Hello readers.
Dothraki will be bold, and Valyrian will be italicized.
I own nothing but my characters.
Enjoy.
Areon found himself in the middle of an endless, empty field. The wind was cold and harsh against his face as he slowly took each step, feeling like he was waiting for something. However, as he looked up, he saw a red streak piercing the sky like a comet passing over him. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew from behind him, carrying a strong scent of brimstone. He turned around to see a great black dragon staring down at him. Despite the terror that should have gripped him, Areon found himself drawn to the beast as if there was something familiar about it. With piercing red eyes, the dragon raised its head and opened its mouth, flames forming in its maw. Areon could only stare in awe as the dragon breathed fire straight at him.
Areon closed his eyes, bracing himself for the burning of the flames, but felt nothing. He slowly opened his eyes, seeing flames surrounding him, looking down and seeing his clothes burning away, but his skin remained the same as if they were untouched by the fire. "Wake the dragon. Wake the dragon." He heard a whisper. Areon looked around, but all he saw were the flames burning. He then looked down at the three large eggs in his lap with cracks all over them as if they were about to fall apart. However, the cracks seemed to fade away slowly, as did the great fire surrounding him. The great fire eventually died as the three eggs suddenly became hard as stone. Areon found himself sitting on the ground, naked, with three large stones, when suddenly he heard a bloodcurdling scream of unbearable pain. He looked around and saw a body lying on the ground.
After carefully placing the large stone eggs on the ground, Areon gets up and slowly walks to the body. It was lying limp on the ground as if the person was dead, but the most peculiar was yellow metal all over its head as if it was melted gold. Areon crouched to the body and traced his fingers on the metal to see melted gold all over the body's head. He looks closer at what's left of the face and sees it is Viserys lying dead. Then it all went black as Areon opened his eyes and realized it was all a dream. He didn't wake up so suddenly like his last dreams, but it was still haunting. Areon slowly gets up from his bed to look outside his hut and sees the sun is still setting, meaning night hasn't fallen yet. Wiping his brow, seeing he was sweating from the dream, Areon decides to get fresh air. He walks through what seems to be an endless sea of huts and tents, and he remembers that they were in Vaes Dothrak, meaning all of the Dothraki are here. He looks around as he walks to see if he can find Viserys. Not to talk to him but to see if it might trigger something from his dream. He remembers the stories Viserys told him about Daenys the Dreamer and how some Valyrians have prophetic visions, which causes some concern to Areon. They have become more erratic than the last, and he wonders what they mean; why does he have them suddenly? He lost his thought when he saw Khal Drogo sitting with a group of Dothraki men, laughing and drinking as the night began to set.
Areon was about to walk past them until Drogo called, "Are you lost, brother?"
The young man turns to Drogo, slightly surprised that the Khal called him brother if his Dothraki was right, "I was just looking for Viserys."
"Why do that," one of the men said, "The Sorefoot King is just a small insect."
Areon, smirking at the comment, said, "I just needed to ask him something."
"Don't waste your time with that weakling," Drogo urged, "Come sit with us."
Not wanting to be rude, Areon strolled to the group, sitting beside Drogo. He felt so out of place, considering they were wearing leather vests and pants while Areon still wore his garments from Pentos.
"Why wear that kind of clothes," Jhaqo, one of Drogo's bloodriders, asked him.
Areon looks at his clothes, "It's the only clothes I brought with me."
"Dress like your weak brother," Another bloodrider named Pono claimed, "A sniveling rat who can't ride a horse."
"Viserys was a bit of an" Areon trailed off, trying to find the right word to describe his brother, "He's nothing."
"Nothing is right," Drogo agreed, "He's no king."
"He's no dragon," Areon added since Viserys always called himself a dragon.
Another Dothraki asked suddenly, "Have you ever been with a woman?"
Areon was surprised by the question he didn't want to answer, "Why do you wish to know?"
"We see your brother with one of Khaleesi's maids," the Dothraki answered, "Yet we never see you with one."
Areon was a bit embarrassed to answer as he never laid with a woman before. Honestly, he was a bit intimidated, wondering how he could do it or if he could pleasure a woman. Instead of answering, Areon avoided everyone's gaze as he didn't want to answer, except it gave them one.
Drogo looks at him, hands him a mug of the beer they drink, and says, "Stop wearing those clothes and wear our own. You're Dothraki now."
Areon takes the mug while listening to what Drogo says. He never thought that the Dothraki would be so welcoming him in open arms to his Khalasar, especially since the Dothraki were considered to be savages who raped and killed people. Still, now he is seeing another side to them. A sense of community and brotherhood. Something he never had with Viserys.
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"Dany," Areon called out as he entered his sister's hut, but she was nowhere to be seen. As he was leaving, he noticed a chest containing the large dragon eggs. It immediately reminded him of the recurring dreams he had been having for months, in which the eggs cracked in flames. Without realizing it, he entered the hut and picked up the large black egg, staring at it in awe. His attention then turned to a pot filled with burning rocks and fire, and he slowly placed the egg on it, entranced by the low flames that covered its bottom. Suddenly, he heard the words that rang in his dream, "Wake the dragon, wake the dragon." He heard animals roaring, flames crackling, men screaming, and swords clashing as he listened. Just then, Daenerys and her maid Irri walked into the hut and saw Areon staring at the egg.
"Areon," Dany said, "What are you doing here?" Areon still needs to answer. He kept staring at the egg as if waiting for something. Dany, worried for him as she saw this, went to the other side of the pot to look straight at it, asking again, "Areon?" But he did answer. He kept looking at the egg as if in some trance. Areon looked at the low flames dancing at the bottom of the egg when suddenly, he slowly grabbed the egg from the burning pot. A sizzling sound was heard from his hands as they were touching the hot egg. "Areon," Dany exclaimed as Irri hurried to get the egg out of his hands, only for her to feel the intense heat, giving immediate pain, which caused her to drop the egg back on the pot.
Areon, now out of his trance, saw that his sister and her maid were there, "When did you get here?"
Dany looks worried and confused, "We've been here for some time. You've put the egg on the fire and been staring at it."
"I was," Areon asked, as he didn't know this was happening.
"Yes, then you took the egg out and probably burned your hands," She immediately grabs Areon's hand to see the burns, only to see that there weren't any. There was no burn or scar, not even a bruise. It was as if he was unfazed by the heat from the egg. Areon and Dany look at his hands and then at each other, surprised how unhurt he was from the flames. Confused, Dany looks to Irri since she took the egg from Areon's hands. Dany takes Irri's hands to see if she has any burns, which she does, causing more confusion to everyone on why this hurt Irri, but Areon was not. After Irri got treated for her mild burns, Dany sat beside Areon, trying to figure out what had happened.
"I put it in the fire, and somehow," Areon tries to explain, "I got…. lost in thought."
"What kind of thoughts," Dany asked, worried for her brother.
Areon looks to his sister and then back to his hands, still thinking he wasn't burned. He wasn't sure if he wanted to tell her about his dreams. At first, he thought nothing of it. I just waved it off as weird dreams, but they eventually got weirder after the next. So, he hesitantly looks to Daenerys, still debating whether to tell her.
Seeing his hesitation, Dany grabs his hands into hers, "You can tell me anything. Please. What's troubling you?"
Seeing the desperation and worry in his sister's eyes, Areon took a deep breath before looking at his sister seriously. "I've been having dreams. Weird dreams."
Dany looks at him, confused, "What kind of dreams?"
"I don't know," Areon admits, "I just keep dreaming of a dragon. Breathing fire at me."
"A dragon," Dany repeats.
"A big black dragon," Areon confirms, "And it breathed fire on me, but I wasn't afraid. I was drawn to it somehow."
"Does this always happen in your dream," Dany asked him.
Areon shakes his head, "No. Not the last dream I had. In this dream, I was in a field where I looked up to see something like a red comet in the sky. Then suddenly, the dragon was behind me. I turned, and it breathed fire on me. Next thing I knew, I was in a large pit of fire with the dragon eggs," He explained as they both turned to the dragon eggs that were kept in the chest nearby, "I then heard someone saying, 'Wake the dragon,' twice, but there was no one there while I was in the large roaring fire, holding the eggs. They had cracks all over them, but then the cracks started to disappear. Then the fire died, and the eggs went back to normal. Then I…" He stopped himself, unsure if he should say that he saw Viserys's dead body on the ground; as he could see, Dany was already worried for him and didn't want to make it worse. "Then I woke up sweating, and it was all over."
"What does it mean 'wake the dragon,'" Dany asked, "Does that mean Viserys?"
"No," Areon shakes his head, "I never saw Viserys when I heard it."
"How long have you had these dreams," Dany asks him.
"Since before we left Pentos," Areon answered her.
Dany then asked, "What? Didn't you say anything?"
"I didn't think it was anything, but," Areon tries to say, "Now it seemed so…. I don't know what it is." All he could do was stare at the dragon eggs as the dream kept going over his head like he was there.
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Lady Hellen opens the door for Ned Stark while recovering from his fight with Jaime Lannister. Ned was found in a brothel with Petyr Baelish, which she found shocking, considering Ned's character. Never in a million years would the honorable Ned Stark be in a brothel with whores. Yes, he has a bastard up in the North, but that was years ago. Regardless, everyone was more focused on his wife's kidnapping of Tyrion Lannister under some accusation. This resulted in Jaime Lannister, the Kingslayer, confronting Ned, which caused them to fight when some of their men got killed. It ended when one of the Lannister guards struck a spear into Ned's leg, causing him to go down. He was in his room recovering as Hellen wanted to see how he was doing.
She enters the room and sees Ned lying in bed, "Ned. I wanted to see if you're ok."
"I've faired much worse, my lady," Ned assures her.
Hellen grabs a nearby chair, dragging it to the bed before sitting down, "Why did Catelyn kidnap Tyrion Lannister?"
"She was doing so under my orders," Ned said sternly.
"Then why did you tell her to do it," Hellen asked again more forcefully. Ned, however, did not answer as he stayed quiet, "How did this even happen, Ned? You know what Lord Tywin will do."
"I have no fear of Lord Tywin," Ned tells her firmly.
"Fine, but you should be cautious and wary of him," Hellen urges him, "We all know what he is capable of. What did Robert say of this?"
"He ordered me to make peace with the Lannisters," Ned said, "Since he is King, I will obey."
Hellen gives him a confused look as she has more questions, "What were you doing at a brothel? With Littlefinger of all people?"
"He was assisting me with something," Ned explains tiredly, still in pain.
"What kind of assistance," Hellen asked.
Ned looks at her, not wanting her to get involved with what Catelyn is doing, so he tells a half-truth, "I was just wanting to see any other bastard Robert had in the city."
"Why are you so curious about Robert's bastards," Hellen asked, although she had a good idea since Varys had been telling her that Ned and Catelyn believed the Lannisters tried to kill their son, Bran. However, she needed to appear clueless since she, Jonathor, and Varys had plans.
"It just seemed like Jon Arryn was investigating something," Ned tells her, "I was just trying to see what."
"And did you," Hellen asked, wanting to know.
Ned shook his head, "Nothing yet."
"But that doesn't explain why you were with Littlefinger," Hellen said.
"He has been helping me as of late," Ned tells her.
Hellen gives him a severe look, "Ned. I don't know what he was doing with you, but Petyr Baelish is the last person to help you. He's a snake and only cares for himself and how to further his agendas."
"And you know this how," Ned said, unsure if he could believe her since Catelyn trusts Baelish so much.
"I am in the small council with him, Ned," Hellen reminds him, "I've seen how he works. He's not the type of ally you want."
"Then who is," Ned asked her.
"That's just it, Ned," Hellen tells him honestly, "You can't trust anyone in court."
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Jarred enters his room, where he and Arya are training with two wooden swords in hand. As Arya is in the room waiting for him, he throws one to her, who catches it, and makes a dance stance as they are a foot away from each other.
"I don't want to practice today," Arya suddenly said.
Jarred, confused, broke his stance, "Why not?"
"They killed Jory," Arya tells him sternly, "My father is hurt. I don't care about stupid wooden swords."
Jarred stood still as he listened to her. It was true that her father and Jaime Lannister got into a fight the other day. Ned was walking out of a brothel owned by Littlefinger when Jaime confronted him about Catelyn Stark abducting his younger brother, Tyrion Lannister. Jarred hasn't seen the dwarf since Winterfell, as he was going to the Wall, but on his journey back, he was taken by Ned Stark's wife, accusing him of trying to kill their son Bran.
"Arya, I understand," Jarred tells her gently, "But you do know that your parents did a serious thing. They took Lord Tyrion Lannister, the Queen's brother and son of Tywin Lannister. Have you heard about him?"
"I don't care about them," Arya exclaimed in anger.
"You should," Jarred simply put.
Arya, not getting it, asked, "Why?"
"Because it could lead to disastrous consequences," Jarred gently explains to her, "Your mother can't simply take a noble Lord and expect nothing to happen. Especially a Lannister."
"What's so special about the Lannisters," Arya questions.
Jarred crouches down to her level, "Aside from the fact that one of them is our Queen, the Lannisters are one of, if not the most powerful family in the realm. They're not the type of people to go against, especially under Tywin's rule. Have you heard the stories about him? About how he took King's Landing?" Arya shook her head as Jarred continued, "After the gates were open, he had his men sack the city. Killing, raping, and pillaging all the people of the city. I know because I was there."
"You were," Arya asked with surprise.
"Yes," Jarred nods, "My father was on the council of the Mad King Aerys while my mother was a lady-in-waiting to Queen Rhaella. During the Rebellion, to ensure the loyalties of the Longwaters, the Mad King had me, my brother, Steffon, and our parent's political hostages. Then when the Lannister army made their way to the Red Keep, Jaime Lannister killed the Mad King, while the Mountain slaughtered Rhaegar Targaryen's wife and children under Lord Tywin's orders. Rhaegar's young daughter, Princess Rhaenys, was stabbed multiple times, and his infant son, Prince Aegon, had his head bashed against the wall, killing him instantly. As for their mother, Elia Martell…well, they said the Mountain crushed her skull in, and that's the less horrifying story that's been told. I still remember when Tywin brought their bloody corpses to King Robert when he took the throne, covered in Lannister robes."
Arya stays frozen with deep fear as Jarred tells her what the Lannisters did to the Targaryens. She heard stories of her father fighting the Rebellion to overthrow the now-fallen royal family, but she never heard those kind of stories. "If they can do all that to the royal family of that time, they can do far worse to you and your family if you are not careful, which is why you need to find a way to channel your anger. If you want to help your family, you need to be quiet and quick as a snake," he then gets into a fighting stance, causing Arya to do the same, "Or as quiet as a shadow," They then clash their wooden swords together until Jarred disarms her by taking her sword with his hand and quickly turns to place his, and her sword, at her neck. "That's what Syrio Forel taught me. He said that some in Braavos worship their own God. When you pray, do you pray to the Gods?
Arya tells him, "The old and the new."
Jarred said, "Syrio said there is only one God, and his name is Death. And there is only one thing we say to Death. Not today."
"Do you worship Death," Arya asked him.
"No," Jarred tossed the wooden sword at her, "But it is good motivation."
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Lenora quickly walks to Cersei's room to learn about Tyrion's predicament. Opening the door, she saw her sister sitting on her desk, softly touching her left cheek as a bruise formed. The younger Lannister sister slowly approaches the Queen, "What happened?"
"None of your concern," Cersei replied bitterly, avoiding Lenora's gaze.
Lenora, however, was familiar with this type of bruising, "He hit you again. Didn't he?"
Cersei didn't say anything as she kept avoiding her sister's gaze. Lenora, sympathetically, goes up to her more gently, "Was it about our brother?"
"Lord Stark wanted to bring Jaime to justice, and Robert didn't say anything about it," Cersei mumbled.
Lenora then corrected, "I was talking about Tyrion."
Cersei scoffs, "Worried for that ingrate?"
"He's still our brother, Cersei," Lenora reminds her.
"Unfortunately," Cersei chuckles bitterly. Lenora was about to say something else, but Cersei cut her off, "Father would never let anything happen to him. Despite our misgivings of him, he's still a Lannister."
"Yes, but knowing how he treats Tyrion and how you treat him," Lenora explains, "You can understand why I worry about certainty. Cersei, I know you blame him for your mother's death, but."
"Tyrion will be returned safely," Cersei cuts her off, "Father will ensure it." Lenora, seeing that Cersei did not want to talk anymore, decided to leave it be and leave the room as her sister said, "Keep your distance from Stark."
"Cass made Sansa one of her ladies," Lenora tells her.
"That's fine, but keep your distance from her father," Cersei orders her, "Make sure Cass knows that."
"I'll let her know," Lenora tells her before leaving the room and closing the door.
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Cass was in her room as her ladies were doing their duty to help her prepare for the hunt she was going to with her father. "My uncle Renly is going with us."
Ema, braiding Cass's hair in a single braid, raised her brows with surprise, "Really, Renly doesn't seem to be the type to enjoy killing something."
"Why not," Sansa asked as she tied Cass's left boot.
"Renly is a," Ceryse was about to say as Sansa and Jocelyn were in the room, naïve about Renly's sexual nature, but then again, a man's sexual preference has nothing to do with his distaste for killing. "Some men just don't like killing things."
"Hunting and murdering people isn't the same," Jocelyn argues.
"Not to some people," Ceryse tells her.
"Well, whatever, he's coming, so that'll be interesting," Cass sighs, now ready for the hunt. The door opens, revealing it to be Lenora, who just returned from speaking with the Queen.
Seeing Sansa was here and wanting to speak to Cass about what happened with her father, Lenora asked, "Cass, can we get alone for one minute?"
Cass nodded as Ema, Ceryse, Jocelyn, and Sansa left the room, although the young Stark girl looked at Lenora hesitantly, having a good idea of what this was about. As the girls left, closing the door, Cass asked her, "Is this about Tyrion? Did my parents speak with Lord Stark?"
"Yes, but it seems he was after Jaime more than Tyrion," Lenora tells her.
Cass furrows her brows, "Why?"
"No idea," Lenora admits, "But your mother did say to keep our distance from him."
"For what reason," Cass asked again.
Lenora sighs, "Probably to keep us away from the mess. You know how my father can get if the Lannister name has been slighted."
"He's my grandfather. Of course, I know," Cass reminds her, "So is that it?"
Lenora fidgeted as she knew Cass would want to know what her father did to her mother. Noticing this, Cass urges her to speak, to which the young Lannister woman reluctantly tells her what happened.
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Cass leaves her room in silent fury and a quick pace as Lenora walks out of the room more slowly as she watches her niece leave.
"Is it about my father, isn't it," a small voice was heard as Lenora turned to see Sansa close by as if she was waiting for her.
Lenora smiles, "You're father was mentioned, but we were not talking about him."
"It was about his fight with Ser Jaime," Sansa guessed, "Wasn't it."
Lenora tries to find a way to answer Ned's encounter with Jaime did come up in the conversation, "We did talk about it, but the main topic was concerning private matters about the Princess, so I don't think we need to talk about that." Seeing that Sansa was still doubtful, Lenora wrapped her arm around the girl, "This whole thing with your father is going to go away soon. I wouldn't be so worried about it."
"He still fought with Ser Jaime," Sansa argued.
"Yes, but knowing my brother," Lenora sighed, "It's more likely that he started it, and Lord Stark was defending himself."
"Really," Sansa asked, wanting to be sure.
"Yes," Lenora tells her, "Besides, I heard the King is going to forget all that happened."
"I'm still going to marry Joffrey," Sansa asked hopefully.
"Yes," Lenora tells her, "Your father is doing what he can that is best for you."
"It seems like he wants to leave King's Landing," Sansa confessed as they started walking together.
"He's just wanting to make sure you're safe," Lenora said, "My father is the same way. Sometimes I would question him and his motives, but I know whatever he does, it's for the best of the family. You'd be surprised by what fathers do for their daughters and what lengths they go. Just remember that."
Sansa doesn't say anything as she contemplates what Lenora noted since it is true that Ned would never do anything to hurt Sansa unless there was a good reason.
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All were at a great hut where almost all of Drogo's Khalasar attended as Dany was in the center, kneeling on a wooden platform, eating a horse heart as a priestess in front of her sings in Dothraki while moving her hands in the air. According to Ser Jorah, she must eat the heart as a ritual to see if the child she was carrying was a boy or girl. The Dothraki chanted as Dany bites a massive chunk out of the heart. Meanwhile, Jorah, Areon, and Viserys were watching her eat.
Viserys asked, "She has to eat the whole heart? I hope that wasn't my horse."
"Do you think she can do it," Areon asked, worried for his sister.
"She's doing well," Jorah tells him.
As everyone watched Dany eat the heart, Viserys could see she was starting to have trouble swallowing the rest of it, "She'll never keep it down."
As the priestess kept chanting louder and louder, Areon looked to Jorah, "What is she saying?"
Jorah Mormont translates, "The prince is riding. I have heard the thunder of his hooves. Swift as the wind, he rides. His enemies will cringe before him, and their wives will weep tears of blood. She's going to have a boy."
Areon looks to Dany, wondering if anything the priestess is saying is true as if the child would be some legendary man who would change the world. Viserys, however, looked threatened by this, "He won't be a real Targaryen. He won't be a true Dragon."
"I doubt that would matter to them," Areon comments, not taking his eyes off his sister.
Dany eats the last chunk of the heart as the Priestess continues to sing until she chokes with one hand on the ground, the other on her mouth to stop vomiting. Everyone got quiet as they all stared to see if she was going to vomit or not. However, after a moment, Dany forced herself to swallow, then gasped for air to reveal nothing in her mouth. She lifts herself back to her knees as Drogo smiles at her.
The priestess then chanted loud as Jorah translated, "The stallion who mounts the world. The stallion is the Khal of Khals. He shall unite the people into a single Khalasar. All the people of the world will be his herd."
Daenerys rises, proclaiming, "A prince rides inside me! And he shall be called Rhaego!"
Khal Drogo then picked up his arms to show her to all of the Khalasar as they chanted, "Rhaego! Rhaego! Rhaego! Rhaego!"
"They love her," Viserys observes.
"She truly is a queen today," Jorah proclaims.
"A Khaleesi," Areon corrected as he saw Viserys quickly leaving the grand hut. Not trusting him, Areon followed him to see what he was planning. After he follows Viserys to Dany's hut, Areon sees that he is putting the dragon eggs in a bag. "What are you doing?"
Viserys looks behind him to see Areon, then back to the eggs, putting the last one in his bag, "None of your concern."
"I think it is," Areon firmly challenged, "Now I'll ask again, what are you doing?"
Not wanting to deal with him, Viserys said, "Men would pay a lot of gold for dragon eggs. Even if they are stone."
"Those were wedding gifts for Dany," Areon reminds him.
"What's hers is also mine," Viserys argues.
Areon raises his brows, "So everything she owns belongs to you. Nothing she has is hers."
"That's right," Viserys answers, "Just as I own her and you."
Areon's eyes widen, "You don't own us."
"Yes, I do," Viserys says as he gets closer to him. Areon, however, stood his ground, trying not to be afraid. Seeing this caused Viserys to chuckle mockingly, "You think you're some big man now. Now that you converse with the savages and learn how to speak fight like them. You think you're a grown man now because of what happened at the hut with our sister. I could have killed you, but I let you walk away when I could have made that day your last." Viserys's words were cutting deep into Areon, who started to tremble while trying to hide it. Although he was failing as Viserys saw it and kept going, "I let you live because you're not worth it. You're trying to stand like a man when you are not because you don't know what real men do. Real men sacrifice. And that's what I did when I kept you with me when I should've left you in the streets to fend for yourself because you are nothing. Nothing to no one."
"The Khaleesi request your presence, Prince Areon," Jorah made himself known as the two brothers saw him at the hut's entrance. Areon looks into Jorah's eyes, seeing that the older knight tells him he will take care of everything. So, to not make matters worse, Areon decides to relent and leave the hut so the two men can discuss privately. Areon wasn't sure what would happen, but he was glad that Ser Jorah was with them, especially since it was clear that he was not afraid of Viserys, and neither should he or Dany.
He walked a few feet away from the hut as he tried to calm himself down from Viserys's words. Viserys always found a way to make Areon feel like he was nothing like he didn't matter, and it filled him with hate. It was one of those times when he starts singing his mother's lullaby to calm himself, "Firebreather, winged leader, but two heads, to a third sing, from my voice: The fires have spoken, and the price has been paid, with blood magic, with words of flame, with clear eyes, to bind the three, to you I sing, as one we gather, and with three heads, we shall fly as we were destined, beautifully, freely." He didn't feel all better, but he did become more calm than before. As he turns to the hut, he sees Viserys leaving in fury as Jorah walks out, standing tall. Wanting to know what happened, Areon immediately walked straight up to him, "What happened?"
"He won't be leaving with the eggs," Jorah tells him.
"How did you," Areon was about to ask.
Jorah stops him, "Nothing to be concerned about, my prince."
Areon looks back and forth between Jorah and Viserys, who is still walking away. He then looks to Jorah, "Thank you, Ser Jorah. For everything." He returns to the grand hut where Dany might be looking for them as Jorah watches him leave with a guilty look.
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It was mid-afternoon when King Robert Baratheon walked through the Kingswood with a spear while hunting for a boar. His squire, Lancel Lannister, carrying the King's wine, was with him along with his younger brother, the uninterested Renly Ser Barristan Selmy, his daughter, Princess Cassana, and her sworn shield Jarred Longwaters. Hunting through the Kingswood was one of the few things Robert and Cass did together, as they enjoyed the sport. Cass still remembers when she was barely ten when her father took her hunting for the first time. She didn't catch anything, but it was one of the best of her few memories with her father.
Lancel gives the wine jug to Robert, "More wine, your Grace?"
They all stop walking as Robert takes the wineskin from Lancel to take a large chug before returning it so they can resume their hunt.
"Now, what was I saying," Robert asked.
Renly answered, "A simpler time."
Robert then laughed, "It was. It was. You all were too young to remember. Wasn't it simpler, Selmy?"
"It was, your Grace," Barristan answered.
"The enemy was right in the open, vicious as you like, all but sending you a bloody invitation," Robert reminisced the old times, "nothing like today."
"Must have been exhilarating during those times, Your Grace," Jarred remarked.
"Exhilarating, yes. Not as exhilarating as those balls and masquerades my brother likes to throw," Robert gives a hearty laugh as Renly rolls his eyes with irritation as they walk deeper into the woods, "You ever fuck a Riverlands girl?"
"Once. I think," Renly said.
"You think? I think you'd remember," Robert scoffs, "Back in our day, you weren't a real man until you'd fucked one girl from each of the Seven Kingdoms and the Riverlands. We used to call it making the eight."
"Lucky girls," Cass said sarcastically, as she hated when her father spoke like this. Whether she was around him or not, her father always had nothing but crude comments about women. What they looked like, how good they were in bed, how long it was. It was intolerable for her, especially after Lenora told her that he hit her mother again.
Robert then asked, "You ever make the eight, Barristan?"
"I don't believe so, your Grace," Barristan said, uncomfortable speaking of this in front of the princess.
"And what of you, nephew," Robert asked Jarred, "Ever made the eight?"
"Never really heard of it until now, Your Grace," Jarred answers.
"But have you been with a woman at all," Robert asked crudely, "You've reached past your boyhood for years now. Surely you must have gotten a girl or two. Hasn't he Barristan, considering he was your squire."
"That would not be my place to say, Your Grace," Barristan answered, seeing Jarred's cheeks turning red as this was uncomfortable for him to speak about, especially in public, "I don't think this is a proper conversation with the Princess."
"Bah! Nonsense," Robert scoffs as he wraps his arm around his daughter's shoulder, "I'm sure my daughter has heard worse from me. Haven't you, Cass?"
"No doubt of that, Father," Cass answered with a fake smile, although she wished this would end.
Robert continues, "Those were the days."
"Which days, exactly?" Renly stops walking as he gets everyone's attention, "The ones where half of Westeros fought the other half, and millions died? Or before that, when the Mad King slaughtered women and babies because the voices in his head told him they deserved it? Or way before that when dragons burned whole cities to the ground?!"
"Easy, boy," Robert warned sternly, "You might be my brother, but you're speaking to the King."
Renly, however, stood his ground, "I suppose it was all rather heroic. If you were drunk enough and had some poor Riverlands whore to shove your prick inside and make the eight. And then bragging it all to your daughter, who is only seven-and-ten years of age." He then turns around with his spear and leaves the others in a quiet fury as everyone watches him with surprise. Never had they seen Renly act the way he did. None of them disagreed with him, but it was still surprising. Lancel then rushed to the King, asking, "More wine, your Grace?"
Robert grabs the wine jug and takes a long drink from it, which causes Cass to be worried, "Maybe you should slow down, Father." Cass tried to get the jug away, but Robert waved his hand at her as he continued to drink. When he was done, he shoved it at Lancel's chest and walked away with the rest of the party, reluctantly following him, still shaken by what Renly said.
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While the King and his daughter were at the hunt in the Kingswood, all were in the royal court with Ned Stark, as Hand of the King, seated on the Iron Throne and Maester Pycelle on his left, and Petyr Baelish on his right. Before them was a group of villagers from the Riverlands, coming to the royal court to explain to them to horrors they had endured from the Lannister army under the orders of Tywin Lannister as retribution for kidnapping Tyrion Lannister. In the gallery on the right side of the Throne Room was Lenora with Jocelyn, Ema, Ceryse, and Sansa, as they listened to what the commoners were saying.
They burned most everything in the Riverlands," one of the farmers pleaded to the Hand as his voice began to crack, trying his hardest not to cry, "our fields, our granaries, our homes. They took our women; then they took 'em again. When they were done, they butchered them as if they were animals. They covered our children in pitch and lit them on fire."
Maester Pycelle remarked, "Brigands, most likely."
The farmer, however, revealed, "They weren't thieves. They didn't steal nothing. They even left something behind, your Grace."
"It's the King's Hand you're addressing," Pycelle corrected, "not the King. The King is hunting."
The farmer nodded nervously as the other commoners showed them a large sack and poured the contents, revealing it to be a specific type of fish, causing the court members to exclaim in disgust.
"Fish. The Sigil of House Tully," Baelish observed as he leaned his head towards Ned Stark, whispering, "Isn't that your wife's house? Tully, my Lord Hand?"
Realizing these commoners from the Riverlands was a targeted attack; Ned asked them, "These men, were they flying a Sigil? A banner?"
The farmer shakes his head, "None, your... Hand. The one who was leading them. Taller by a foot than any man I've ever met, saw him cut the blacksmith in two, saw him take the head off a horse with a single swing of his sword."
Baelish then said to Ned, "That sounds like someone we know. The Mountain."
Ned looks to the farmer, "You're describing Ser Gregor Clegane."
"Why should Ser Gregor turn brigand," Pycelle asked, "The man is an anointed knight."
"I've heard him called Tywin Lannister's mad dog. I'm sure you have as well," Baelish informed Ned, "Can you think of any reason the Lannisters might have for being angry with your wife?
As all this was happening, Lenora could only stay where she was in horror at the realization that this was her father's doing.
"Isn't Lord Tywin your father, Lenora," Sansa asked her.
"Yes, he is," Ceryse answered her.
"Is this because of what my mother did," Sansa asked since she heard the rumors that her mother kidnapped Tyrion Lannister.
Lenora turns to Sansa, trying to get an answer, but no words can come out. Seeing her friend's state, Ema told Sansa and Jocelyn, "Why don't we leave now? Girls your age shouldn't listen to this." Despite the girls' protest, Ema got them to leave while Ceryse stayed with Lenora.
"What do you think your father is doing," Ceryse asked Lenora.
Lenora tries to come up with an answer, "Protecting the Lannisters?"
"But by razing villages to the ground," Ceryse questioned, "What would that do?"
"My father has his reasons," Lenora excuses her father, mostly to herself. She couldn't deny that she hated her father's methods, thinking they were too far, but he was Lord Tywin, the Lion of Casterly Rock. If the Lannisters have been slighted and gone unanswered, they will no longer be a house to be feared, which is everything to Lord Tywin. She wishes her father used other ways to get things done and not be so ruthless.
Ned Star told the commoners, "I cannot give you back your homes or restore your dead to life, but perhaps I can give you justice in the name of our King, Robert. Lord Berric Dondarrion," Lord Berric steps forward from the crowd, "You shall have the command. Assemble 100 men and ride to Ser Gregor's keep."
"As you command," Lord Berric bowed his head.
Ned then struggles to stand up due to his recent leg injury, having a cane to help him. Once he was standing, he then said, "In the name of Robert of the House Baratheon, the first of his name, King of the Andals and the first men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and protector of the realm, I charge you to bring the King's justice to the false knight Gregor Clegane and all those who shared in his crimes. I denounce him and attaint him. I strip him of all ranks and titles, of all lands and holdings, and sentence him to death."
Everyone was gasping with shock and surprise to see that Lord Eddard Stark would make such a drastic move.
Pycelle stood up from his seat, "My Lord. This is a drastic action. It would be better to wait for King Robert's return."
Ned turns to Pycelle, "Grand Maester Pycelle."
"My Lord," Pycelle asked.
"Send a raven to Casterly Rock. Inform Tywin Lannister that he has been summoned to court to answer for the crimes of his bannermen," Ned ordered, "He will arrive within the fortnight or be branded an enemy of the crown and a traitor to the realm."
This last order struck fear into Lenora's heart. Her father had made the first move by razing villages, and now Lord Eddard Stark has raised it by forcing him to come to court or be branded as an enemy. What was she to make of this? What will her father do? Then her thoughts went to her brother, Gerold. Was he with their father or still at the Rock with their mother? What are his thoughts on this? Feeling like she needs to do something, she quickly leaves her friends and goes straight to Ned Stark as Lord Baelish leaves him.
"Lord Stark," Lenora calls out as the older man turns to her.
"My Lady," Ned acknowledged, knowing why she came to him.
"I don't understand why it must resort to this," Lenora tells him, "Maybe this isn't my father, and this was a mistake."
"The farmers were quite clear on the Mountain's appearance, my lady," Ned tells her.
"Yes, but how do you know that my father was responsible for it," Lenora begs him, "We all know how the Mountain is. I'm sure you remember what he did at the tourney not long ago."
Ned looks at Lenora sympathetically, knowing she is defending her father as any daughter would, "He is still your father's bannerman, my lady. And he must face the King's justice."
As he turned to walk away, Lenora urged again, "But maybe my father is unaware of all this?"
"Then he'll have the opportunity to explain that in court," Ned concluded as he walked away, leaving Lenora afraid of what would happen next. She wants to believe her father was not doing this, but considering the attacks on the Riverlands happened after the news of Tyrion's abduction by Catelyn Stark, she had to admit that her father might have given the order.
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After the hunt and not finding anything, Cass entered her father's chamber to see if he was exactly where she thought he was. Sitting on his desk, drinking wine. "Has there ever been a time when you're not drinking?"
"Hm," Robert hums, "Haven't found a thing in those damn woods. Need to find another way to amuse myself."
Cass crosses her arms, "True, but it makes you do things I don't like."
"I've seen you drunk before," Robert reminds her.
"Yes, but not every day like you," Cass said, "Besides, at least I don't hit people. Then again, from what I heard, you weren't drunk when you slapped Mother in the face," Robert didn't move for a second, then he took his cup, taking a large gulp down his gullet. "She has a bruise forming on her face, father."
Robert gets up from his chair to look out the window behind him, "I don't want to talk about this. Not this and not with you."
"But people are going to," Cass reminds him, "People have been talking about it for years."
"Then I'll tell them to shut their mouths," Robert tells her.
"You think that will work," Cass scolds him, "You know how people are in court. You know how they gossip about things that hardly ever happen, especially when it's the truth."
Robert chuckled, "I never thought I would see the two of you on the same side. Most of the time, you're both at each other's throats."
"Mother and I may have our differences, but that doesn't mean I condone the behavior you always had for as long as I can remember," Cass tells her father as she slowly leans in on the desk," And it's not just the hitting, it's also the drinking, the women. You don't get involved with the realm unless it's about one of your tourneys. Do you know that Ned Stark ordered Tywin Lannister to court after his bannerman was terrorizing some farmers in the Riverlands because Catelyn Stark kidnapped him? The Lannisters and Starks will be at each other's throat soon." Despite this information, Robert continued to drink, not saying a word. "You're not even acting like a king. You sit around doing nothing instead of what you're supposed to do."
"I am the king," Robert glares at her, "I do what I want."
"Oh, yes, father, that's what being a king is," Cass exclaims angrily, "Doing whatever you want, and to hell with everyone else, including Mother. Not to mention the way you made it so clear that you prefer Lyanna Stark over her,"
"Cassana," Robert exclaimed, giving a warning tone.
"My mother deserves more respect from you than whatever else you give her," Cass finishes, not caring about her father, giving a warning tone. Robert kept shaking his head, not wanting to hear more of it. Seeing that her father is unwilling to talk, Cass sighs, "You know, it's things like this that drives me further away from ever wanting to marry anyone." And with that, she walks away from the room, slamming the door as she walks away as her father continues to drink his sorrows away.
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It was a time of feast and celebration in Vaes Dothrak. Khal Drogo, Daenerys, and the whole Khalasar were enjoying the feast of celebrating their unborn son. Areon was with them but thought this might have been a bit presumptuous since there is no way of knowing if the child would be a boy, but he decided not to say anything and respect their culture and ways. Dany was laughing with her maids as Areon, wearing Dothraki clothes, sat with Drogo, his bloodriders, and Ser Jorah, laughing together as some women danced to the music playing. There was one woman who was dancing near Areon, who felt a bit awkward in it, but the Khal and his bloodriders were egging him on, so he decided to let her dance. All was going well until a voice was heard, "Daenerys! Areon!"
Areon and Jorah, realizing it was Viserys, looked, saw the drunk so-called king, and stumbled into the hut, "Where are my siblings?
"Oh no, he's drunk," Areon whispered to Jorah, who quickly approached Viserys and said, "I'm here for the feast. The whore's feast?"
Jorah grabs Viserys' shoulder from behind to guide him out until Viserys shrugs him off, yelling, "Get your hands off me! No one touches the Dragon!" He then walks to Khal Drogo, "Khal Drogo! I'm here for the feast."
As Drogo said in Dothraki, Jorah translated, "Khal Drogo says there is a place for you. Back there." He points behind Viserys to the spot far from everyone else.
Viserys shakes his head, "That is no place for a King."
Khal Drogo said in the common tongue, "You are no King."
Areon looks at Drogo with shock that he said that. Never expecting him to know the common tongue. Viserys, however, grew angry at this, causing him to draw his sword as Jorah stepped away from getting hit by the blade, "Keep away from me!"
"Viserys! Please," Dany begged, not wanting her brother to worsen things.
Viserys turns to Dany, walking to her, "There she is."
"Put the sword down," Jorah begs, "They'll kill us all!"
"They can't kill us," Viserys turns to Jorah as he stumbles drunkenly, "they can't shed blood in their sacred city," He then turns to Dany and points the sword at her, "But I can."
Areon immediately gets in front of Dany, "Viserys enough."
"Oh, my little brother," Viserys mocked, "Still trying to be a man."
"Just get out now," Areon warns him.
"No," Viserys put the tip of his sword on Areon's chest as if he was about to pierce him. That is until Dany grabs Areon behind her in a protective stance.
"I want what I came for," Viserys demanded as Irri went to Drogo to translate for him, "I want the crown he promised me. He bought you. But he never paid for you. Tell him I want what was bargained for or take you back. He can keep the baby." Viserys then points his sword to her pregnant belly, "I'll cut it out and leave it for him."
Drogo then speaks in Dothraki to Viserys. Not understanding, Viserys asked, "What's he saying?"
Daenerys looks up to her brother, saying, "He says yes. You shall have a golden crown... that men shall tremble to behold."
Viserys looks at Drogo, who's staring at him intensely, then back at Daenerys, "That was all I wanted," he smiles nervously and is relieved as if he genuinely believes he's getting what he wants, "What was promised."
Khal Drogo gets up to his wife while caressing her pregnant belly as Viserys takes a step back, still smiling, away from Daenerys. Drogo then makes an order in Dothraki as two of his men come up from behind Viserys and break his arm.
Viserys screamed in pain, "No! You cannot touch me!" he continued to yell as they dragged him to the fire pit in the hut's center, "I am the Dragon! I'm a dragon! I want my crown!" Drogo orders in Dothraki again as his men push Viserys to the ground to hold him still as two other men come forward with a large pot of hot liquid and hover it over the fire. Drogo goes to the pot, empties it, and throws some gold chains inside.
"Look away, Khaleesi," Jorah advises her.
"No," Dany said as she looked at her other brother, "Areon, you don't need to see this."
Areon, however, doesn't listen as he then begins to remember the dream he had. The dream of Viserys dying with gold melted on his head and played out right now. Viserys looked at the pot, saw the gold melting, and slowly realized what they would do. He then turns to Dany for mercy, "Dany, tell them. Make them! Make them," As the gold finished melting, Drogo then grabs the pot handles and brings it toward Viserys. Seeing he was about to die, he looked to his siblings, begging them to intervene, "No, you can't! Dany, please!"
Drogo, hovering the pot over Viserys, sarcastically proclaims, "A crown for a King," he then pours the melted gold all over Viserys's head, causing the exiled prince to scream in unbearable pain as his body convulsed. Drogo crouches down to see Viserys's face melting as he stops screaming, showing that he is dead. Drogo's men release Viserys, letting his body hit the ground as Dany and Areon look at their brother's body.
Before anyone can say anything, Areon slowly approaches Viserys's dead body. He slowly crouches down and touches his fingertips to the hot melted gold. It was still burning hot, but Areon was not fazed by it as every stares at him, surprised he wasn't screaming in pain.
"Areon," Dany asked, wondering what her brother was doing.
Without moving, with his gaze still on the body, Areon uttered, "He was no dragon. Fire cannot kill a dragon."
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