120 A.L. King's Landing

Prince Viserys Targaryen

Viserys Targaryen, hand of the king and cousin to the king and queen sighed, council was in session and for once he was not truly all there. Grand Maester Mellos was busy prattling on about something, that he truly had no interest in but knew he had to be interested in. "All the reports from Oldtown suggest that there are elements of the Faith that are already moving into action for some reason or the other. I am telling you that not all is as it seems with the Faith and the Citadel. Soon enough it is possible that a war of words will erupt between the two."

Ser Laenor Velaryon spoke and his voice bore some hints of belittlement. "Now wouldn't that just be the strangest thing ever? The establishment of learning and the establishment of faith arguing with one another over something so trivial as to when someone should shit and when someone should not shit. Why should this concern the council and their Graces Mellos? That is something you are yet to fully explain."

Mellos looked indignant and his reply suggested as much."I am surprised Ser. I would have thought that as master of whispers, you would know the reasons why a conflict between the faith in Oldtown and the Citadel would be so catastrophic for the council and for the throne. Clearly I was wrong. If the faith and the citadel engage in a war of words, then the lords will be split over whom to support, and if the lords are split then their people will be split. And all shall turn to the throne for guidance, and due to the promise the Old King made, the throne will be required to support the faith no matter how ridiculous a stance the faith makes on whatever matters come forth."

Ser Laenor spoke then. "I am certain that should any such threat be about to bear fruit my sources would have come forth and told me. And I would have told their graces. However, as no such information has been forthcoming, I do have to wonder Mellos, where is it that you are getting your information? The last grand maester who had sources that even the master of whispers knew not about, ended up being a traitor"

Mellos bristled. "I resent your implications Ser Laenor. I am not a spy nor a traitor unlike my predecessor. My sources are trustworthy and are those who work closely within the citadel and with the Faith. They want the best for the crown, and simply wish for peace to be held and maintained for as long as possible."

The King spoke then his tone harsh. "Enough. Should any more information come to light for your sources Mellos bring them before the council and we shall discuss what needs to be done about them. Until that time, there is not much more we can do except wait and see. Now there are more pressing issues that must be discussed. Lord Corlys, how goes the royal fleet?"

The King had asked Lord Corlys to expand the royal fleet beyond its current size, whether for more trade or for war Viserys was not sure, there was much he was not sure about nowadays when it came to the king. The master of ships was silent for a moment before he spoke. "Well Your Grace progress is going smoothly. Soon enough the new batch of ships should be done and ready to set sail to wherever it is you require them to go. As for whether or not they shall be ready for fighting, the only way we shall know that is if we test them in such a scenario."

Viserys looked at the king, and saw that there was a look of what he could only describe as apprehension on his face. "Very well. Though it might not seem so smart now, I would have a mock battle set up on the narrow sea, find men to crew the new ships, and set them to work against your fleet. No damage is to be done to any of the ships but mock setups should be done. It can never hurt to be too ready for battle."

Lord Corlys nodded and then the king turned towards Viserys and asked him. "Viserys, you have been awfully silent as of late. I would hear what news you have to offer and what your thoughts are on what has been discussed here so far."

Viserys took a sip of wine then and said. "I believe that what Ser Laenor has said about the disputes between the faith and the citadel is the right stance for the throne to take. The throne cannot act on rumours and false pretences, not now and not for some time. Until there is a solid lot of evidence to suggest that either side is plotting something more than just sparring of the verbal kind, the throne should remain neutral. Otherwise we shall see uprisings the like of which have not been seen since the times of King Maegor. As to the mock battles, I too believe they are a good idea. For now the throne has no plans for expansion beyond settling the disputed lands with people, and as such should only use the ships now built for trade and perhaps to get them ready for future conquest."

The king nodded and the Queen spoke then. "That is good, for soon enough those ships shall be needed in actual battle."

Viserys looked at his cousin and asked. "What do you mean Your Grace. I had thought that there would be no future conquests?"

Rhaenys smiled then and said simply. "That was during the reign of my father. And though he had good intentions, they are not the ones that can last for much longer. Tensions are boiling in Essos, and the throne must cease the advantage that holding the daughters gives it before Volantis and Pentos cease the initiative."

Viserys was silent a moment and then asked. "That will cost a fair bit of money. Does the throne have enough to pay for such a war, and is it truly necessary after the peace we have had for the past seven years?"

Rhaenys merely said. "There are times when peace can breed plots. It is time those plots were out rooted and stopped."

With that the King called an end to the council meeting though he asked Viserys and Rhaenys to remain behind. Once the other members had left, Aemon sighed and took a sip of wine and looked at Viserys. "Cousin, what is bothering you? You have not been as vocal as you normally are during these meetings, nor do you appear as interested as you usually are."

Viserys was silent, and eventually Rhaenys asked. "Is it because we refused to have Rhaenrya's marriage to Harwin Strong annulled? Is that why you seem so uninterested in the affairs of the realm? How can we know how to help you, if we do not know what is bothering you cousin? How do we know why you asked what you asked if you do not tell us why you have asked it of us?"

Viserys took a long sip of wine and said simply. "She asked it of me."

"Why would she do that though?" Aemon asked. "I thought she was happy with Ser Harwin, I thought he was everything she had ever wanted in a husband. After all that was all she would go on about whenever I spoke to her."

Viserys laughed then. "She was but a young girl who knew very little of the wider world outside of King's Landing. Aye she was in love with Ser Harwin when they were wed, and yet the man was simply fulfilling an act for his father. He played the gallant knight during the day, and at night he terrified my daughter. Jacaerys, Lucerys and Joffrey, these are my grandchildren and though my daughter loves her sons with a fiery passion, they were not born of love."

As the implications of what he was saying finally became clear, he heard Rhaenys gasp and Aemon growl in anger. "Ser Harwin has been doing that to Rhaenrya? To a princess of the blood?" Rhaenys asked anger in her tone.

Viserys nodded. "Rhaenrya has written to me, it appears Daemon has been offering her and her children comfort from the brute that Harwin is. Lyonel Strong does nothing but plot on how to remove the Tullys from power, and as such his son has been given a free reign. Harrenhal is not safe for my daughter. Only King's Landing, the Vale and the Stepstones are safe for her."

Aemon spoke then and his voice was hard as iron when he said. "We shall solve this problem once and for all. The Strongs shall know our wrath. Rhaenrya shall be free."