The Wedding
It took nearly two weeks for Aegon's possession to reach Storm's End. He was accompanied by thousands of troops - almost his entire remaining army - and an equally large number of newly employed servants. As they traveled on foot down below, Aegon and his sisters rode their dragons in the sky. Along the way he stopped at many villages and towns in the Kingswood and inquired the locals about their living conditions. He had found that during Argilac's reign border skirmishes were common with the other kings and the people lived in fear, but he reassured them that they will be safe under his rule. He also promised a whole slew of reforms that would benefit them once the situation stabilized. Any hostilities they might have held against him when he entered vanished into thin air by the time he departed.
After traveling leisurely for about week, Aegon's procession picked up speed after they crossed the Wendwater River. He stopped briefly at Bronzegate then went straight for Storm's End. Aegon seemed to be in a happy mood. When inquired about it, he said, "Orys is running the Stormlands well."
Just as he had ordered, each lord submitted half their military strength to Aegon's army then kept just enough men to defend their own lands. The soldiers that were left were disbanded and sent home. Aegon however never specified what to do with those soldiers. He had anticipated mass riots and rebellions of unemployed soldiers but as he looked around, everything was peaceful. At Bronzegate he was informed of the new policies Orys had implemented to help those unemployed men. Land reforms were underway and many were sent to build war equipments. Aegon suspected that this was all Elena's idea. Nonetheless he thought to himself, "Orys picked a nice match."
By the time he arrived at Storm's End, it was evening. Orys, Elena, and every single lord in the Stormlands had gathered outside the castle to greet him. The lords gasped at the sight of the three mighty dragons and immediately broke into low whispers to discuss the beasts. Their conversation stopped, however, once Aegon landed and everyone knelt down.
"Rise my loyal lords," Aegon said, beckoning them to stand up. Aegon walked up to Orys and Elena. "Orys, words cannot convey my happiness right now. Well done."
"It is my duty to serve," Orys said with a low bow.
"And you must be Elena," Aegon smiled as Orys' bride curtseyed. He ordered her to rise and looked at her face. "My, my, such beauty."
She was indeed beautiful; with long blonde hair, pale skin, and large, dreamy, olive green eyes. "Your Grace," she said.
She was a strong woman, Aegon could tell. It wasn't hard for him to see her resentment and hatred of him behind her courtesy and respect. Yet there was something else with her. She seemed totally mesmerized by Orys. Despite him killing her father, she doesn't seem to hate him one bit. Instead she was focusing all her hatred on Aegon. Aegon never really considered himself an expert on women but he knew enough to notice that much. He wondered how Orys ever cajoled such a strong yet complicated woman to marry him. Nevertheless the two seemed happy with each other.
"Your Grace would you like a tour of the castle?" Orys asked, breaking off a tense and awkward moment as Aegon and Elena studied each other. "There are many swords that requires Your Grace's attention.
"Ah yes, tour of the castle," Aegon said hastily, smiling at her before departing. Rhaenys, Visenya, his servants, soldiers, and the other lords hurried after him.
That night a large feast was held in Storm's End's banquet hall. The room was packed with people eating, drinking, laughing, and dancing. It reminded Aegon of the banquet he had held the night before his invasion army left Dragonstone. To think he made this far in such a short span of time…..
Aegon sat between his two sisters at a long table on the far end of the hall. The raised platform where the table and chairs for the guests of honor were set gave him a full view of everything that happened below. These men seemed to be in good spirits, although whether they were really enjoying themselves or faking it seems unclear.
He looked at Rhaenys and smiled at her. He was excited at the prospects of having a child. Of course, Visenya was not very happy about the situation. After a cold "congratulations" she remained indifferent to the subject. But Aegon could sense the tension between his sisters was growing. He didn't want to alienate either of them yet he knows something must be done before that tension turns into action. But what to do exactly even he doesn't know.
Sometime during the feast, Aegon slipped out of the crowded banquet hall and made his way to the top of one of the watchtowers. Although not as tall as the main drum tower, it still gave him an impressive view of the countryside. Although there were few fires burning, the moonlight illuminated the surrounding areas, allowing Aegon to see the nearby towns clearly.
"Your Grace," Orys said as he walked up to Aegon. "I hope I am not disturbing you."
"No," Aegon replied. "I just need some fresh air. Banquets don't really suit me."
"I have to disagree with you there Your Grace," Orys smiled. "I think banquets and feasts are rather entertaining."
Aegon chuckled. "Don't get used to this lifestyle yet. We still have six more kingdoms to conquer."
"I expect Your Majesty will begin to plan the invasion of the Reach soon."
"So you know already."
"It's quite obvious actually. Since Your Grace brought with you most of our remaining force at King's Landing, it only means you are planning to campaign in the south."
"You know me very well Orys. Yes I am planning to strike the Reach," Aegon admitted. "I left a small contingent of men at King's Landing under the command of Ashen and brought the majority of our forces here."
"I fear we may not have enough men," Orys said.
"We'll get to that later," Aegon said. "I think I already know a strategy to best our opponents. But that would be a tale for another time. Now, leave me."
And so with a bow, Orys Baratheon retreated. Aegon sighed as he looked out into the open lands again. He needed to clear his mind. Rhaenys and Orys had both pointed out the dangers of this new campaign and they spoke words of truth. Even more was at stake with this campaign than the last one. He was betting his entire army and his entire life's work on this. If he failed then consequences would be brutal. He would be driven out of the Stormlands and by then not even Dragonstone could save him. "I have to win, I have to win, I have to win," he told himself repeatedly.
"No, not have to," a voice said behind him. "Will."
Aegon turned around and smiled as he saw Visenya standing by the entrance. "This isn't much of a hiding place is it?"
"No," she replied, walking up to him. "But why hide?"
"I have my reasons," Aegon said.
"Getting lonely?" Visenya purred as she her hand on his chest and slowly began to move it down.
"Do you want to find out?" Aegon replied. He grabbed her hand and drew her closer to him.
"It would be my pleasure," Visenya said.
"I suddenly feel tired. Let's retire to the bedchamber."
The wedding ceremony began the next day shortly before noon. Armies of servants had worked throughout the night and the morning to make sure every aspect of the wedding was perfect. Hallways were swept, chandeliers replenished, walls scrubbed, and Baratheon banners were placed everywhere. In the galley, no one slept. Cooks and their apprentices toiled under candlelight to prepare enough food to serve hundreds of guests and the thousands of men. A steady stream of aroma floated from the kitchen down into the hallways. The chimneys spewed out never ending smoke.
As the bells tolled, marking the hour of noon, Orys and Elena walked into the throne room and prostrated themselves before Aegon, humbly asking for his permission, which of course he happily gave. Aegon himself was excited to preside over the wedding of his best general and most loyal friend; he suddenly remembered his own wedding so many years ago. The guests, who had been standing at the sides, clapped as the bride and groom stood up and bowed to the King.
Then after that they made offered their prayers to the gods; Orys to the old Valyrian gods and Elena to the Faith of the Seven. In front of their respective gods they offered each other their vows and finally they were pronounced man and wife. After that came the wedding gifts. A steady flow of boxes entered the room, presents from the vassal lords to the newlyweds. Aegon presented Orys with an ancient Valyrian dagger his family kept and gave Elena a large ruby necklace. Visenya and Rhaenys gifted them exotic jewels from the east.
That night a large feast was held, with musicians, jesters, and performers from all over the Stormlands flocking here. The tables groaned under the heavy weight of food and barrels of wine were constantly brought in. This was the second feast in two days and Aegon was surprised the lords and knights could still eat and drink this much. Even after Orys and Elena retired they continued to feast and celebrate. Aegon also left the feast early. He spent the evening in his bedchamber with his sisters.
The green hand of House Gardener flew proudly in the evening wind. Below the banners were the tents that housed the thousands of soldiers summoned here by King Mern to meet the threat of the Targaryens. After the death of Argilac and the fall of the Stormlands, the lords began growing restive. To calm them and prevent a Targaryen invasion, Mern called his bannermen and camped outside the castle of Bitterbridge. From there Mern sent urgent letters to King Loren of the Rock asking for reinforcements.
King Loren watched the Gardener encampment with unease. When he first heard of Aegon's landing he was skeptical but the swift fall of the Stormlands woke him up. He too realized the danger of the Targaryen onslaught but he didn't know if Mern's approach to the situation was the right one. Loren never really considered himself a warrior, but more a diplomat. He would gladly solve this mess through negotiations but to forsake Mern would be to forsake his old ally.
The Westerlands and the Reach had long been enemies with each other. However through the works of the High Septon in Oldtown, Loren and Mern's grandfather put aside their differences and agreed to work together. Although neither leader recognizes the other's claim to the title king, they would still often meet as head of their respective houses. And so after receiving Mern's letter, Loren hurried to Bitterbridge with twenty thousand men.
Mern greeted his old friend outside Bitterbridge and invited him into the keep. A quick feast was held in his honor but no one was really in the mood. Later that evening, a war council was held and all the generals of the Westerlands and the Reach met in the main hall.
"You all know why we're here," Mern said. "We're here to discuss the Targaryen invasion. I'll now be taking ideas."
"Why should we fear that boy?" said a booming voice. It was lord Harrow Meadows of Grassy Vale. "He has less than a fifth of our total number and knows nothing of warfare."
"I wouldn't go that far," said Lord Kent Caswell of Bitterbridge. "The fall of Argilac should serve as a reminder that we can't underestimate him."
"Not to mention he has dragons," Ser Bailey Marbrand of Ashemark added.
"Dragons? Has anyone seen dragons?" Harrow shot back. "I think it's all just a tale to frighten us. His bastard brother Orys Baratheon didn't conquer the Stormlands with dragons."
"That doesn't mean he doesn't have them," someone said.
"Enough!" Mern brought up his hand and everyone grew silent. "Loren what do you think?"
Loren treaded the question carefully. "It's not about how many men each side has," he said sagely. "The key to winning this war is speed. Aegon knows the only way to beat us is if he strikes fast. And we must be prepared for that."
Mern laughed. "Well said! I'll tell all the border generals to be careful."
"At the same time," Loren continued. "We should consider a defensive formation on the flat plains of the Reach. We should build forts, each within striking distance of the other. If Aegon attacks on fort, the other forts can send reinforcements. This way his smaller army will run out of supplies and at that point we can pummel him into submission."
"Prosperous!" Harrow thundered. "Who has ever heard of a lion waiting for the prey? We should be hunting him. Meet him in open combat and defeat him with a single blow."
The others in the room murmured their agreement. Even Mern seem swayed. "I think Harrow is right. Why waste so much time on this boy when we can defeat him in a single stroke?"
"What of his dragon?" someone asked.
"Dragons can be killed," someone else replied. "Just the sheer size of our army will wash them away."
The war council didn't last long after that. When it ended, a decision was reached: the combined armies of the Westerlands and the Reach will ride out and meet Aegon in combat. Loren prayed to the gods that the outcome would be good.