EPISODE 2; THE FATHER'S REPENTANCE

After twenty days in a carriage along the Rose Road, Vaegon and his retinue, consisting of Septon Eustace, and a dark-colored young maester of humble origins, named Orwyle, whom he had asked to come with him due to that "he was a very promising master" to which the newly appointed master was amazed at being chosen with the honor of being a trusted adviser to the future king.

They barely stopped to refuel in Altojardín, since the five hundred knights provided by the Hightower house required a bit of rest after so many leagues from Sun to Sun. of many dangers, and he was sure that after what happened with all the children of the old king and the kind queen, it would not be strange if Vaegon suffered a "mishap" especially at that moment when the entire Domain already knew of his resignation from his vows in the citadel, and his march to King's Landing for his assumption as prince of Dragonstone. That was more than demonstrated when he was received with all honors by the old Lord Tyrell, but Vaegon humbly declined any luxury or carnal pleasure offered him under that roof, courteously, but also firmly, he refused any ostentatious room, and slept on a humble pile of hay next to several of the soldiers who accompanied him, to their astonishment. Before dawn he got up, and after taking a bowl of milk for breakfast, he left quietly, but not before leaving a letter written to the old lord thanking him for his hospitality.

When they were barely a day from the capital, the procession stopped and two soldiers entered, one of whom began to undress, at a signal from Vaegon, who had already drawn up his strategy, which he was sharing with his retinue, while he took off his maester's robes.

"Listen to me," Vaegon said as the mail was carefully donned on him. His body was not athletic, but rather weak, so wearing that armor cost him horrors, and his vision was oppressively reduced with that helmet "I will leave with the other soldiers, until we reach the nearest town to King's Landing" then I will tell you how to enter the city.

Then he carefully got out in the company of the other soldier, and with a real effort knelt before the carriage with his hands folded in obeisance, as did the other soldier, before blending into the procession, just behind the master of Hightower house arms, whose name he hadn't really bothered to learn.

To say that walking six leagues with more than fifteen kilos of iron in the middle of summer, was a true ordeal, would be a simple euphemism, luckily he had two canteens of water, otherwise he could have died of heat stroke. But finally they arrived at a quite prosperous town, due to its proximity to the capital, and how could it be otherwise, Lord Hightower took out a golden ball and demanded lodging for his hosts.

It was then when the soldiers left to buy some refreshments, when Vaegon moved away from them and going to a secluded place with the same soldier, exhaustedly asked him to free him from that oppression. When he was free of those metals, he fell on the grass and hyperventilated, while his good Orwile gave him a jug of water to drink.

"If this is a horror, imagine dragon fire," he told them with difficulty.

After a while he fell exhausted under a tree, while putting a beggar's hood on him, who had approached the soldiers to ask for alms, even implored aloud for a coin. At dawn the septon Eustace woke him, and took him to the local sept, where they bought his robes from a hungover septon with a golden dragon.

Covered in a more humble cloak, but undoubtedly more comfortable, and accompanied by the coolness of dawn, they arrived after two leagues of march towards the walls of the capital. Before the entourage, the city guard was put on alert, and a real spectacle was created, while the carriage entered the city through the river gate, guarded by half a thousand Hightower soldiers. Vaegon, Maester Orwyle, Septon Eustace, and four soldiers in septon's robes, entered a little later, and not parting but mingling with the crowd, walked down Mire Street, though the journey cheered Vaegon. King's Landing is still well preserved, at least that's not a disadvantage" he thought, remembering when he had seen how the city was a century and a half later, although it was true that with his eyes he was seeing misery, it was not as extreme or massive as under the golden deer.

They passed through the streets of the Hook without stopping, following the procession, at a leisurely pace, but after a while of walking, they turned aside in the street Sombranegra, and from there they approached the north wall of the red fortress. When Orwyle wanted to ask, Vaegon covered his mouth with one hand, and with the other motioned them carefully into the bushes. Fortunately, all attention was paid to the procession, although they soon found a wooden door, which the soldiers pushed back with an effort that would reward each of them with the title of knight.

Carefully they advanced down the stairs in the dark, although they managed to get a torch, they walked through the same passages that Tyrion Lannister had walked to kill his father. They climbed the steps in a conch, until they reached step number one hundred and eighty-seven. There Vaegon squeezed a slab, and it opened, revealing some light.

"This is the Tower of the Hand," Vaegon said, closing the passage, "but we'll congratulate Otto on his appointment later... now you can take off your disguises," he told them, and the four soldiers displayed their armor, keeping their hands close to their chests. grips. So with no time to waste they walked towards Maegor's keep. No, rather it was its gardens, where before the astonished looks of servants, and several guards, they surrounded the independent fortress, and there inside, they found Vermithor "the bronze fury" and at the other end the glorious Vhagar, since both dragons were too big to fit in Dragonpit, besides, it had barely been a little more than a month since Baelon's death, so it was not surprising that the dragon was right there.

At first Vaegon had thought of claiming Silverwing, she was a good-sized dragon, as well as having belonged to the kind queen, but since she was on Dragonstone and there was no time or means to reach the island with a minimum of security, since any ship would be at the mercy of the mighty Velaryon and Meleys and of course Caraxes, so he had decided to make the move that no one who knew Vaegon Targaryen, that cold and withdrawn boy, would ever think it was. able to make.

"I'm going to claim Vhagar" he said with a firm voice, although inside he was dying of fear, although that disappeared instantly when he took into account that he had already died once, and the dragon fire, although horrible at least it would only be a few seconds Something compassionate compared to months of bedridden cancer, as your teeth and hair fall out, you cough up blood, and your arms grow as thin as sticks, as you cling to every possible hope that you can save yourself, although your world grows grayer every day, and your bed smells more and more of death.

"My lord..." Orwyle tried to convince him, but Vaegon ignored him.

Then he walked towards the old dragon, who was sleeping, and after hesitating for a bit, he placed a hand on the dragon's scales and said "Rytsas Vhagar" (hello Vaghar), making her wake up grumpily giving a roar that made her entourage back. to the outskirts of the garden, while several servants approached to see the scene, and many courtiers began to crowd curiously at the windows.

But Vaegon did not back down.

"Ñuhor līr gūrēnna!" (I'll take what belongs to me) Vaegon yelled firmly, although the dragon seemed to ignore him and she with the naked eye tried to go back to sleep, although she could be heard grunting rather ill-tempered.

With no time to lose, she climbed up with all the energy that her battered and somewhat stronger legs allowed her, her nets made the back of the dragon. It wasn't easy, either because of her nerves, because of Vhagar's moans, or because of her poor physical condition, which took the same time as climbing a mountain, but she finally got to the rider's saddle, with so much adrenaline that she didn't even buckle up. chair, perhaps thinking that he would have to get off without things getting ugly, or simply because his head was spinning, but after a few seconds with his tongue tied, he shouted the words;

"Dohaeras Vhagar!" (serve me Vhagar) Vaegon yelled at the top of his lungs.

And the dragon remained motionless, while a sepulchral silence reigned in the gardens. With all eyes on Vaegon, even Vermithor's, who were expectant about the outcome, as the guard arrived at the gardens followed by a young man in his early twenties with long platinum blond hair, Dark Sister drawn in hand.

But it was time.

"You are Vhagar!" Vaegon yelled with a force he had never shown in his life, and it reverberated throughout the place.

Then Vhagar began to slowly raise his legs, and after spreading his wings, where he could see the reach of a Dornish scorpion projectile, which had left a tear. The dragon roared with a regained vitality, showing everyone why she had the nickname of the "queen of dragons" and she took flight with a ferocity that only she could display.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Vaegon yelled at the top of his lungs, clutching the ropes with all his might to keep from falling off the edge as Joffrey Velaryon had done during the assault on Dragonpit. But the feeling was unique, and the view was spectacular while they took a great tour of the entire capital and its surroundings. From there the people looked like ants, and he could understand why the Targaryens and other dragon lords had come to consider themselves living gods.

Little by little he took the reins of the dragon, and suppressed his desire to vomit, although he had not had breakfast yet, and he would have to go through a good fast before riding in Vhagar, but after passing through the sept and dragon pit, they returned back to the grounds of the Red Keep, where the old dragon landed perfectly and let out a roar that he took to be smug, to which Vaegon chuckled and stroked her back. "Genius and figure huh?" he told her, and he could have sworn the dragon was smiling and nodding at her as if she were nodding.

Vaegon lowered the nets with great care, although his head was spinning, to the point that he almost took a good blow to the head, but as best he could he managed to reach the ground, and still a little dizzy, he saw the court all congregated in the gardens. He stared at them, unleashing the man with the beard and brown hair and the brooch on his hand, who was Otto Hightower, a man with a somber look, long hair and a well-groomed beard, who must have been Viserys Targaryen, next to him the young man from murderous rage was none other than Daemon, and ultimately the most important figure. With little hair on his head, but a long white beard, dressed in a white robe, and accompanied by his royal guard, he stood before his "father of him" King Jaehaerys I the Conciliator.

However, the first movement came from Daemon who pointed at Vaegon with a murderous look, pointed Dark Sister at him, but his soldiers drew their swords, and stood between Vaegon and his "nephew", in turn the palace guard drew their swords. swords, and Vhagar raised his head and roared, warning them with his eyes that they were one Drakarys away from their fate. But the bronze fury also went on guard to protect the rider from him.

"It's been a long time" said a powerful voice, but full of emotion, and all eyes focused on the figure of the old king walking towards his son at a slow pace "sheath the steels" he ordered without taking his eyes off the last son who remained.

The Hightower soldiers knelt before The Conciliator, leaving the way clear for him to go see his father, only Daemon stood between them while the hardness of his gaze increased as he realized who he was at the moment. that he was aiming

"By what right do you steal my father's dragon?" asked the rogue prince in a voice cold as ice.

But Vaegon was not intimidated, since he had the largest living dragon in the known world there, while Caraxes was in the dragonpit, so he held his challenging gaze, looking at him as if he were more of a worm.

"I have not stolen it, I have claimed it" Vaegon replied calmly "as you claimed my brother's dragon, when his body was still warm" he blurted out, and that was true, as soon as Prince Aemon died, Daemon claimed Caraxes , causing his cousin Rhaenys to get offended "now lower your sword, unless you want to become a murderer of relatives" he snapped "come on, I'm waiting, show your bravery" Vaegon challenged him.

Daemon was furious, and he really wanted to squash that worm in front of him, but Vaegon's words hit him, if he became a relative murderer right then and there, it would be like disowning his family, worse still. , become an enemy of his grandfather or his brother, and that they had to kill him. On the other hand, the place was packed with guards, and Vhagar's gaze left no doubt as to what his fate would be if he allowed himself to be carried away by his impulses. So he lowered his sword, but didn't soften his gaze.

"The blood of my father and my mother is what saves your life" he said, withdrawing furiously.

Vaegon felt like laughing at the cynicism of that scoundrel "but what blood does that bastard care about?" he wondered "Jaehaerys also had the blood of his parents and that didn't stop him from ordering the poor child beheaded in front of his own mother" Vaegon answered himself, immersed in his thoughts.

But then he found himself enfolded in old arms, and felt the heavy beard of his father's as he held him close. Vaegon returned the hug, he felt sorry for that old man. His life hadn't exactly been a bed of roses, but he couldn't imagine anything worse than seeing your children die one by one, that was a pain he could never bear.

"I hope to be the man you wish me to be," Vaegon said affably.

And the old king sobbed, on the shoulder of his son.

"You are, you are a good son, you were all always good sons...it was I who failed you" said the old king with a cracked voice.

It really broke her heart to see that pain.

"Calm down father" he consoled him "now they are with their mother… surely Gael is with his baby laughing while mother picks him up and pouts at him… or visorra waiting to throw a barrel of wine on my head… one day we will be with them… I promise you"

And the old king stood back for a moment, and Vaegon tore his humble septon robes and wiped his old father's face from tears and mucus, giving her his softest, saddest smile.

"Come on father, you must rest... I'll take care of everything" he told him and carefully led his father into Maegor's keep, while the entire court looked on expectantly. Some maiden who cared for him wanted to help Vaegon support his father, but the old king refused to rely on anyone but his child.