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The Return of the Dragon King

Chapter 6

"Dany…!"

Princess Daenerys Targaryen looked up from where she was sitting at a table under a tree in Magister Illyrio Mopatis' inner court. She smiled at the approaching figure of Princess Elia Martell, and made room for the older woman beside her. She also nodded at Ser Jaime Lannister of the Kingsguard, who nodded back before staying at a respectful distance. "Studying Westerosi politics I see." Elia observed with a glance at the books and notes Daenerys had with her.

Daenerys nodded. "As Viserys says…" she said. "…even if I won't be sitting on the Iron Throne, given what's happened over the past decade and a half or so, the people Aegon will have to count on the most will be his own family. And to do that…"

"You need to know how things work if you're going to be giving advice and sitting on Aegon's councils in the future." Elia concluded, and Daenerys nodded.

"Yes." She said. The two princesses stayed silent for the next few moments, the Targaryen continuing with her studies. And then Elia spoke up.

"You're worried about it, aren't you?" she said. "About marrying one lord or another to secure Aegon's throne…?"

"I'd be lying if I said no." Daenerys replied. "I've always known it'd be that way, and the same goes for Aegon and Rhaenys but still: I can't help but worry about marrying someone I hardly know."

Daenerys paused and then looked at Elia. "Did you feel the same about Rhaegar too?" she asked, and Elia blinked before giving her answer some thought.

"Yes…" she eventually said. "…don't get me wrong, I was still young at the time, and like all girls at that age the idea of marrying a prince was very alluring. But even so, given the rumours that were already going on about your father…no offense…"

"None taken…" Daenerys said with a mix of reassurance and sadness. "…I know all about my father's madness. Even if Brandon Stark's threatening my brother was treason, what was done to him was cruel beyond compare. And Rickard Stark could not have been held liable for his son's words, the latter was already a man full grown, and his actions were made on his own accord in my father's hall."

"And of course…your mother…"

"Yes…" Daenerys whispered. "…Viserys still talks of her from time to time…she was sweet and kind, in a mournful way he says…"

Elia nodded in agreement. It was a known fact that in his more pensive moments, Prince Viserys Targaryen would reminisce aloud about his mother, the late Queen Rhaella Targaryen, and how she had tried to shield him from the increasing madness and cruelty of his father. At the time he hadn't understood why his mother would keep him from his father as much as she could.

Now he understood, and thanked her for it…and lamented that she could not have done the same for Rhaegar as well.

Elia did too. "Rhaegar was…kind in his own way…" she said softly. "…he was a good man, even if he spent so much time with his books and scrolls…and of course that damnable prophecy of his…"

"Harrenhal…" Daenerys said, and Elia nodded.

"The prophecy…his father's madness…and of course Lyanna Stark…"

Daenerys glanced at Elia, though the other princess' face was carefully clear. "She was beautiful I have to admit that much." She said. "A cold beauty so typical of the men of the north…between that and everything that came before…"

"It drove him mad." Daenerys said, but to her surprise Elia shook her head. "You didn't think he was mad…?"

"All Targaryens are mad." Elia said to Daenerys' surprise. "But madness isn't always a bad thing. It simply means that one has the ability to look beyond the ordinary and the mediocre, to envision something greater and the means to reach it. Just look at Aegon the Conqueror: after the Doom of Valyria and the breaking of the power of the dragonlords, as well the seeming perpetual constant of the Age of the Hundred Kingdoms, who could have expected he'd succeed in forging Westeros together into the Seven Kingdoms…?"

Elia smiled at Daenerys. "I'm sure that you and Viserys will be just as great in your own way…" she said, taking the younger princess' hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "…the madness of your father in your blood, I'm sure you'll be able to see and go beyond it."

Daenerys laughed at that. "I'm not sure whether I'm reassured or not…" she said. "…when I'm told that to beat my father's madness, I have to be even madder than he was…"

Elia laughed too. "Point…" she said. "…maybe I could have worded that better…no matter, I'm sure that you and Viserys will be around for Aegon in the future."

"You'll be there too." Daenerys said. "You're his mother, and while Viserys and I will be there, he'll trust you more. And Rhaenys too of course…"

"He's like his grandfather that way…" Elia said softly. "…though given Rhaenys has always adored her 'little dragon' I imagine it'll end better for them."

Daenerys was silent for a moment. "Did you see something in the flames?" she asked, and Elia looked surprised before shaking her head with a smile.

"You know I don't hold to Melisandre and her…forgive me, your Lord of Light." She said. "I guess I'm just too old to turn from the Seven now. Though that might cause some trouble later on…"

"I'm sure Viserys and Lord Tyrion have already figured that out and planned for it." Daenerys said. "You know how those two are. Still, why do you speak as though…as though…?"

"As though I won't be there…?" Elia finished, and Daenerys nodded. "To be honest I don't really know. Melisandre hasn't seen anything in her flames, and I most certainly haven't been having dragon dreams…but…"

"But…?"

Elia smiled. "I'm still Princess Daenerys' descendant." She said. "I guess…despite what King Aerys used to say all the time, the dragon's blood still runs true, if a bit thin."

Daenerys was silent, and Elia looked up at the sky through the leafy canopy above. "I know that Rhaegar was right and wrong all at the same time." She said. "He was right, because Aegon is the prince that was promised whose is the song of ice and fire. He was wrong, because the three-headed dragon wasn't referring to the rebirth of Aegon the Conqueror and his sisters, but merely to their family."

Elia paused and looked at Daenerys. "I don't need to see anything in the flames." She said. "Something is coming: I can feel it in my blood. Good or ill I do not know, only that my son and House Targaryen behind him will have to face it. That is the prophecy of the three-headed dragon and the prince that was promised."

Daenerys looked away for a moment. "So why…?" she asked.

"I do not know." Elia said. "Or maybe as they say, even if one can see the future one can also never see one's own future…?"

"You worry too much."

"So Ser Jaime says…"

"Ser Jaime is wise." Daenerys said with a small smile. "He did his duty, no matter what others might say."

To his credit Jaime kept his face composed despite Daenerys speaking about him in such a way. Elia smiled and nodded. "Anyway enough about that…" Daenerys said, placing a marker into her book and closing it. "…I'm sure you didn't come here to talk about such grim matters."

"Who knows?" Elia said playfully. "I might have just wanted a sympathetic ear."

"I don't mind giving that but still…"

Elia laughed and with a flourish pulled out a folded piece of parchment that she handed to Daenerys. She unfolded it and quickly read it. "A wedding invitation…" she said. "…between Magister Jarrion Orthesian and his third wife, the day after tomorrow…"

"It would be rude not to attend." Elia said. "We have been…'guests' of a Pentosi magister for years now, and we have been cordially invited by his associate. Magister Illyrio says his spies haven't found anything suspicious, and we will be allowed to bring the Kingsguard along. Of course, our host will be coming, and he'll be bringing Unsullied and poison tasters with him."

"And so will all the magisters and other Pentosi notables present…" Daenerys said. "…the Usurper would be mad to attack or even poison such a gathering. A single mistake either way could lead to…collateral, and needless to say Pentos – and possibly its Braavosi overlords – would not take kindly to that."

"Viserys said something like that earlier."

"And what about your children…?"

"Aegon and Rhaenys had some misgivings…" Elia admitted. "…though they gave in eventually…after all, it's not the first time we've been invited and attended one of these things."

"They had misgivings then too, now that I think about it."

"With that said though…" Elia said. "…being careful isn't a bad thing either. Oh well, we'll just have to be careful."

"So we should be…" Daenerys said, gathering her things before getting up. "…and so we always are…now then, given we've only until tomorrow, we should start making preparations for the wedding, shouldn't we? That's the real reason you came to see me, didn't you sister?"

Elia smiled and also got to her feet. Daenerys glanced at her clothes and wrinkled her nose. "Though…" she said. "…you wouldn't mind if I changed into something more appropriate first, wouldn't you?"

Elia laughed. "No…" she said. "…I would not."

"It's laughable."

Tyrion Lannister looked up as he read the latest report from their man in King's Landing, and towards Viserys as he leaned against the wall next to a window. "Does Ned Stark actually think marrying Prince Trystane to Myrcella will be enough to keep Dorne from supporting us when the time comes?" he asked.

"Ned Stark lacks political discernment." Tyrion said. "The Small Council as well, and no doubt they've grown rather short-sighted and overconfident with their recent success against Greyjoy and binding six out of seven kingdoms to the Usurper and his confederates through marriage."

"The whole point Jon Arryn tried to marry Princess Arianne to Edmure was for them to gain a hostage." Viserys said with a smirk. "After all, she can hardly stay at Sunspear when her husband's realm is to the north, isn't it? That a bond of marriage is formed is secondary to that."

"One could say that their overconfidence goes back long before the present then." Tyrion remarked. "Did they really think Dorne wouldn't see through such a ruse?"

"With that said though…" Viserys said, beginning to pace. "…the Usurper is supposed to have a fleet of between two to three hundred ships even without the Redwyne and Lannister fleets. And the Golden Company is currently at Myr. It's quite obvious that any invasion of ours would be aiming for Dorne, and they'd have ample time to move their fleet to prevent us from crossing at the Stepstones. And we hardly have a fleet of our own to contest Stannis Baratheon at sea."

"I shudder to think of the price we'd have to pay to get any one of the Free Cities to lend us their fleets against the Usurper's." Tyrion said, and Viserys nodded. "Though perhaps we don't need too…"

Viserys stopped pacing and glanced at Tyrion. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Tyrion smiled. "According to our friend…" he said while waving the dispatch with one hand. "…the Vale is increasingly unstable. Pirates off of the coast, unrest among the mountain tribes, and of course, the growing madness of Lysa Arryn…"

"You would seek allies among them…?" Viserys asked sceptically. Tyrion snorted.

"My apologies for the misunderstanding my prince…" he said. "…but I would not mock you and your family with wasted effort. However, they may be of use in drawing Stannis and his fleet north instead of south."

Viserys narrowed his eyes and stroked his chin in thought. "Yes…" he said several moments later, nodding his head. "…a few whispered rumours here and there, perhaps provoking a revolt at Crackclaw Point…"

Viserys paced some more, and then he stopped. "We'll have to think on this some more…" he said. "…but it's a workable addition to our plans for restoration."

Tyrion nodded in agreement, and then went back to the dispatch. "About Prince Trystane and Myrcella…" he began.

"Your concern for your niece is understandable." Viserys said. "And while I'd like to get my nephew's opinion first – he will be king after all – in my opinion we'll let Prince Doran handle this matter. With one condition of course…"

"Myrcella joins Trystane at Sunspear." Tyrion said, and Viserys nodded with a smile.

"Assuming they marry before the war begins, a hostage she will be then and after…" the prince said. "…a hostage that wants for nothing…!"

"Better than the Silent Sisters or the sept…" Tyrion said softly. "…and it will allow us to give the image of being both generous and merciful. That assumes of course, if they're not married before the war begins, she will…"

"As I said I will speak with Aegon on this matter…" Viserys interrupted. "…but yes, I had not considered this beforehand. Short-sighted on my part I suppose, but I would not claim to be perfect."

"You would still have her marry Prince Trystane after the restoration…?"

"As you said, it will give an image of being generous and merciful…" Viserys said while pouring a pair of glasses of wine. "…and it will also have the added advantages of gaining a hostage against the Usurper's confederates, while keeping her with people we can trust."

"In return she keeps the royal title of princess…" Tyrion said while taking the offered glass of wine. "…and considering how Dorne treated Princess Daenerys during the reign of King Daeron II…as you say she will want for nothing."

Viserys merely smiled, and Tyrion smiled back. "To your health, my Prince of Summerhall…" he said with a toast. Viserys toasted him back.

"And to you, my future Lord of Casterly Rock…"

"Does this make me look fat?"

Aegon groaned and palmed his face. "You don't seriously expect me to answer that." He said, and Rhaenys turned away from her mirror to look at her brother over a shoulder.

"As a matter of fact I do." She said with a small smile, purple eyes glittering with mischief. "And if you answer wrong, you'll be sleeping alone for the rest of the month."

"We sleep alone most of the time."

"Fine…" Rhaenys said with a shrug. "…then I won't share your bed for a month."

"You play dirty Rhaenys." Aegon accused her, and she laughed at him.

"Just answer the question Aegon."

"No…" Aegon said. "…because no matter what answer I give it'll be biased, because no matter what you're still the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

Rhaenys snorted. "Flatterer…" she accused her brother, and this time it was Aegon's turn to laugh.

"It's still the truth though." He said, and Rhaenys smiled before walking over to where she'd draped a cloak the colour of blood over a chair. She pulled it over her shoulders, the cloak along with the girdle – also coloured like blood – adding further touches of colour to the sleeveless, red-trimmed dress of purest black that she wore.

"How do I look?" she said, turning to her brother. Aegon looked her over. The dress showed off her curves and along with her tanned skin masked her toned muscles – from learning how to use a sword, how to ride, how to shoot a bow and many other skills a dragonlord would need to know before going to war – while providing her with appropriate modesty. Golden anklets and bracelets added further colour, though to most people she still looked as though she were going to a funeral as opposed to a wedding.

Not that it would be held against them this evening: black and red were Targaryen colours after all.

"Beautiful…" Aegon said with a smile, and Rhaenys smiled back before walking closer. Giving her brother a peck on the lips, she locked an arm with him and together left her chambers.

"You my little dragon…" she said, speaking in High Valyrian. "...look positively ravishing tonight."

"Who's the flatterer now?" he replied in kind, and she laughed.

"It's the truth." She said, and he smiled.

"I'm sure it is." He said.

It was. The crown prince cut an impressive figure in a red, long-sleeved shirt trimmed with black, a black doublet, and black boots and trousers. A dragonglass dagger with a gilded hilt hung at his waist in a ruby-decorated scabbard, a cloak of blood-red that matched his sister's own draped over his shoulders.

Unlike Rhaenys though, who inherited dark, Rhoynar hair from their mother, Aegon had the gold-silver hair of their father which added a touch of brightness to his otherwise grim appearance.

The crown prince and his sister made their way to the outer court, arriving at the same time as their mother did. Elia was dressed more modestly (if in the same grim colours) than her daughter, though she made a motherly adjustment to a stray lock of her daughter's shoulder-length hair.

Nodding at Aegon she proceeded to her horse. Daenerys was dressed similarly to Rhaenys, though her hair was styled elaborately, whereas her niece preferred to keep it long and simply tied-back. Viserys and Tyrion were dressed alike, though in the case of the latter he wore Lannister colours of red and gold as opposed to the princes' black and red.

The Kingsguard of course, wore plain clothes beneath their armour. Theirs was to serve, and anything that didn't contribute to that was needless waste. The Targaryens mounted their horses, the Kingsguard falling into a protective cordon around them. Unsullied did likewise around them, the magister on his litter, and before and after.

The gates of the compound were opened, and the dragonlords, their host, and their retinue went out into the city.

The Sun began to set, heralding the end of the day and the coming of the night.

In a large, well-furnished shrine within Magister Illyrio's compound, the sorceress-priestess Melisandre began evening services. Usually (though not always) the Targaryens would be present – especially Rhaenys Targaryen who was very religious despite not outwardly appearing so – but tonight the ones present were Melisandre, her acolytes, and servants with nothing to do for another hour.

Melisandre did not begrudge the dragonlords missing a few services ever so often. They had a life to live and lead after all, and with it came conflicting obligations.

But they honoured the Lord of Light whenever they could, and as Melisandre and brothers and sisters of the faith often preached, the Lord of Light was merciful and generous. He would forgive lapses, and if he could, then so should she.

Life after all, was the first great gift of the Lord, freely given to all so that they may enjoy the world the Lord had created for them.

Tonight the dragonlords went to attend a celebration, and Melisandre prayed for their safety before the sacred flame, lit and kept alight by magic. The Targaryens were the key against the coming darkness, and though the time had yet to come for him to be revealed to the world, one of them would be the Azor Ahai, who would save the world from an eternity of night and evil.

Would he be one of them? Or would he be one of their children?

Melisandre did not know, the visions of the flames blurred, though she knew that she must support and follow the dragonlords as they sought to reclaim their kingdoms, lost to them by treachery and the misguided actions of one of their own, driven mad by the whispers of the Great Other's servants.

It was a shame that Princess Elia did not allow herself to be converted, though Melisandre knew she had allowed her children to follow their aunt and uncle's example because deep down, she knew it was right.

"The dragon's blood still runs true, if a bit thin." The princess' voice whispered through the flames as Melisandre led the prayers to the Lord of Light. Around her in a great circle stood her acolytes robed in red as she was, while behind them the others participating in the service stood in devout silence.

Golden flames flared high from the bronze basin resting on the bronze tripod, the priestess' red eyes widening as she saw images in the flames. She saw a small man dressed like a lord speaking to a servant, giving him commands and gold after which the servant scurried off to the lord's satisfaction.

She saw a gathering of lords around a fat man crowned in gold, feasting and drinking in a great pavilion.

And she saw flames…a city beyond the flames burning before its gates…a dark shadow looming overhead with scales the colour of night, and then…more flames…black flames that consumed everything…

…and then a voice…a man's voice from the flames before the vision ended.

Your name shall be Balerion, Balerion the Reborn.

A/N

Daenerys Targaryen was a daughter of Aegon IV. She married Prince Maron of Dorne, and is Elia's ancestor. In that little way, she's a dragon herself, and more like Rhaegar than she'd care to admit.

Yes, Viserys is Prince of Summerhall given Aegon is Prince of Dragonstone, and damn what Robert likes to think. Dragons will return eventually, much like in canon.

Finally, Melisandre OOC…? In canon she strikes me as somewhat desperate, knowing the apocalypse is coming with only a couple of years before winter to prepare. Here though, she's spent over a decade nurturing the Targaryen dragonlords (among other preparations). She's getting impatient, but nowhere near as desperate that she would commit the things she did in canon, and acting more like other red priests like Thoros or that high priest of the red faith in Volantis.