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"Who could possibly have a claim as great as yours," My father asked, sounding frustrated.
"Laenor Velaryon is the grandson of the king's oldest son," Viserys was quick to point out.
"Laenor is a child."
"A child dragonrider."
"This 'dragonrider' rides upon a hatchling no larger than a mut," My father was quick to dismiss, "It won't be ready for war for many years still, much like the boy who rides upon its back."
"That boy's mother rides a dragon comparable in size to your own Caraxes. Not to mention that he has the full treasury and fleet of the Velaryons behind him along with all the men of the Baratheons. They have King's Landing surrounded, while we have no natural allies save for the mother of your children."
"We need no allies," My father scoffed, "Jaehaerys will name you his heir and all the lords in the realm will flock to you even if Rhaenys attempts to push the claim of a seven year old."
"And if they don't?" Viserys asked, "If he doesn't?"
"The father of my Bronze Bitch is Lord Protector of the Vale and Warden of the East, he could-" But my father didn't get to finish before Viserys cut him off.
"He can't and won't. If he even tried to pull something like that then he wouldn't be Warden of the East for much longer."
My father was quiet and I took that to mean he agreed. Beside me Alyssa pulled at my arm but I hushed her.
"Vaegon is Jaehaerys' last remaining son," Viserys at least seemed to realize that nothing new could be added to the discussion on Rhaenys and Laenor.
"He has been in the Citadel for too long. He has no allies and no dragons. He has no claim. Even if grandfather wished to name him, he is forty years old and isn't even married," My father dismissed him easily as well and this time it wasn't hard for Viserys to nod his agreement.
"We have an aunt still living besides Jocelyn."
Daemon outright laughed, "The whore? The woman Jaehaerys disinherited because she fucked her way through all her sworn swords and ladies in waiting?" By this point Alyssa had given up on dragging me into whatever game she was playing and was instead looking over the city.
"In the end Laenor is my only true rival," Viserys said, putting his head into his hands.
"Grandfather will name you heir, Viserys," My father assured his brother, "After that let Rhaenys attempt to put her son on the throne and I will fly Caraxes directly to Storm's End, we will see how loyal Boremund remains with a dragon burning his keep."
"Enough!" Alyssa startled next to me as Baelon cried out from the bed, "I won't spend my last days hearing my sons plot against my uncles and nieces. Daemon, take your children and eat with Viserys, Aemma, and Rhaenyra. I'm sure they are hungry after their trip and wish to see someone their own age."
"Understood, father. I will bring the children around again tomorrow," Daemon bowed and leaned forward to hug his father with Viserys following soon after.
It seemed odd to me how disconnected Alyssa and I were from the conversation. One would think that a dad would wish for his children to spend all the time they could with their grandfather before he passed, my mother had in my first life, but both Baelon and Daemon seemed content with the handful of words passed between us.
"I will look forward to it," Baelon replied with a bright smile towards Alyssa.
With that father was ushering us out of the room, Viserys not far behind.
A Kingsguard fell into step behind us as we left while one stayed behind at Baelon's door. The man was old and bald with grey eyes, he looked at least sixty to me and moved as you would expect a man his age in full armor to move
"If you still worry about Rhaenys then don't brother," Daemon spoke up as we walked, "Jaehaerys passed her over once already, he will do so again."
My father's assurances seemed to do at least something to reassure Viserys as his shoulders relaxed and his face calmed.
I wouldn't call Viserys handsome or beautiful like my father or Baelon the Brave. He had some pudge on him and wasn't as tall as Daemon who stood at least six feet. He also had a mustache. He was however pleasant to look at and honestly rocked his dad bod.
After sometime Viserys left us and Daemon brought Alyssa and I to a room we would be sharing, I'm sure we could have had our own rooms but Alyssa would rather be with me at her side while we slept. She snuck into my room so much at Runestone that we practically shared anyway.
"While we are in the capital I will need to find someone to protect you, I can't be at your side at all times," At most times in the Vale my sister and I were protected by our cousin Sir William Royce, the wielder of Lamentation, though for obvious reasons he wasn't with us now.
"Stay in your room for now, I'll send some servants to draw a bath and dress you for dinner in a moment," With that our father was gone.
"What did you think of our grandfather Baelon?" Alyssa asked.
"He was nice enough, though he didn't seem particularly happy to see us," I suppose being on a deathbed changes people. The Baelon I knew had loved his grandchildren well.
"He looked a lot like you," Alyssa giggled, "He even had your name."
I hummed as I continued to explore the room we had been given. It was larger than our's back in Runestone with two separate rooms diverging from the main room which had a table with chairs to take meals and a desk to answer letters and do work. Off to the left was a room with a tub and not much else and to the right was a bed and dressers.
"What were father and the other man talking about, Baelon?"
"Boring things. Nothing a young princess like you needs to worry about," I replied, testing the softness of the bed and sheets, they were better quality than in Runestone as everything seemed to be.
"Tell me!" Alyssa pulled on my arm with all the strength of a four year old girl and turned me around to see her pouting face.
"Stop that, a princess shouldn't pout," She didn't stop, "They spoke of who would become king after Jaehaerys passes."
"Won't the king's son become king?" I smiled at her innocent question.
"The king's last son is currently on his deathbed. He has only grandchildren."
There was a knock at the door, "You may enter," Alyssa spoke up in her most confident voice which was utterly adorable in my opinion.
A few women entered followed by my father and a man dressed in relatively expensive looking armour.
"These are the servants that will take care of you while we stay here," My father said pointing towards the women already filling the bath with warm water and the dressers with clothes, "And this is Ser Steffon Darklyn, he is a gift from your grandfather. Ser Steffon was a man in the guard of the crown prince and now he is yours."
"It will be an honor to continue serving a Prince of the Blood," Ser Steffon seemed to be around the age of my father, though not as tall and not as pretty, he was handsome with a strong jaw. He had grey eyes and brown hair and was clean shaven with a sword on his hip.
"You will be serving a princess as well," I pointed out and my sister puffed out her chest as much as she could with a happy look upon her face.
"Of course, my prince, my apologies princess," Ser Steffon bowed low and spoke humbly. I decided I liked him.
"I will be back again later, we have been invited to dinner with the rest of the royal family," That made me slightly nervous but my father put that to rest, "Don't worry, it's not as though the Velaryons will be there," He laughed at his own joke and Alyssa began to laugh as well though she didn't understand.
Before long my father was gone once again and the bath was full of water, "All of you out, my sister and I are more than capable of washing ourselves," The servants looked hesitant but followed after Ser Steffon who was on his way out from the moment I stated my order. I had never been okay with any servants washing either Alyssa or I as the servants in Runestone knew.
Alyssa stripped naked and soon after so did I before sinking into the bath. I was sure to wash Alyssa's hair with as much care as I could and she… well she was only four.
Before long I had Alyssa and myself dressed and ordered a servant to enter and help to make sure our clothes were in the best state possible before heading to dinner with the king.
-
Father came back to our room after a few hours of Alyssa and I sitting around talking about whatever came to mind, which in Alyssa's case was often dragons.
There were two young Kingsguard protecting the door to the small dining hall which the royal family would be meeting in and as we walked in I was quick to notice we were the last to arrive and the least well dressed, though nobody seemed offended thankfully enough. Daemon had made the meeting out to be casual though it was clearly more formal.
At the head of the table sat an old man with a long beard and white hair that might have been just as much due to his age as his heritage. His eyes were the common purple of House Targaryen and you couldn't ignore how tired they looked. More than likely he was handsome in his youth but now he was pale and thin and was much like I would imagine Gandalf or Dumbledore looking.
Behind him stood another two members of the Kingsguard, though these two were much older than ones in front of the door. One was dornish and slim while the other was pale and built like a bull.
To Jaehaerys' right sat Viserys and beside him was a rather adorable child, she had the best of the Targaryen features. Her eyes weren't light like mine and my grandfather's nor were they dark like my sister and father's but were perfect amethysts, a haunting color. Her curly hair was the perfect mix of gold and silver and was pulled into a long braid and she was dressed in the finest clothes I had ever seen, not even Jaehaerys' own robes compared. She could only be Rhaenyra Targaryen.
To the left of Rhaenyra was a young woman who must have been her mother, her hair was long and golden and her eyes blue. She was pretty, though with the other women I had recently been exposed to I would hesitate to call her beautiful. She was thin and willowy and couldn't be older than twenty but she had sat gracefully.
Across from Jaehaerys was a man with the traditional Targaryen looks dressed in the robes of a Maester. He was frail and had a long face and was the only Targaryen I had met that I did not consider beautiful in their own right.
Father escorted Alyssa and I to Jaehaerys' side where he introduced us, "This is Alyssa and Baelon, your great grandchildren, grandfather," Daemon said bowing slightly at the waist, a move which I was quick to copy and Alyssa followed our example.
"Yes, I remember my grandchildren, Daemon," The old man chuckled slightly but it didn't reach his eyes, "Another Baelon. I'm sure you will grow to be just as brave as the last."
"Thank you, your grace," I didn't look at the Old King and instead kept my eyes pointed towards the ground.
He turned to Alyssa who did not share my nervous air, "You are very old," She proclaimed suddenly. I put my hand on her shoulder quickly to scold her but Jaehaerys just waved it off with a laugh.
"It would seem this one already takes from her namesake well," Jaehaerys continued to smile and chuckle, though it seemed more real this time.
"Sit down already, Daemon, we have spent enough time waiting for you already," Viserys eventually spoke up and my father brought us to the left side of Jaehaerys, himself sitting next to the Old King with myself across from Rhaenyra and Alyssa next to me.
Before long servants had food brought in and the table devolved into separate conversations. Daemon and Viserys were doing their best to subtly needle Jaehaerys about the next heir while Aemma and Vaegon were speaking of the latter's time in the Citadel.
My self of course, being physically four years of age, was stuck talking to the other four year olds who seemed destined to argue over every small thing they spoke of.
"You've rode a dragon?" Rhaenyra seemed very excited by the idea and honestly I don't blame her, "Do you think uncle could take me?"
But Alyssa scoffed, "You're not yet mature enough to ride a dragon, isn't that right Baelon?" Alyssa attempted once again to bring me into the conversation but unfortunately for her I didn't plan on making enemies with Rhaenyra just yet.
"I'm sure the princess is more than mature enough to ride a dragon, though whether she will or not will be up to her father," Alyssa turned to me with the most betrayed expression I'd ever seen anyone wear upon her face and I could even see her eyes water as Rhaenyra shot her a victorious look.
Honestly the amount that Alyssa was affected by other people's comments was sort of ridiculous even for a child her age.
Of course I didn't tell her anything like that and instead reached over to pull her into my arms and pat her head, "Hush now Alyssa. There's nothing to cry about."
"But you're supposed to be on my side," She muttered into my chest.
"Well clearly he has switched to the winning side then," Rhaenyra was looking entirely too smug.
"No he hasn't," Alyssa's tears had turned to anger now, "He was just trying to save your feelings from the truth. Honestly brother you're too nice sometimes," Alyssa didn't seem to fully agree with her assessment of the situation but was also unwilling to think the reason was anything else.
Things continued with this nature for what must have been an hour before a knock was heard at the door.
"Your grace, Maester Runciter brings a message on prince Baelon's condition."
"Send him in," Was the Old King's immediate answer.
The moment the old man entered the feeling changed. His eyes were somber and his body tired, "I'm sorry, your grace. Your son has died." And with him went the Conciliator's final hopes of one of his children succeeding him.
Oh well, it only leaves me in a better position. From here the true game starts
-
An
The only more on the nose I could have been with that ending is if once Viserys takes the throne I have Baelon say "And so begins my life as an si in King Viserys Court." (Which I absolutely will be doing.)
I consider this chapter to be the end of the 'prologue'. From here forward Baelon will be less of a blank slate and his true personality will be coming out more.
Now if you aren't reading this on AH then this next part might confuse you but on AH there was a large debate on whether or not Baelon would be a Targaryen or a Royce.
I try not to enter debates on my story that have a definitive one or the other answer, as it kills the debate by reason of "the author said" but I will say that Baelon will become a Targaryen. If you completely disagree with that and will no longer read my story because of it then I'm sorry but I believe you to be in the minority.
There were good debates and reasons for both sides but for my story and the character I want Baelon to be he would not even think about giving up the most powerful name in the world for his vassals and mothers family.
I'd appreciate if any I told you so or complaints about how stupid this is are kept to a minimum.
Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed, new chapter coming Monday.