This chapter features quite a lot of lore about the Rhoynar and the river they once dwelled on, so I'd like to say a massive thank you to the History of Westeros podcast, who's episode on the subject titled 'Nymeria Part 1 – Mother Rhoyne' really helped a lot in both the motivation to write and the content that came out of my fingers. They are an exceptional podcast, with the co-hosts Aziz and Ashaya being extremely knowledgeable about the entire timeline, and if you want to learn a lot more about the lore behind A Song of Ice and Fire and I fully recommend all of their work.

There is also part of this chapter that is borrowed from Episode 2 – The Kingsroad. You should recognise it, but that's only so you can all be aware of where the Westerosi story is currently at. Like George, this all doesn't take place concurrently, as at the rate I want Luke and co to travel it would take a few months to get from Pentos to Volon Therys.

I hope you enjoy it nonetheless. I own nothing but Lucerys Targaryen, everything else belongs to George R R Martin or HBO.

The Baratheon Royal procession had been riding back towards King's Landing for a week before they had passed the Neck and reached the fertile lands of Ned's goodfather Lord Hoster Tully. The King was getting impatient, Ned could tell, and the Lord of Winterfell wasn't surprised when he was summoned away from the Queen's wheelhouse to dine with his old friend away from the large procession. Ned Stark was sat at the table that had been laid out for the pair and thought mournfully on leaving the North when he was left alone for a moment, as Robert pissed up against a tree.

The King tucked his cock away and turned back towards Ned. "Gods." He exclaimed. "This is country!" The Baratheon came back and sat down in his chair. "I've half a mind to leave them all behind and keep going."

"I've half a mind to go with you." Ned added solemnly, shifting in his seat.

"What do you say, just you and me on the Kingsroad. Swords at our sides, a couple of tavern wenches to warm our beds tonight." Robert tried to persuade his friend half-heartedly, raising an eyebrow at his suggestion.

"You should have asked me 20 years ago." Ned remarked with a smile.

Robert laughed. "There were wars to fight, women to marry." He said, the last bitterly. "We never had the chance to be young."

Ned was quick with his response, scratching at his beard as he said. "I recall a few chances."

Robert was briefly surprised at the bawdiness of his friend and burst into a deep laughter. "There was that one." He said as he wagged his finger, trying to jog his own memory. "Oh, what was her name? That common girl of yours… Becca? With the great big tits you could bury your face in." Robert said, making lewd gestures.

"Bessie!" Ned exclaimed. "She was one of yours."

"Bessie!" Robert repeated, the memory coming back to him with a grin. "Thank the gods for Bessie and her tits." They both laughed at that. "Yours was... Aleena? No. You told me once. Meryl? Your bastard's mother?"

Ned's face went dark. 'Promise me Ned.' "Wylla." He told Robert, feeling guilty at how easy it was to lie to his friend. He thought on Jon, up at the Wall, and again felt guilty, knowing that it was Ned's own selfishness that refused to tell his nephew the truth until he had taken the Black and rid himself of all his claims.

Lost in his thoughts, Ned realised that Robert had been talking to him again. "You never told me what she looked like." He caught the end of it.

"Nor will I." Ned told Robert shortly.

The Baratheon could sense Ned's discomfort and tried reassuring him. "We were at war. None of us knew if we were going to go back home again. You're too hard on yourself. You always have been." When Robert could see that that wasn't cheering Ned up, he went for a different approach. "I swear if I weren't your King, you'd have hit me already."

"The worst thing about your coronation... I'll never get to hit you again." Ned told him, a smirk appearing on his lips.

Now it was Robert's turn to have his emotions change instantly, as his voice lowered and grew quieter. "Trust me, that's not the worst thing." He told Ned, reaching for the scroll and handing it to the Stark patriarch. "There was a rider in the night."

Ned took it and read it, before reading it once again just to be sure. "Daenerys Targaryen was due to wed a Dothraki Horse lord." He repeated.

"Was due to." Robert emphasised. "But the wedding was stopped. By the Golden Company."

Ned shifted in his seat uneasily, this changed things slightly. "How many men do they have now?"

"Less than before." Robert told him darkly. "But they defeated a horde of 40,000 and killed Khal Drogo."

"Why do these whispers from half a world away worry you, Robert?" Ned asked, trying to brush it off.

Robert shook his head grimly. "I was never any good with my lessons, Ned. You know that better than most. But I remember the stories of the Golden Company and their pledge to put a Dragon on the throne."

"A Blackfyre, not a Targaryen." Ned corrected.

"Red or black, a Dragon is a Dragon while I sit on the Iron Throne." Robert muttered, his grip on his goblet tightening. "There's a war coming, Ned. And if this is true and the Golden Company have the Targaryen whore and her brother…"

"Then we'll throw them back into the sea." Ned interrupted. "The only way to get to Westeros is through the Narrow Sea. Send word to Stannis and Lord Redwyne to start preparing their fleets, and I'll even have Wyman build a fleet of our own."

Robert nodded, grinning. "See, this is why I need you!" Chuckling, Robert took back the letter. "Anyway, lets forget about those two brats for now. There's game in these woods, Ned. Let's hunt!"

The pole boat that carried the three Targaryen's along the peaceful waters of the Little Rhoyne was a large one, large enough that it allowed for Luke and Viserys to spar with one another. That arrangement hadn't lasted very long however, as Viserys had sulked after losing for the third day running and disappeared into the boat, and so far, he hadn't reappeared.

Luke was always up bright and early and had taken to bathing himself in the waters of the Little Rhoyne before the pole boat started moving again each day. The fourth day of travel was no different, as the High Valyrian young man waded naked in the river.

"He's not coming out today." A voice said from the direction of the boat. Dany was sat on the edge, wearing the translucent dress that she had been given by Illyrio the day she had met Khal Drogo. The hem was bunched up at her knees, and she let her feet dangle in the water.

"Shouldn't you be getting changed?" Luke asked, raising an eyebrow as he eyed her dress, the translucent fabric not leaving anything to the imagination.

Dany shrugged. "It's a nice dress, even if it is a bit revealing. Besides, it's only us on this boat." He couldn't argue with that. They were at the back of the fleet, if you could call the array of barges a fleet, and the only occupants of the pole boat were the captain, Ser Rolly and the three Targaryen's. "And you're wearing even less than I am." Dany smirked.

Luke chuckled. "I'm bathing, sister."

"In clear water." She raised an eyebrow, with a glance down to his waist. Luke laughed louder at this different, almost teasing side of Daenerys. Luke stood up, the water coming to his knees, before shaking his head amusedly at Dany not turning to protect his modesty and going to dry himself with a cloth, putting some trousers on as soon as he was dry. Luke strapped Blackfyre to his hip but left himself shirtless and bootless as he climbed back onto the boat and sat down beside his sister.

"He should be willing to train if he is to be a King to inspire." Luke grumbled, splashing his feet in the water of the Little Rhoyne.

Dany shook her head. "He hasn't had a true lesson since Ser Willem died." She told him. "Before then he trained daily, but afterwards he was forced to look after me and had no teacher."

Luke honestly felt bad for his older brother. "It must have been tough."

"Mostly it was." Dany admitted. "With every rejection he grew angrier, and the angrier he got the less people took him seriously."

Luke noticed how Dany quickly withdrew into herself at the memories and wanted to find something to cheer her up a bit. Luckily, Mother Rhoyne seemed to hear him, as in the distance towards the direction of Ghoyan Drohe, a humungous horned turtle poked his head above the water and let out a bellow. Dany looked shocked at the sight.

"The Old Men of the River, the Rhoynar called them." Luke explained with a smile. "They worshiped turtles like that before the Valyrian's scattered them and destroyed their cities."

"It's beautiful." Dany said in awe.

"It was considered a blessing to see one, apparently." Luke spoke again. "Mother Rhoyne has smiled upon our quest, Daenerys. We will take back the Iron Throne, I am sure of it."

The Little Rhoyne tributary soon joined the beginning of the main river, and it was around a fortnight after setting sail before the pole boats and barges passed Ny Sar, and the joining of the Noyne. Luke stood tall on the pole boat, staring in the direction of the ruined city in sadness.

Viserys had come above deck to see the famous place and looked triumphant. "When my dragon hatches, that is all that will be left of Storm's End. I vow it."

"It was cruel, what the Valyrian's did." Luke countered. "An entire race of people."

"People that were beneath them." Viserys argued. "A people that we had warred with for centuries."

Luke stared out at the large bonesnapper turtles. "In truth, without the Spice Wars and Nymeria leaving here, we would never have been born." It was true, since Dorne had come into the fold House Targaryen had married with descendants of Nymeria multiple times.

"Aegon and Rhaenys were descended from Nymeria." Viserys muttered darkly. Sighing, he spat. "They will be the first that we avenge by burning Tywin Lannister and his lackeys."

Luke could only agree there. "What actually happened?" He asked. "All I know is they were killed."

Viserys stared at him, bewildered. "You don't know?"

"Jon tried to keep as much of the horrors from me as he could growing up." Luke admitted. "I only know they died." He repeated.

"Died." Viserys scoffed angrily. "They were butchered. I overheard Mother crying about it to Ser Willem on Dragonstone. Rhaenys was stabbed half a hundred times by one of Lannisters insignificant bannermen, and Aegon…" He paused to collect himself. "Aegon had his head smashed against the wall. He was unrecognisable."

Things started to make sense in Luke's mind once he had heard that. "So Illyrio decides to raise a child of the same age and complexion to be this unrecognisable prince to put his own boy on the Iron Throne."

"Exactly." Viserys nodded. "But rest assured, he is most definitely dead. Ser Willem was convinced."

"And Elia?" Luke asked.

"Elia was raped by the Mountain, Gregor Clegane." Viserys told him unemotionally. "Then killed."

As the gravity of it all set into Luke's mind, he narrowed his eyes in anger at the sight of Ny Sar. "Those responsible will pay." He swore. "They will know about us by now, they will know that we are to be feared."

"Ships in the distance!" One of the men on another boat roared over the water. Luke's hand immediately went to Blackfyre at his hip, as he saw the red sails of the Norvoshi River Galleys in the distance towards the Noyne, just observing the ongoing fleet.

"Norvoshi." Viserys recognised.

Luke smirked. "They're probably still angry at me for sacking Norvos. They won't harm us, not unless we head towards them."

Dany soon appeared from below at the noise and had come to see what was happening. "How badly did you sack Norvos?" She asked tentatively.

Luke looked slightly abashed. "I may have brutalised their sacred temple and hung their bearded priests by their feet atop the walls as crow food." He admitted.

Viserys burst into laughter at that. "You really are a true dragon, brother." He said flatteringly. "Although you should have put them to flame."

Luke shook his head. "We'd fought hard for three days, and that was more of a message." He brought out a far eye and looked through the lens at the men on the ships, just waiting. "Have a look, they're more scared than angry."

"Your exploits are well known." Viserys muttered, and Luke couldn't tell if it was a compliment or bitterness. "As you say, the Usurper will know about you now. Your ruthlessness will come in handy when we take back my throne."

Luke didn't reply, just nodded his head once. The three Targaryens then stood in silence as their boat sailed calmly southwards towards Dagger Lake, and away from the worried eyes of Norvoshi sailors.

"You let that little girl disarm you?" Robert Baratheon asked his son and heir, Joffrey, mockingly. The entire Baratheon, Lannister and Stark party was filled with tension after the incident on the Trident between Joffrey and Arya, but Ned Stark was simply just tired. Robert turned to Ned and ordered. "Ned, see to it that your daughter's disciplined. I'll do the same with my son."

The doors to the room that they had all gathered in burst open at the final word, taking the attention away from everything that was going on. In strode a man that Ned hadn't seen since after the Rebellion, the King's youngest brother, Renly. "Robert!" Renly called out. "Robert!"

"Seven hells." Robert swore. "What in the blazes are you doing here?"

Renly was panting but forced his way through the crowd to stand between Ned and an irate Arya. "I'm sorry, but Varys swore that this couldn't wait, and I was the only one that could deliver it."

In his hands he had a letter, and Robert took it quickly. His eyes flicked over the scratchings of ink, and Ned could see his face growing red and angry. "Out. All of you." He whispered venomously. When nobody moved, he then screamed, spit flying from his mouth in pure rage. "OUT! EVERYBODY GET OUT!"

The room began quickly emptying, and Ned saw a look that Cersei gave to Ilyn Payne. He pulled Jory Cassell over. "Get the Direwolf and ride back to the North with her now."

"My Lord…" The captain made to complain, but Ned shook his head.

"Do it. If you can find the other in the woods then take her with you, but I want them out of reach of the Queen." Ned whispered. Jory nodded and fled the room. Ned then turned to the girls. "Follow Hullen and stay in your rooms until I come and speak with you both." He could see them both about to argue, but he raised his voice. "Now, girls!"

Sansa and Arya both nodded, and soon the entire room had emptied barring Robert, Renly and Ned. Robert had already downed at least two cups of wine in the time it had taken for the room to clear and was currently pouring another. "Did you read it?" He asked Renly.

Renly shook his head. "Varys mentioned it was to do with the Targaryen's, but I know nothing else." He said honestly.

Robert smashed his fist on the table at the thought of that family. He threw the letter on the ground by Ned's feet. "Read it." Robert commanded.

Ned picked it up and did as commanded. "Viserys and Daenerys are with the Golden Company and sailing down to their stronghold of Volon Therys." He read out, thinking it was knowledge that they already knew. The next bit hit him in his bones though. "The Captain General's past has finally been revealed to Varys, he is Lucerys Targaryen… No, this is a lie. Lucerys is dead."

"Kicked in the head by a mare after the Stoney Sept." Robert reminded them. "Or so we were told. Read on."

And Ned did read on, reading how Jon Connington was supposedly still alive as well, having raised the exiled dead boy within the ranks of the greatest mercenary group in the world, and how they had sacked city after city, only to come to Pentos and reunite the Valyrian family. "How reliable is this?" He asked Renly.

"Varys looked worried. Extremely worried." The younger man told them.

Robert pounded at the table again. "I want them DEAD!" He roared. He took a breath and turned to Renly. "Ride back to King's Landing and call all the banners. I want that shitpile of a city that they call a home razed to the ground. They'll face the full might of Westeros!"

"Robert." Ned warned.

"No Ned!" Robert roared, spit flying from his mouth. "The Golden Company, led by a Targaryen!"

"A depleted Golden Company!" Ned raised his voice back. "Look at it wisely, Robert. What allies do they have here?"

"There are still those that call me Usurper…"

"And there are even more that call you their King." Ned told him firmly. "We sure up our defences. We patrol the Narrow Sea regularly. Have Varys set his spies up to infiltrate Volantis so we can keep a watch on their movement."

"Wait for them?" Robert asked incredulously.

"Lord Stark has a point." Renly admitted. Robert gave him a fierce glare, but Renly stood firm. "They are no threat to you over the Narrow Sea. The Golden Company will never be able to have more than 20,000 men. I can field more than that personally out of my own levies."

Ned could have hugged the younger Baratheon, and probably would have if Robert's anger wasn't so high. "When they come, if they come, we'll be ready." He insisted to his friend.

Robert was calming down, but his face was still red with rage. He thought for a moment and sighed dramatically. "You both better be right." He warned them. "Because I swear to you, I will kill every single Targaryen that I can get my hands on."

Everyone had seen fighting at Dagger Lake. The pirates that called it their home were plenty, but they were no match for the Golden Company, and after a brief bit of plundering of his own, Luke and his men were sailing back down the Rhoyne.

They soon came to the area that Luke had always dreaded. The Sorrows were a dreary, foggy place with a bad history for those of Valyrian heritage. Luke had tied a cloth around his face to cleanse the air he was breathing and had insisted that Dany did the same. Viserys however thought himself above it and had refused.

"Why are we wearing these?" Dany asked, her voice muffled by the fabric.

Luke looked at her, as they stood on the deck. "Do you remember the story of Nymeria's ships?" Dany nodded, having heard it in full just over a month earlier as they had passed Ny Sar. "She fled because of what happened here." Luke explained.

"The Second Spice War?" Dany asked, remembering her history.

Luke nodded. "It started because of a few Valyrian dragon lords aiding Volantis in destroying Sarhoy, one of the ports that was taking trade away from them. The Rhoynar leader, Prince Garin raised a force of 250,000 men, and they conquered all the smaller Valyrian towns along the Rhoyne, including Volon Therys. One of our towers even depicts the war." Luke remembered, thinking of the Spice Tower. "Anyway, Valyria responded, sending 300 dragon lords including one of our ancestors to crush this host before it reached Volantis, and they destroyed both Sar Mell and Chroyane."

"Chroyane?" Dany asked, as she had never heard of the place.

Luke turned and pointed to one of the larger ruined structures that was barely in view because of the fog. "That's the Palace of Sorrow, the home of Prince Garin." He explained. "This is what is left of Chroyane."

Dany's stomach churned. "Why is it so foggy?" She asked. "The other ruins weren't."

Luke sighed. "Prince Garin supposedly didn't die in battle. He was captured and hung in a golden cage and forced to watch as his people were murdered and enslaved by Valyria. He called upon his goddess to curse the Valyrians."

Dany shivered at the thought. "What happened?"

Luke shrugged. "Nobody really knows, but Chroyane became a ruin overnight and the Rhoyne was littered with stone men." He pointed down at the river, where men growing thick with Greyscale were sinking into the depths of the river, having attacked those further forwards in the convoy of boats. "Since then though, Greyscale has haunted the world and it is one of the few diseases that can harm us."

"Superstitious nonsense." Viserys called from behind them. Luke turned around, his eyes narrowing in annoyance at being called out. "There is no power in this water magic, sister. Don't listen to it. The only magic is that of fire, fire and blood."

The eldest Targaryen disappeared back into the ship then, likely to fawn over his egg once more. Luke clenched his fist to try and dissipate his anger at being told he was wrong, and instead tried to focus on the hauntingly beautiful sight of the Sorrows, as the Company continued to move slowly southwards.

As I said, a very historical chapter but a fun one to write nonetheless with a couple of key changes. Ned is a lot more cautious when it comes to the Golden Company than he was with the Dothraki in canon, and of course Robert's attention was taken away from the Direwolves when the news about Lucerys came to him.

The storylines aren't going concurrently as I said in the first authors note. Realistically the Westeros scenes all happened before the second Essos scene, as it will take at least a few months for the entire Company to get back to Volon Therys. The reason why it's taking so long in terms of the story will be evident by the title of the next chapter, but I won't spoil it!

I will give you a clue about the next chapter though. We meet a character that was a key reason as to why the War of the 5 Kings went the way that it did in the show.

Thanks for the reviews, favourites and follows. Until next time!

Reviews:

TheOnlyKing: Illyrio is a powerful Magister of Pentos, and Luke is only the leader of a depleted Golden Company. To me it makes no sense to piss off an entire city. I like your idea, but I've already planned how the Viserys/Lucerys stuff finishes.

Zoom99: As I told TheOnlyKing, he isn't in a position to anger an entire city and to turn Pentos against him.

C.E.W: Ned is certainly more cautious, but they can't really do anything from where they are, and then they are trusting Varys…

alec-potter: You're not alone in that surprise, but I've answered why I let him live in other reviews. There are plenty of other women in Westeros, and Luke is hell bent on getting his family secure on the Iron Throne again, he knows that by wedding his sibling that hold would never be truly secure after it's been proven that Targaryen hold isn't as strong as they thought before the Rebellion.

Hail King Cerion: I just felt like I had too, having used a lot from their story in the first 10 chapters. Technically Viserys isn't actually King yet, and Luke knows him well enough to know that he won't do anything without being commanded. Their relationship is a good one, they trust one another and know that they can keep each other's secrets.

NeedingOfLifeGoalDude: That's thinking that Varys is aware of this plot. As for the other part, any answer is bordering too close on spoilers, so read to find out!

fdiggin: Jon could, but he won't. Jon is currently on his way to the Wall, so whenever that plotline links up with Lucerys', then I'll bring him in.

IrisDawnDancer: Thank you for the many reviews, and for being my 100th reviewer! John will be a part of it eventually, but he's on his way to the Wall right now. It's a show fic, so he's a Targaryen trueborn.