CHAPTER 3; THE CASTLING
That same night, for the first time in more than twenty years, Vaegon was sitting at the same table with his father for dinner, although the evening was tense with the looks of Viserys and Daemon, the latter notably resentful for having claimed the dragon from his father. father. He was also on it, his other niece Aenma Arryn, who had received him kindly. Though only the old king, he was truly satisfied as he presided over the table, while Vaegon took the place where Prince Baelon had sat, much to the scoundrel prince's anger.
Vaegon wore a simple black tunic, but unlike the rest of his relatives, he did not carry a dozen rings on his hands. As for the king, he was clad in a white robe with golden threads, Viserys and Daemon in ornate robes and ruby-covered hands, while Aenma wore a cream-colored gown.
The atmosphere was tense until the servants began to serve the roast pig, on hot bread, of which Vaegon helped himself to just a couple of slices of suckling pig with a slice of bread, accompanied by a glass of water. On the other hand, the old king barely ate a slice, while Viserys drank ten slices enlivened with a couple of glasses of wine from the Rejo, luckily his figure, although not athletic, was still attractive because he would be overweight years later. His wife, who was pregnant, also ate quite a bit, but not as much as Viserys. For his part, Daemon had five strips of meat, which he was carving violently, while he looked at Vaegon with a sharp smile, but his gaze showed the fire of the dragon at the thought that he was trying to steal their inheritance. from his father.
"Tell us dear uncle" Daemon began with a venomous smile "What brings you to our home?"
But Vaegon was not intimidated. Well, the royal guard could perfectly overpower him if he tried something foolish.
"I have come to do my duty," Vaegon told him firmly, and he suspected that his father had not yet told the court and his grandchildren, partly because he wanted to wait for Vaegon's answer. . Perhaps all that little theater had been absurd, but in the case of dragons, all the precautions were never wrong "because my father has asked me to"
"That's right," Jaehaerys said firmly, stopping to eat his roast meat, "the kingdom needs a new prince of Dragonstone."
For a moment it seemed that time stopped at the old king's declaration. The servants stopped dead, the royal guard froze, and even the candle flames seemed to stop for a second. Viserys stopped eating even with half a strip of meat in his mouth, and Aenma went blank with her cup in her hand, but Daemon stared at Vaegon, and the initial surprise that curved his face ended up contorting him in pure rage. process that information.
The rogue prince got up from the table and punched hard on it, but it was mahogany and he only got a red and sore hand, but the dragon's fury was his greatest emotion at that very moment.
"This is an insult to the memory of my father!" Daemon yelled angrily "My brother is my father's heir, he is your natural heir!"
The old king looked hard at his grandson showing his bitterness.
"Your father is dead" Jaehaerys said in a grim tone "now my heir is Vaegon... my son Vaegon" he snapped at his grandson putting special emphasis on the word son.
But Daemon was far from, perhaps because of his youth, that he was fighting a losing battle against his grandfather.
"You're dodgy!" she snapped at him disrespectfully "The Targaryen house needs a warrior, not a puny bastard, who is nothing compared to what the prince of spring was!"
"Daemon..." the old king warned him, giving him a colder look than the night of the winter solstice "You are disrespecting my blood... apologize to your uncle right now"
But Daemon gave a completely inappropriate giggle that heated the atmosphere even more as he stared at his grandfather with some pity.
"Grandpa, you're old... and you're going blind" Daemon said causing the conciliator to frown "now it's clear to me... it was you, right bastard?" he asked pointing at Vaegon "You killed my father!"
The room froze at such an accusation, the king staring at Daemon as Viserys spat out the meat he had choked on, but everyone held their breath at the magnitude of that accusation.
But Vaegon rose from the table, and looked steadily at your nephew.
"I loved my brother, but I'm thankful he's not here to see what his child has become," he snapped at Daemon.
The rogue prince lost his temper and lunged at Vaegon, but the royal guard was quick to subdue him. Then the old king got up with difficulty from the table, almost limping walked towards them, and looked with anger and disgust at the youngest of his grandchildren, looking more like a captured bandit than a dragon rider. The noise of the slap resounded throughout the room before the expectant gaze of those present. This was the first time the old king had raised his hand against his own offspring.
"Do not offend your family again, your blood with another obscenity," Jaehaerys said in a thunderous voice.
The old king gestured, and the guards released Daemon, who still cast his ill-tempered gaze at Vaegon, but this did not intimidate him in the least, for he knew of the rogue prince's lack of means.
"Come on father" Vaegon said helping him to his feet "he is just consumed by grief... let him reflect so he realizes what he has done"
Jaehaerys nodded and ran a hand over Vaegon's head as he helped him sit back down.
But as fate would have it, when Vaegon was about to sit down again, some hurried footsteps were heard in the distance, and in a matter of moments, an agitated man, dark-skinned, with long, silver-blonde hair, just like than his beard, lilac eyes, dressed in a navy blue doublet, and nine rings on his fingers, between which he was squeezing a letter. That was undoubtedly Corlys Velaryon "the sea serpent" to whom the citadel's burden had come as Vaegon's appointment as prince of Dragonstone was announced. That had been the measure that he had mainly entrusted to Ulwin, since it was convenient that the news spread as soon as possible, since the seven kingdoms had forgotten the existence of Vaegon, which had to be corrected as soon as possible, because if not, who? Would you follow a stranger? And now the whole south and perhaps a part of the north had remembered his name again. Soon a young woman arrived with the usual beauty of the Targaryens except for the black hair of her Baratheon of hers. She obviously wasn't happy with the missive, but at that moment she had the priority of controlling her husband.
"His Grace of her," the sea serpent said with barely contained anger as her wife tried to placate him, "it is an outrage to the memory of Prince Aemon this appointment," she said, looking at Vaegon. The truth is that she had a complex about him, since Lord Corlys seemed twice as man as Vaegon and that there was only a difference of ten years. Had it been at another time, the king would have reacted better. But he rose again and raised his fist.
"I inherited the iron throne from my father, and my father inherited it from the conqueror!" shouted the old king with iron in his voice "A son will always have more rights than a grandson or granddaughter!" he croaked showing why his family had so little affection for him.
Before the sea serpent could say anything he might regret, Vaegon stepped in, hugging Rhaenys joyfully, much to the bewilderment of the couple.
"My dear niece" she said effusively "long time no see, you certainly have your mother's beauty" she said as she turned to Lord Corlys and also hugged him "my dear friend, it wouldn't be a real family reunion without you " he said letting go, but passing his hands behind his back "Please, share the table with us, bring two more seats!"
The servants did so, placing two chairs on Vaegon's side. Prince Daemon stopped himself from saying anything, and sat down. The Velaryon couple were puzzled by their shy uncle's behavior, but after looking at each other for a moment, Rhaenys took the first step and they sat down at the table, followed by Vaegon.
To lighten the tension, Vaegon took the first step.
"Tell me, how are Laena and Laenor?" Vaegon asked with a cordial smile. "They must be real cherubs, Laena must be about nine years old, I'm sure she has the same energy that you had at that age," he said affably.
"Yes" Rhaenys said with a hint of a smile, it was curious that the guy with whom he had less contact showed more affection than the rest of his relatives.
"I've also heard something about the recently established triarchy," Vaegon continued, catching Lord Corlys' attention, "you have to be vigilant, if they block the Stepstones, they can cause a lot of damage to the seven kingdoms."
"You are right" granted the sea serpent.
The rest of the dinner was spent with the theme of trade and piracy. While the king was pleased to see his son handle the affairs of the kingdom with such skill, especially in customs matters, he reaffirmed his conviction that he was making the best decision. For his part, Viserys felt out of place, although he coped with it thanks to the laughter and attention his wife gave him. Vaegon realized this and could understand why after his death the one who was supposed to be the fifth king of the dynasty had been reduced to little more than a shadow of what he once was, although to be honest it's not that were many. For his part, Prince Daemon left the table to go to who knows where. At any rate, dinner ended with the lemon cakes, though most of them were eaten by Viserys out of appetite and Aenma out of whim. Vaegon ate only one, as did his father, whom he helped carry to his chambers, accompanied by Lord Royalguard Commander Redwyne.
He waited in the anteroom for the nurses to prepare him to go to his bed, when he was finally able to enter, Vaegon found the old man in bed, he looked twenty years older, but stared at him with bright eyes. He went over to her to put a glass of water on the nightstand, and took a seat in a wooden chair next to his bed. And the old man turned his head to stare at him.
"You have changed a lot" said the king with some surprise "you are not the same boy who left for Antigua"
Vaegon closed his eyes for a moment, he had to be careful lest he arouse suspicion and be labeled a conspirator, but he remembered and appealed to the old king's feelings.
"Father," he said wistfully, "I owe it to Maegelle," Vaegon said, thinking of his older sister who had died in Antigua five years before of greyscale, and it worked because her father shed a tear for his dear daughter "often we We saw each other and talked, I… I admit that I made things difficult for her, but we always maintained our affection… when she fell ill with greyscale, I promised myself that I would find a cure. I was from sunrise to sunset looking for a remedy, but death claimed her" then she paused dramatically "I was there the night she died, my legs and arms were petrified, but she was still smiling... she was afraid and kept smiling and saying words to me sweets so that I wouldn't be afraid… and I promised her that as she did I would help everyone as best I could… that's why I accepted your offer" declared Vaegon lowering his face and covering it with a hand to hide his dejection, but the lack of tear I force him to say "I don't even have tears left"
The old king began to sob a second time and was moved by the story of his son, if Alyssane saw him she would surely be as proud of him as she had been of Aemon and Baelon. Then Vaegon kissed the wrinkled forehead of his and withdrew after wishing him a good night, leaving him with the ghosts of the past.
Shortly after leaving the royal apartments, he walked through Maegor's keep in the company of two royal guards, for the rogue prince lurked. However, soon the beating of a dragon's wings was heard in the sky, and leaning out of the window like so many others, he saw how the red wyvern left the capital under cover of night.
Vaegon frowned, "it'll cause trouble," he ruled, continuing on his way, and assessed his strength. In principle he had the entire Domain, thanks to the support of the Hightowers and the invaluable help of the maesters, the North, although supporters of the primogeniture, would remain loyal to their designation by the king, and the Starks at least until Robb was foolish enough to marry that Westerling they never forgot an oath, so it was safe to count on the north. The Tullys were in a similar vein, as demonstrated in the Dance with Dragons. As for the West, he wasn't entirely sure, but they wouldn't support the Velaryons. "Perhaps a visit on Vhagar's back and a seat on the council would be enough," he thought. But the Velaryons had the largest naval force, and a powerful army, as well as having numerous wealth, and in addition to the dragon Meleys, which already made them their most fearsome adversaries. In addition they had the Baratheons and the Stormlands.
On the other hand, Daemon under the name of his brother, was surely going to recruit an army of mercenaries, or to the Valley to try to squeeze the most out of his unfortunate marriage with Rhea Royce, and Aenma's ties, he did not know the order , but he was sure that he would do both. He was in proportion a less dangerous rival, but he had Caraxes and if they dueled he knew without a doubt, that in the best of cases they would both perish as in the Eye of the Gods.
"I guess if I want to win the throne, I'll have to go through the game of thrones," Vaegon said with resignation, as he headed for his father's offices. There he took a seat and requested the presence of his niece and her husband.
He was waiting for them in the gloom accompanied only by candlelight, when a guard knocked on the door and gave permission to open, letting Rhaenys and her husband inside. Vaegon gave a weary smile and asked them to take their seats.
He then he sighed and began his tirade.
"Rhaenys, I understand your anger," he spoke calmly, "I know what it's like to be unceremoniously discarded."
Rhaenys closed her eyes for a moment. But the sea serpent intervened.
"The throne belongs to my wife by right of blood," she spoke with utter conviction.
Vaegon smiled.
"And why does the throne belong to him?" Vaegon asked calmly.
The sea serpent rolled its eyes, and Rhaenys frowned.
"My father was the eldest of the king's sons" spoke the queen who never went with a hint of resignation.
"No" Vaegon replied "Your father was the former heir, but he was not the first heir, before him there was Daenerys, to whom she was betrothed, but when illness took her, they betrothed him to your mother, from whose union you were born." . That made you my brother's heir."
Rhaenys nodded solemnly.
"But being the heir to the prince of Dragonstone doesn't make you the next heir," Vaegon continued. one of Maegor's three black queens. Who named his daughter princess of Dragonstone, when the seven kingdoms revolted against Maegor's tyranny and when Rogar Baratheon, your grandfather proclaimed my father king, and the seven kingdoms seconded him and none…relevant supported the rights to the throne of Aerea, only your grandfather in a pathetic attempt, because he tried to separate my parents" then he paused.
The sea serpent narrowed its eyes at where things were going.
"If you had been born a boy, you would have been a prince of Dragonstone, or your brother if my brother had fathered a boy... do you understand where I am going?" she asked in an almost condescending tone, which she struggled to suppress.
But Lord Corlys got up from the table.
"I've heard enough!" he bellowed loudly, but Vaegon sighed.
"You have heard my arguments...but not my offer," Vaegon said, causing the sea serpent to raise an eyebrow.
"What do you propose?" Rhaneys inquired, intrigued.
Vaegon sighed.
"Niece," he said affectionately, "it is true that an injustice was done to you and Laena. But this is not Dorne, and neither you nor your daughter will ever sit on the iron throne, that is a given. And even if you had been appointed, Daemon is not his father, he is hungry for glory and power, and in the name of Viserys he would raise every lord he could against you. In fact, he just got Caraxes out of the dragonpit and has gone off to rally his forces against me. He is the black point of the house of the Dragon and he requires your support to save the seven kingdoms. And for this he needed the support of the Velaryon house, not only to dissuade any attempt, but also to govern "
The sea serpent put his hands on the table.
"And why should we help you?" he asked "My house is Valyria, we are the second most powerful house in Westeros, we arrived here before the Targaryens, both the mother of the conqueror and that of his grace were Velaryon, however, I have been the one who has had to fight tooth and nail and teeth to build their house from nothing, while the Targaryens have only had dragons to conquer a continent, and you have done nothing more than underestimate us over and over again. Why should I put my house at risk in a hypothetical war between dragons?
"Very simple," Vaegon replied happily. "I have the Reach, the North, the West, the Riverlands, and I am the rider of Vhagar…and above all I am the only one who can turn your son, whom I remember. who is half Targaryen in the prince of Dragonstone"
Both Rhaenys and the sea serpent widened their eyes, not expecting that offer by a long shot. And Vaegon continued.
"I am a master, though I have renounced the links of my chain, I take my habits very seriously, and you have my oath not to take a wife or beget any offspring. On the other hand, there is Viserys, who is not a warrior, he is weak and will be nothing more than a puppet of his brother, whom you can be sure would succeed to the throne, and of course he would marry Lanea to keep the riches of Driftmark, previously poor Leanor dying under strange circumstances" he finished explaining "Now that the cards are on the table, it's your turn to decide".
Then he got up from his father's seat and began his march to his chambers, but before he turned around "If you accept my offer, you will swear allegiance to me tomorrow in front of the entire court" he said, disappearing through the door, which he left open, while Rhaneys and Corlys stared at each other, still doubting what had just happened.
Already in the corridors Vaegon smiled confidently "they are in my pocket" he thought victorious. Naturally Leanor would not be king, but she would keep him as prince of Dragonstone for as long as possible, until his homosexuality and sterility generated so much pressure in his environment, apart from making sure that he received the most careful and demanding education than any other. prince would have received earlier, as it would serve as training to educate other potential successors. He himself would lead him to claim Mist, a dragon would not be such a high price, for the rest the children that Laena was going to have with Viserys would be good substitutes, he would take care of it. He wouldn't have too many problems getting rid of Laenor, what he doubted was how long it would take for that to happen, because he doubted that he would put up with Alicent Hightower for a long time, but what was he going to do in politics, you have to be pragmatic, and what is the happiness of a poor boy compared to playing with the Hightower illusion of having his blood on the iron throne?
Hours later, late in the morning before the awakened court, Vaegon walked with his father, and helped him sit on the iron throne, which the old king accepted without any problem. And he began his confirmation as prince of Dragonstone, and what better way to do it than with the sea serpent and the queen who was never the first to swear allegiance to him as future king, the following were the members of the private council, and numerous feudal lords of the Crown Lands.
And finally it was the turn of the applause. Now it was his turn to lay the foundations of his future reign.