coast for sport? Are they out of their minds?!"
Everyone stared at her surprised, her "gift" normally keeping her ahead of things. But it seems that this time, it failed her.
"I hated the guts of that viper Otto, but I am dragon enough to admit that he was the brains of his family," Daemon admitted, bregudgedly. "He was cunning and knew how to wait in the grass, before striking. Without him, the Hightowers were left with a big ego and ambition... but without knowing how to focus it."
"Which lead to stupidity like this," Aemma sighed, shaking her head.
"But that does not explain why would the Faith Milita join hands with them, especially as the ironborn follow the Drowned God," Rhaenys pointed out.
"They are desesperate, the same goes with the Citadel," Qoren explained. "Desperation leads to stupidity. Nyra and I, are especially a problem for them. The changes we made and continue to do... their grasp of power faded by the day."
"The greedy sons of a bitch cannot allow that to happen." Daemon snorted cruely. "The Citadel was once the center of this realm, they want to go back to the good old days. The Hightowers are their best allies, as they hate magic, incest, and our lack of "faith", honestly everything the Targaryens flaunted, as much as them."
"We will just have to abolish the institution of the septons and septas," Rhaenyra sighed. "We will not take the religion from those faithful, but we cannot allow them to raise against us again. The septs will stand and they will pray, the book of the seven will be allowed in the learning stablishments and in noble houses, but from now on no septon or septa will exist."
"Quite fitting," Corlys agreed with a nod. "Dorne, the Vale, the Stromlands, the Crownlands, and the North, will burn the septs, they have no follower of the seven anymore, if the North ever had any. The Reach and the Westerlands will remain faithful to the Light of the Seven. The Riverlands, however, will be divided, with those lands closer to the Neck followers of the Old Gods and the other half followers of the Seven... we will need to keep an eye on the region, that division could be troublesome."
"That we will need to do," Rhaenyra agreed. "Alicent might be a devout to the Seven, but she has learned to be more flexible with her judgement. I will ask her to be our advocate there and keep the peace. However, that's for another day, right now we have another focus." Rhaenyra frowned, looking down the war board. "The war is afoot."