73-76 AC

The years between 73 AC and 76 AC saw the continuation of the relative peace and quiet throughout the realm, and uneasy as it was, the peace between the Queen and her siblings held.

That is not to say however that nothing of note occurred. In the year 73 AC, the first of the Ironborn conquests took place. When it became clear that despite the recent meeting of captains and lords in the Isles, the prospect of independence was not likely, a band of over two thousand Ironborn adventurers led by Qalen Sunderly would take to ship with the ambition of creating an independent realm where they might keep to the old ways.

Taking advantage of the instability amongst the Wildlings following their defeat at the First Hill, the Ironborn longships landed upon the Frozen Shore and carved out a realm for themselves within the Frostfang Mountains, creating a settlement in one of the mountain valleys, the wildlings attempted to resist of course but their weapons of bone and wood were no match for the steel and iron axes of the Ironborn. Qalen Sunderlys domain would stretch from the gorge in the south, bordering the Night's Watch castle of Westwatch-by-the-Bridge and the Skirling pass to the north.

Qalen Sunderly would not long survive his conquest however, soon after being murdered in his sleep by a wildling woman, and his kinsman Dunstan Sunderly would take leadership of the settlement.

Though the Ironborn faced constant guerrilla warfare from the wildlings that lived within the Frostfang mountains, the settlement would endure for seven years, raiding nearby wildling villages and trading walrus bone, timber, pelts and wildling thralls with their kinsmen back on the isles. The situation would grow untenable following Dunstans death of natural causes however as the Wildlings began to unify in the region so the Ironborn eventually withdrew back to the Iron Islands, hailed as heroes and no doubt inspiring the subsequent Ironborn conquest which would prove far more significant to this chronicle.

The Princess Lianna was also not idle during this quiet period, making many trips throughout the realm to try and improve her mothers standing and reputation. These trips would prove quite successful and the Queens improved reputation, along with a new wave of foul rumors that assailed the Prince Vaekar's own reputation did much to improve Laenas position.

This improved reputation was to be sorely needed as soon after the Queen would make a rather savage and callous decision that has hardly endeared her to my order of the Citadel. In late 73 AC, the winter fever ran through Kings Landing, and Grandmaester Josmyn, who had served the realm faithfully for many years was afflicted by the pox whilst offering his healing services to the downtrodden of the city, including the whores in the street of silk when he came down with symptoms of the disease.

Upon his arrival back to the Red Keep, upon seeing his conditions from the ramparts, the Queen refused to allow him entry back into the castle, and despite much pleading to the Princess Lianna, the old man was turned away, and without his elixirs and herbal stores in his chambers he soon perished from the disease, which would also claim the life of the Kingsguard Ser Androw Hollard, who was similarly forced from the Red Keep.

It is believed that the moniker Queen of Skulls first came about shortly following this event, when at a meeting between the Archmaesters of my order in Oldtown, Archmaester Adison expressed his displeasure at having to choose another good and learned man to serve this ''Queen of Skulls'', a term which stuck with the novices of the city and is used throughout the realm to this day.

74 AC was similarly largely uneventful. Early in the year the Manderlys of White Harbor faced a rebellion from the peasantry in nearby Blackpool, who were disgruntled by incursions of septons from the city into their land, which largely held to the old gods unlike their Manderly overlords.

Despite initially winning a surprising victory against a small and overeager force of Manderly levies, with the peasants impressively repulsing their knights and men-at-arms, eventually the rebellion would be put down and peace would return to White Harbor.

The later months of 74 AC would see the further growth of House Targaryen, as Jaehara Targaryen and Nakados Tendryis would welcome another child to the royal family, a girl who would be named Viserra, and would grow into an exceedingly quick and intelligent child.

It was also around this time period that two new houses, or rather branches of old proud houses came to being.

The first of these was House Stonewolf, the lords of the Stony Shore. Shortly after Aegons conquest, Torrhen Stark granted the Stony Shore to one of his younger sons, and for over seventy years his descendents had ruled the thinly populated lands around Sea Dragon Point and the Stony Shore, growing ever more distant from their kinsmen in Winterfell before at last the Starks of the Stony Shore created their own house.

The second such event was not so much the creation of a new house but rather the merging of two. The near destruction of House Yronwood during Aegon's conquest is well recorded, though contrary to popular belief the house did not perish completely.

In addition to the small amount of trueborn Yronwoods, who currently rule over a small tower house called Drywell in the Great Desert to the south of Dorne, House Yronwood was survived by a daughter of the last Lord of the Yronwoods. This woman would be married to a Drinkwater of Vultures Roost, one of House Yronwoods traditional vassals.

Their children would eventually become Lords of Yronwood, bearing the name Drinkwater and so it would continue for many decades, with these Drinkwater descendents still retaining the look of their Yronwood ancestors after all these years, inheriting their blonde hair and blue eyes, unlike the trueborn Yronwoods in all irony.

However as time went on, factions grew between the Drinkwaters of Yronwood and their Drinkwater Vassals of Vultures Roost, and a proud Lord of Yronwood, seeking to differentiate himself from his vassals and to highlight his Yronwood legacy, created the House of Yronwater.

The records of later years of this time period also give more insight into the life of Prince Vaekar, who in late 75 AC was expecting his first child and heir with his wife Selyse Scales on Dragonstone.

10th Moon, 75 AC

Castle of Dragonstone, the Narrow Sea

The screams from the bedchamber carried all the way to the top of the Stone Drum, where Prince Vaekar stood hunched over the painted table that his grandfather and grandmother Aegon and Visenya had planned the conquest of Westeros along with their sister Rhaenys.

The Prince had spent many an hour at this table often spending all day locked away in the chambers to the late hours of the night, pouring over the map, looking for any strategy…any advantage that could be gained over his sister.

Their prospects were dire, despite all his searching Vaekar could not find a way to replace the support they had been counting on from Eddard Stark, who had been killed in battle years prior, and with his death, so too did the promise of over thirty thousand northmen to their cause.

Vaekar had cursed himself for a fool many times since he got that raven from the North, he should not have counseled the Lord of Winterfell to continue his war against the Tullys but the prospect of gaining the Twins and the Freys to their cause had blinded him to the potential consequences of the wars continuation. Ill tidings had been received from Storms End as well, as Cymella had reported their niece Daeoril was slowly but steadily gaining control of the court and the respect of the Stormlander Lords, while she still felt confident her son Boros would follow her lead, she reported that the Storm Lords were far less certain to follow them into potential rebellion. The fact that his sister had somehow gained Aelesar and the Volantene dragon to her cause was a seemingly unassailable obstacle as well

He had considered almost every option….while lacking the support of most of the Reach, his sister Alyssanes seat of Highgarden was rich, and she could likely bring several thousand mercenaries to their cause with her coffers, but nothing would unite the realm faster against them than if they declared a rebellion with the backing of a horde of foreign mercenaries worshiping foreign gods, and in the end a few thousand more men would make a difference against his sisters dragons, especially now that Dorne was firmly under her sisters control by her grandson Rhodry, and her daughter Larissa who had recently became a dragon rider, though Vaekar felt confident in beating her dragon, which was described as being small, at the very least.

He had even considered returning to Essos and Mantarys to seek out Meraxes once more but that had been a brief prospect, he no longer possessed the reckless abandon and boldness he had as a young man and such a journey was fraught with danger….he would find no warm welcome in Mantarys either since Lord Zobridar had long since been deposed. In addition to this, even if he somehow managed to find Meraxes, he was doubtful he could bind it to his will, the old texts had never mentioned a rider with two dragons, and he was already bonded with his dragon Andalax, who was just over a dozen feet in length,in order to bond with Meraxes he would likely have to kill Andalax, for it was written a dragon could tell if an individual had already bonded with one of their kind.

Vaekar quickly put the thought from his mind, going to Mantarys was out of the question, his eyes returned to the painted table.

There has to be a way The Prince thought to himself, most men would have given up by now, but the Prince was a stubborn man and accepting defeat was not something he would allow himself to do.

If his wife were to sire a son, it would no doubt help his own position immensely, especially if he were to become hand, but he could not see how it would help his sisters and their immediate predicament.

He heard another scream from below and shook all the thoughts of his plight from his mind, his planning could wait for another day, he had hidden up here in this tower too long.

Pulling on his cloak and buckling on Blackfyre, the Prince made his way down the stairs with a contingent of guardsman behind him towards the sounds of his wife.

The smell of incense was heavy near the door, and the septons and their acolytes were right where he had left them, chanting their prayers outside the door, though they did little to drown out the screams coming from behind it.

The Prince nodded at them to continue their prayers and opened the door, one of the handmaidens at his wife's bedside opened her eyes wide when he walked in and made her way towards him.

''I'm not going anywhere.'' Vaekar said stubbornly, he had attempted to follow tradition, retreating to his solar to wait out the birth, but it had gone on far too long for Selyse to endure alone.

He sat by her side, and took her hand.

''Vaekar….'' She mumbled.

''Im here….Im here Selyse.'' He replied, gripping her hand tighter.

''So..Something's wrong.'' She panted.

''No….the father is with you, the babe is nearly here.'' He promised her, though something about about the faces of the helping maids disconcerted him.

His worries were momentarily abated with a gasp of excitement from one of the maids who proclaimed she could see the head.

They carefully drew out the babe, and Vaekar immediately noticed something was wrong.

There's no crying He thought to himself.

He watched as one of the women held the child, looking at him with uncertainty, Selyse began to weep in realization, an utterly exhausted sadness written on her face. Vaekar wanted to go to her, but he knew there were no words he could say.

''My Lord…..'' She began but Vaekar had already left the room without a word, wondering what he had done to earn such disfavor from the gods.

Those close to the Prince would say that this was truly the event and hardship that broke his spirit, and the records of the Prince Vaekar on Dragonstone grow quiet for many years.

75th AC-76 AC

The end of the year 75 AC saw two announcements made to the court as both the Princess Jaehara and Princess Lianna announced that they were expecting children.

This good news was to be dampened however with the death of Nakados Tendryis, the Red Keeps Pentoshi master-of-the-hunt, who would be found dead in his tent whilst hunting in the Kingswood with his huntsmen.

When questioned by the Princess Lianna, the huntsmen claimed that Nakados had not complained of any symptoms the previous day, but had looked quite sickly and under the weather, though he kept this discomfort to himself.

The Princess took her investigation a step further, having the new Grandmaester Greydon examine the body for any signs of foul play, but he reported that all signs pointed to it being a natural death, it had been a cold and damp expedition to the Kingswood and the man had likely simply caught a cold and passed away.

Nakados Tendryis's death left the heavily pregnant Jaehara widowed at just 28 years of age, and soon after she would give birth to a girl named Aerea, whom for unknown reasons has always been known as Aerea Tendryis, being given the name of her father rather than her mother. Her tragic tale shall be related later within this chronicle.

Nakados Tendryis's death had other consequences beyond just the widowing of the Princess Jaehara, as there were some within the Red Keep that began to whisper that Nakados had not just gone to his grave with his seed within the womb of Jaehara but also that of the Princess Lianna, who had gone to rather unusual lengths in investigating his death.

Rumors had surrounded the pair for years, but it was not widely circulated or spoken of. Princess Lianna was a paranoid and watchful woman, and if such an affair had occurred she had done her best to hide it, though some claimed the time the Princess spent hawking outside the city walls with Nakados Tendryis was rather odd.

Various hidden court records and private journals pose that Lord Ronnel Baratheon could no longer ignore the rumors surrounding his wife and the late Nakados and confronted Lianna.

It is said that the Princess denied nothing and tearfully confessed to the affair, though she swore on all seven gods that Aemorys, Jareion, and Jaenar, their firstborn child who had been born stillborn were all his, though she admitted it was a strong possibility the babe in her womb was not of his seed.

The rumor goes that Ronnel Baratheon raised his hand to strike her most fiercely, but remembered his vows made before the mother, and of the mothers mercy, and he lowered his fist, though he cursed her for a whore and a harlot and all other manner of foul insults, and stated that he would neither raise or have anything to do with her ill begotten bastard, though he would not reveal the secret in front of the court and destroy his son Jareions image, whom he was fairly certain at least was his seed. No amount of pleading to take the child as his own and raise it in sight of the court would sway him from his position, for Ronnel Baratheon was a stubborn man.

This would all be for naught however, as the babe would die in childbirth, and soon, all memory of the rumors of Nakados Tendryis and the Princess would slowly fade and those who continued to whisper would more oft than not find themselves without tongues.

There is however, another version of the tale.

11th Moon, 76 AC

The Red Keep, Kings Landing

''You must push my lady!'' The Princess's maid Elana, who had been at Liannas side for all three of her prior births insisted.

Lianna needed no further instruction, this was her fourth time facing the birthing bed.

She obliged, shouting as she grabbed the sides of the bed.

There was pain of course, but it was not so bad as Jaerion had been….that birth had nearly killed her, and even worse still had been Jaenar….her firstborn who had never lived.

What kind of life will this child live Lianna thought in between ragged breaths, fatherless, despised…..the life of a bastard child awaited this babe.

She forced herself to abandon all thoughts of stillbirths and bastardry, this babe needed her.

''Nearly there Lianna…..nearly there.'' Elana said.

With a final shout and push it was done and Elana drew him out.

''Its a boy Princess….a healthy boy.'' Her maid exclaimed excitedly.

A boy Lianna thought to herself, as always the pain and exhaustion momentarily became a distant memory as she saw the kicking of those little feet and heard the cries as her son drew his first breaths.

She held out her arms and Elana carefully placed the crying child in her arms when she had finished.

Lianna held her son close to her, stroking his head and looking into his closed little eyes.

My son She thought to herself, holding him close, all thoughts of her current situation melting away as she held him.

Her peace was not to last for long however, as soon after her parents walked through the door, Elana bowed and left hurriedly with the rest of the midwives, leaving the three of them alone.

Her father came first, as he had at all her other births, moving a lock of her hair from her eyes and kissing her on the forehead before taking the babe in his arms, her mother stood silently by the door.

''Such a jolly little fellow.'' He said with a chuckle, holding him in his arms.

''I had thought to name him Jaekar father….after you…if you would permit it.'' Lianna said with a tired smile.

''Of course I will…..I should be honored, I think the lad looks ready for an adventure, to meet his aunts'' Her father said, still holding the babe and opening the door, no doubt to take the babe around the Red Keep and introduce him to the royal family.

''Are you an utter fool.'' Her mother said sharply, breaking her silence.

''Laena…I'' He began.

''Shut the door Jaekar…and leave us.'' She commanded.

''You cannot be seriou….'' Her father began but thought better of it when he saw the glare in Laenas eyes and silently returned the babe to Lianna and gave her hand a quick squeeze before leaving the Queen and Lianna alone.

They remained in silence for quite a while, with Lianna gently rocking the babe, who had begun crying after the Queen's sharp chastisement of her husband.

''Lianna.'' Her mother began.

''No.'' Lianna said simply, refusing to face her mother, looking into her son's eyes.

Laena was undeterred ''So long as he remains in the capitol he will pose a threat to not only your own legitimacy but also that of Jaerion and Aemorys….your bastard cannot be here when you take the Throne.''

''No…I said no.'' Lianna said, trying to show no emotion and still refusing to face her mother, though her voice began to grow louder and more desperate at the end.

''People have eyes girl…..your husband has refused to raise the babe….the rumors that surround you are bad enough, but Ronnels treatment of the child will confirm it to all, he cannot remain here or whispers will haunt you and your sons till the end of your days…which will not be long in coming if he remains.'' Lianna said sternly.

''HE is my son too.'' Lianna said angrily, for the first time looking at her mother…the sudden raise in tone set the babe to crying again, and Lianna desperately returned her attention to him, trying to comfort and quiet him.

''He was your son…..until he died in childbirth….over time the rumors will subside…I shall see to that, but if he remains he will serve as a constant reminder of those rumors…they will never be silenced….that I promise you daughter….now quiet him'' Lianna said.

''It wont work…..he was seen, the midwives delivered him….it won't work.'' Lianna said, the exhaustion slowly setting in, and tears coming to her eyes unbidden.

''I will have them sent away…..none will hear the truth.'' Her mother said simply.

''Kill them you mean…..you will kill them.'' Lianna said, her vision now completely blurred with tears, her mind turned to Elana, the midwife who had been there by her side all four times she had faced the birthing bed, a woman she considered to be more of a friend and companion than a maid or servant.

Her mother said nothing at that.

''The child shall be cared for…..Nakados has Tendryis kinsmen in Freneros, a castle on the Braavosian Coastland, Jaqaro Tendryis is both High Justiciar to the Sealord of Braavos and a councilor and keyholder to the Iron Bank of Braavos, a powerful man.'' Her mother began.

''No.'' Lianna said, her voice barely above a whisper.

''Vaella has been in secret correspondence with the man, who has agreed to foster and raise the boy in Freneros, your sister tells me he is known be a kind and charitable man, the child will lack for nothing, and will receive an education befitting a member of the Tendryis family.'' Her mother said.

''I won't….I can't.'' Lianna said desperately, clutching her son closer to her, her tears falling on the babe.

''You can…..and you will….I will not always be here to protect you….I promise you this, if your bastard remains here, he will be killed most cruelly, him, your other sons, and you yourself, the realm can barely stomach what in their mind is our tainted blood…the lords of the realm will never follow those who they suspect to be bastards on top of that….if your bastard remains he will light the spark that destroys this family.'' Her mother said.

''I I were a man none would car..'' She began.

''But you are not a man….if the boy remains….your sons Jaerion and Aemorys will die….perhaps not today…but they will be killed before any of them sit the throne…on that you have my word…..send the boy away for the sake of your other sons, he will live comfortably…he cannot be used against them or their positions….what harm can he do…a bastard boy across the narrow sea'' The Queen of Skulls silenced her.

The image of her sons Jaerion and Aemorys entered her mind, Jaerion, nearly 8 years old by now, always with a smile and a joke on his lips, and his love of sweetcakes, and his brother Aemorys, younger and more sullen but nevertheless such a polite little boy….a terrible thought of their heads on spikes passed through her mind.

She looked into her newborn son's eyes, he had stopped crying by now, and was looking at her, holding her hand with his chubby little fingers.

''Is this your suggestion or your command.'' Lianna said, in an emotionless voice.

''Both.'' Her mother answered in a steely tone.

''Know that this is the moment you have truly killed me.'' Lianna said after a long silence, a fresh wave of tears falling down her face as she held the child close to her and kissed him.

Her mother said nothing to that and simply cleared her throat loudly. The sunlight from the windows had long since ceased to shine, and the dawnlight of the moon had replaced it. There was not a single sound from outside, and Lianna would later learn that the Red Keep had been completely cleared to allow the Royal Family appropriate privacy to mourn the stillborn child.

Her sister Vaella walked in, wearing a black hooded cloak, without a word she walked in.

''Vaella…please don't.'' Lianna pleaded, one last time, she saw a hint of something that might have passed for pity on her sister's face, but her mother gave her a nod and that look was quickly replaced by one of little emotion.

Vaella said nothing and extended her arms.

''No…No.'' Lianna said, attempting to hold Jaekar closer against her, but her mother had grabbed her shoulders, and Vaella took the squalling and crying baby from her arms , wrapping her cloak over him.

''NO….NO.'' Lianna shrieked, as if a wounded animal, thrashing wildly as her mother held her down and Vaella left the room, the crying of the baby growing fainter and fainter.

Lianna continued to scream and shriek, but her mother was stronger than her, and soon a wave of exhaustion passed over her and sleep took her.

In the weeks following the death of her stillborn son, Lianna would spent almost all of them in bed, crying far more and far longer than she ever had for her first boy that had been born stillborn, and as the Princess slowly returned to health and to her duties, it was clear that a change had come over her, with some servants whispering that the Queen of Skulls had somehow finally won over her daughter.