DISCLAIMER: Chapter one.
Chapter rating: T (Childbirth)
Mnb: Hope you enjoy the next chapter, here ya go!
NicoleR85: I hope I make the battle good, I can't wait either.
Chapter Forty-Eight: XLVIII - The Great Lion of the Rock vs The Wolf and Dragon
Rhaenyra groaned as she braced herself on the chair, growling softly as she felt another contraction.
"Breathe, Rhaenyra. And push," Valaena ordered as Rhaenyra screamed. Gripping the chair tightly while pushing her child from herself. Valaena who was assisting the birth as her midwife claimed the baby was coming feet first, not a good way as it could get stuck in her or kill her.
"So easy for you to say," Rhaenyra hissed as she continued to push with Valaena and Roslin helping her. A midwife ran in with helpers as she joined.
"Gods be good. These damn maesters think they know all with childbirth," the woman hissed, obviously just being told Rhaenyra was going into labor. "How is she?" the woman asked the Valyrian lady who chuckled.
"Feet first. This will be tricky," the white-haired woman claimed as she tried to calm her queen.
"Let me, child. This is my job, your skin is stained so," the woman claimed as Valaena scoffed, knowing how the blood must look on her skin, as though she looked when gutting an animal or snow covered in blood.
"I gut animals with no fear, do you truly think blood bothers me?" she asked as the woman huffed while joining in pulling the baby when their queen pushed.
"Good girl, now push," the midwife ordered her queen who took a breath with Roslin bracing her along with the Manderly girls as Rhaenyra truly pushed as hard as she could, agonizing as she felt her child sliding from her. Roaring like her dragon, who outside was shrieking and roaring, every pain of her rider felt, she felt. Ser Barristan, Arya, and Gendry truly felt fear as the female eyed the tent with anger. With a final roar, tail lashing the forest, bending the trees or demolishing them in a strange rage, a baby's cry came from the tent as Rhaella hunkered down in her nesting site, eyeing the sound curious. Her red eyes glowing with the smoke emitting from her mouth as Arya waited a momented before surging forward from Dacey who had held her tightly. Inside, she found Rhaenyra laying on the bed, exhausted and paler than she normally is. It worried Arya who slowly approached.
"Rhaenyra?" she called softly. Her sister slowly opened her eyes and smiled gently and quite tiredly to Arya, allowing her to sit on the bed. "Are you-"
"I am fine. Just tired, go see him," Rhaenyra encouraged as Arya stood with a smile and froze when she saw the baby with wide eyes as the midwife beamed. "What's wrong?" Rhaenyra asked, seeing the look. She had not seen her son yet, but was told it was a healthy boy.
"Nothing, but we can definitly agree, he is your son," Arya chuckled as she was given the newborn and showed the stunned mother, who saw why her sister by law was amused. Her newborn child looks like her with Robb's eyes.
"Oh Gods," Rhaenyra said before aceepting the child. He had her white hair and his father's Tully blue eyes. "How?" Rhaenyra asked as the midwife smiled.
"Despite the darker the hair the more likely it'll triumph over the lighter, I feel the Targaryen features stay true as well, for Lady Baela has her mother's blonde-white hair, it just a bit darker with her father's, aside from her sea-green eyes, they could almost pass for emerald if they were darker," the woman teased her friend who beamed about her daughter's appearance. "Your twins have their father's dark hair, it is not uncommon for some to gain the white hair while others gain darker hair," the midwife instructed.
"I read somewhere that Queen Alicent's children did not take her red hair rather their father's Targaryen hair," Arya smiled before frowning. "Hmm. All the more reason to ensure only royal blood rides the dragons," she reminded to everyone's surprise.
"Arya-" "Princess," Valaena and Wylla instructed sharply.
"No. She is right," Rhaenyra smiled while pulling Arya closer and kissed her head in affection. "The more families that think they have a right to the dragons are a threat. Baela is not because she is my cousin and friend. My sister and companion as one can be," Rhaenyra said, knowing any children Baela has will be given the right to an egg, an agreement made to the Skagos people who also agreed, to help protect Rhaenyra's kingdom with her children. Baela would control that and would bring her children to the Northern Kingdom to train them to be loyal to Robb and his wife.
"Your Grace. As you are now a mother of three, you must start the rule for your husband," Maege Mormont, who remained behind to protect their pregnant queen, who Robb knew would give birth soon.
"Should I not wait for Robb? He is King-"
"Forgive me for interrupting, Your Grace. But as you are here and he is the one fighting, you need to think for your family's safety and the future of the Kingdom. That means you will rule us should something happen to the king," Ser Barristan told her as she frowned. Before nodding as she held her newborn son.
"Out everyone," she ordered as many agreed, Valaena remained with Arya, the two holding the babies. Lynara had gone back to go retrieve the right things to write her queen's decisions down.
"Do you have a name for him yet?" Arya asked as Rhaenyra hummed before shrugging.
"I would rather Robb be here before announcing it," she said.
"He could be gone for weeks, your second son will remain nameless for that long?" Arya asked as Valaena eyed her.
"I had a thought, which confirmed when he was born with my features. So, I will name him Prince Daemon Stark," Rhaenyra announced. "He was always a favorite of ours growing up, was he not?" Rhaenyra asked as Arya beamed with a nod.
"He and Queen Visenya." Arya had claimed both were strong people from the Targaryen House and history of dragon-riders. They sat in there with the babies as Rhaenyra held her newborn son.
XLVIII
"I cannot simply reconstruct our mapping areas," Rhaenyra said as she sat amongst her current council as some remained to protect the queen and children.
"Of course you can, Your Grace," Torrhen Karstark confirmed the rights she held as queen to reform how her Kingdom ran. "You must remember, you have the North, the Riverlands, and the Vale under your rule. Cultivate what they grow and what resources are positive and strong. Wood, of course, is our strongest with the Hornwood, Karhold, and Wolfswood," he said.
"And Iron from the Cape Kraken," Lynara claimed as her former student agreed, remembering where certain points were that were rich in material. It was one of the things she detested as a child and now she wished to have remembered.
"Can you make a list over a spare map and give it to me so I can judge how to structure our new Kingdom?" she asked her men who all agreed, eager to please her. "And we will have to ensure the Manderlys can construct a proper Harbor for the northern kingdom, we can also start creating food storages that only certain people have a control over when winter comes?" she suggested.
"A sound idea, Your Grace. Though it would need to be a loyal person," Torrhen implored, knowing how dangerous that position could become.
"Then, could I trust you and Lord Umber's son with those positions?" She asked as the man froze.
"Uh, I would think another would be better than I-"
"Oh, come now boy!" a man laughed, smacking the younger's back in encouragement. "You held your own against Jaime Lannister himself, and you are his student now," the man playfully teased as Torrhen blushed with a small laugh. "You are a good person for the position, until it is all in order and set properly, then you can shift position to another, your wife or a brother," the man commented as Torrhen paled.
"My wife would almost wait until people are starving," he feared.
"She would not," Rhaenyra commented. "I have her tending to Winterfell's stock and from my good mother's recent letter she is very good at judging sizes and how many could serve it properly, so yes. I suggest her if you wish to pass it on," Rhaenyra suggested as the man nodded.
"Yes, Your Grace," he agreed instantly. Knowing it was impolite to reject her offer.
"We still have not received word from your sister about her landing position, nor her response about you taking the Vale," the maester spoke carefully, fearful of the other dragon queen.
"Regardless we must continue on, more or less likely, my sister is now sailing for Westeros with her fleet and our allies," Rhaenyra surmised, hoping it was true, otherwise they will still have an on-going two-fronted war not just one with the wildlings. "Continue on with the tasks at hand and we will cross that bridge when we come to it," she commented as some agreed.
"It will take me a few hours but I can have a map drawn up and divided for you by tonight, Your Grace," a man said as she nodded, becoming tired suddenly as Lynara saw it.
"Alright, this is at an end, our queen is still recovering," she said as they all agreed. Rhaenyra sat there as she felt the already small stress if her husband should fall.
XLVIII
(Robb)
Robb had known Tywin would be prepared, and to his dread, the older lord was. Siege weapons were already made and preparing to attack the walls of Highgarden. Robb knew Tywin would get in if he had the chance and willpower and with the decline in power that the Lannisters were losing, the Lion would retake it. Their only shot was the dragons to defend Highgarden.
Tywin was situated within his host, discussing his plan as he was told Robb arrived with two of his wife's three dragons.
"Was the red dragon with them?" the man asked.
"No, My Lord. A golden dragon and a blue dragon. Your son and his daughter," the man commented as Tywin glared.
"That bastard is not my granddaughter. Would she have been she'd have been my heir," Tywin hissed as he saw the positives had Jaime and Valaena Velaryon married, they could have had a son by now and his line would be secure through his first son. "When you get the chance, shoot them both down, dragons included," Tywin hissed as he walked by a blacksmith who pulled off a cover of an old weapon that the Dornish created many centuries ago to fight Aegon the Conqueror. A modified scorpion. "You only made one? She has three dragons and her sister has three. What number does that equal?" Tywin asked sarcastically as the man frowned, irritated at him.
"I have never made this before, sir. There is a good chance it will not work! There were no instructions about this but simple drawings," he said before turning to the nervous soldier. "Treat it like a crossbow and fire once you aim correctly, but aim for the love of the Gods for it takes a long time to reload and I did not have time to make more than ten bolts," the blacksmith said as the men nodded.
"Now, let us go. And be on a ridge high enough to spy the dragons from the sky, they cannot be so easily hidden with the reported sizes my men reported when they fled to us," he grumbled.
"They were able to bring down the Mountain-"
"A human man against a fire-breathing dragon in the midst of her attack, of course he failed. He was stupid to allow himself to be distracted in fighting the Dornish Prince," Tywin commented.
"Would have been worse, My Lord, if he had killed the prince, for it would have caused the Dornish to retaliate with your granddaughter in their grasp," a man spoke, worried for the Princess' safety.
"They would not risk a valuable hostage for a simple kill," Tywin countered. "Now send out your men," the Hand ordered.
XLVIII
(Daenerys)
"Rhelli look! Kepa," Daenerys pointed Jon out as he came from training with his men. The man beamed and knelt as the little toddler carefully toddled to him with Juri helping, cooing to the girl sweetly while Irri, whose belly was now starting to swell with her own little one after Rakharo claimed her in their traditions, folded clothing and hummed before resuming her sewing or create certain toys for the babe and Rhelli. Daenerys had been excited and told Irri she would help in any way she could while also helping Irri with the birth, as she had been there for her.
"Come to me, my sweet girl," Jon cooed as the baby squealed and launched into his arms. Giggling and burying her face in his furred cloak, the nights becoming chilly. But their daughter enjoyed the fur it would seem. Jon had claimed Rhelli as his daughter as well so she could be her mother's heir once they reclaimed the Iron Throne for Daenerys.
"Your Graces," Missandei slowly entered. Smiling when Rhelli grunted at her in greeting, arms reaching out before the translator was offered the smiley babe from a chuckling Jon. "You recieved a letter from your sister," she said as Daenerys smiled before frowning at her friend's face.
"What's wrong? Is it the babe? Has it been a complicated birth?" The Valyrian woman asked rapidly before Jon calmed her with a hand to her back. Daario who came in saw the interaction with a small frown.
"No, not that, Your Grace. It was a healthy boy, named Daemon in honor of your ancestor-"
"Daemon Targaryen, the Rogue Prince. He was Arya and Rhae's favorite, tied with Visenya. Ironically, they both weilded Dark Sister," Jon commented as Daenerys smiled softly.
"Oh, well then what is wrong? You do not look happy," Daenerys questioned as her translator sighed softly.
"Your sister has conquered the Vale, it would seem. She is now-"
"Queen of the North, Riverlands, and the Vale. Yes, I know," Daenerys said as she surprised her advisors, even Raynor, Daario scoffed lightly, something Ser Jorah and Jon both noticed.
"How did," Jon showed a message from Rhaenyra when she had left the Vale. "Rhaenyra sent a message months ago when she was in the Vale to ensure Petyr Baelish failed. It was my cousin's aunt's son who made the decision," Jon said as others murmured to one another.
"So, she will be the, what?" Daario started. "Queen of the four Kingdoms?" he sneered.
"We have already worked this out. I will be known as the Queen of the South and she is the Queen of the North," Daenerys said as he hissed.
"My Queen. You give your power so freely but you forget, you used to be a Khaleesi, the Dothraki took their power-"
"I am not a Dothrak. I am a Westerosi born woman. My home is in the West, where my sister lives. I want to return home and help to create a truly unified Kingdom. No one person was meant to rule all seven Kingdoms," she laughed with disbelief, having dreamed nightmares of the Seven Kingdoms once more in war or being ravaged by rivals. The north is revolting for their Targaryen Queen. Dragons fighting and once more dragons dying out, and a flag of a black dragon on a red background floating in the water. So, if this is how it was meant to be once she took out the Lannisters from the Iron Throne, then so be it. And she would happily rule alongside her twin, and help further their Kingdom.
"You forget yourself, Daario. You are no knight nor a high rank to question our queen," Raynor spoke while Daario glared at him. "Learn your place and maybe you might join us," he said while some looked between Raynor and their Queen. "For Westeros despises sellswords but those who remain loyal to our queen would be welcomed and learn our ways," the knight said before leaving as he called Ghost to him so he could exorcise the wolf for his king.
"Your Grace," a man came in. "This man said he's come to give you a message," he said as Bronn came forward. Looking a bit haggard before bowing.
"Queen Daenerys, I bring a message and a gift," he said as she hummed before offering him a place to stay while he gave her the parchment from her twin. But froze when Bronn produced a covered item, long and it took both his hands to hold. The hilt shown with the ruby stone on the end.
"Is that?" she wondered as she took it with disbelief.
XLVIII
(Rhaenyra)
"Rhaenyra! You just gave birth! You cannot fly off to go fight, I thought the agreement was to keep you here?!" Valaena shouted at her queen who sighed and accepted the gloves Roslin gave her and curtsied before running off to return to the babies. Rhaella lowered herself, allowing her rider on now that she was healed enough to fly.
"I have a bad feeling Val, I need to help them," Rhaenyra said as her former caretaker sighed.
"I understand that, Your Grace. But you are our queen, you need to stay here and lead us," Valaena spoke.
"I already have the men positioned to retreat back to the North, Edmure will block them from his river as will Robin's men along the mountainsides. If we fall, you are to retreat back with them and warn Daenerys. Make sure she keeps her word about keeping them separate, I know she will, but I need you to ensure they are raised like the wolf-dragons they are," Rhaenyra ordered a tearful Valaena who scoffed.
"I am insulted. I raised you to be a dragon, aye?" The lady-in-waiting to her queen questioned about not raising the children how they should be. But now, she was the guardian of the future Queen and her prince-brothers. Her Queen smiled at the words and nodded, bowing her head softly in apology. "Fine, if I cannot keep you here, be safe and do not take risks, if you meet up with Jaime or Baela, let them risk their lives in lower sweeps, not you," Valaena begged her queen who looked at her awaiting beast. The dragoness patiently awaited her rider, eyeing her as well.
"I will try," Rhaenyra agreed, embracing the woman who was a mother to her and now will be for her children should she and Robb not return. Turning, Rhaenyra climbed her dragon's saddle and situated herself, feeling the slight discomfort of her muscles pulling. Rhaella, careful of her rider, launched into the air, sweeping around the camp who cheered as Rhaenyra smiled down on them, hoping she returned to her people. Many shouted at her to go as Rhaella roared and flew quickly, to try and catch up, hoping she could.
Rhaella would fly high up in the clouds as she seemed to be sensing or smelling for her sisters, Rhaenyra doubted her dragon could as it had been days and they were among clouds before Rhaella's head perked with a curious noise and surged downward as Rhaenyra held on, she saw marks along the ground. It was her dragons' flame drags, spots where they nested down at times and threatened scouts if they found them. Sometimes the dragons did not hesitate to take out a scout if they knew they did not belong to their mother's army. Robb did not scold them or their riders for this, despite the riders attempting to stop them. He knew from others the army or Grey Wind, if he did not kill them instantly as well, information they all knew. Locations where Tywin was.
Rhaenyra saw the decimation of her dragons' fires, Rhaenyra truly saw the reason why others went against her family when the Dance had caused them to lose almost everything. But now, with their dragons back, Rhaenyra planned on somehow finding more eggs and she would attempt but will not let it override her life. Dragons live on for centuries, so her children or grandchildren will have chances to claim them before their deaths. She knew this boy who claimed himself to be Aegon, her nephew is dangerous and will spark disloyalty in certain families. She will burn them out, root and stem.
XLVIII
(Robb)
Robb did not remember who started the fight first, arrows rained down on them as Rhaenys defended the front, bathing the archers in fire quickly to disable that bit. But instead of aiming for the army, the archers turned their attention to Jaime, aiming for him or Rhaenys' head. She knew instantly to fly higher, avoiding the attacks just before a man almost ran for their secret weapon. Tywin ordered him to wait until both dragons were visible. Knowing if they shot one down, the other might attack with revenge or flee to avoid a similar fate, leaving Robb with two dragons still, if they could take two out, it would lessen the threat and cause disaray in the camp.
"Come on, girl," Jaime encouraged. The dragoness growled before obeying her rider's order as she flew down and continued her fire attack. Tywin was not sure why the blue dragon was absent as he continued to watch from his position with their faction waiting for the Northerners to move into the right position to cut them off from retreating.
"Any sight of the blue dragon?" he asked.
"No, My Lord. We have not spotted the second dragon," a man said as his lord frowned. Tywin knew she was around someplace but could not spy her. Unaware she was high above him, waiting as she knew the plan. A storm was coming soon, she could see the clouds forming and lighting up as Alysanne trilled eagerly, she loved snow and storms, they were her favorite flying weather types. Baela did not enjoy it but knew Alysanne was familiar with the flight winds.
"Angōs!" Baela snarled the word for attack before her dragon dived, breathing blue flames among Tywin's faction as the lord himself evaded the attack hearing the shriek of the dragoness. She breathed heavily as her flames shot everywhere as Tywin cursed, his position given away as Jaime flew over quickly to help, but in doing this left the army exposed without dragon protection which Baela realized. "One needs to stay with the army!" She shouted. Jaime cursed before turning Rhaenys back to the army as she shrieked at leaving Alysanne to fight alone. The two dragonsses rarely fought alone, aside from Rhaella who was content to do so, the sisters always fought together. Jaime had continued to have Rhaenys fight against the faction that was going for the Highgarden walls. Engulfing the army front in flames before to many surprise, she landed on the somewhat sturdy walls that remained undamaged by fighting or fire, was stressing under the weight of the she-dragon who hissed as men fearfully backed away.
Renly with a stunned look saw the mass of the golden she-dragon known as Rhaenys, perched like an eagle, waiting to strike. He last saw her and her sisters when they were much smaller, now Rhaenys could easily crumble walls and towers if enraged and with her flames. But now, she protected Highgarden with no hesitation as golden flames raced through the moat that had been created when Tywin's army advanced on them, Renly worked the men hard listening to the orders of Olenna who knew Highgarden's weakness.
"That dragon will bring our wall down if she remains on it," Olenna scolded Renly who laughed.
"Either she accidentally brings it down it would have been brought down by Tywin's men who would have burned and pillaged everything, if she accidentally brings it down she can at least burn the ground to prevent soldiers from advancing," Renly knew it was bad if either situation happened. Lannister soldiers would have gotten in regardless and people of Highgarden would suffer. Loras had been among the men along the battlemonts as he stared at Rhaenys perched there roaring and deafening the men who fearfully fled her flames. But while she was perched and breathing fire, Tywin's man who was aiming the remade scorpion at the golden creature, but Loras saw it.
"Get her in the sky! There's a scorpion!" Loras shouted as his men did the same as some attempted to force Rhaenys off the wall for fear she would be hit. Jaime quickly saw the flash as he ordered Rhaenys to fly. The dragon surged up as the bolt grazed her foot, imbeding itself into the stone. Loras jumped at the size of the weapon and turned to the scorpion. Rhaenys, understanding something was wrong, immediately turned to the weapon and shrieked to Alysanne, both dragons flew up together and into the clouds as Gendry reported it to Robb amidst the fighting.
Robb worried about hearing the news of a scorpion being made, he ordered Gendry and Theon both to try and disable it if they could get through to it. The two agreed and ran together, Gendry was a blacksmith apprentice, there was a chance he could find the weakness for it.
Baela frowned when Alysanne refused to listen to her rider, flying after her sister. Jaime and Baela tried to get the two dragons to obey them but the she-dragons attacked the scorpion as another fired off, clipping Rhaenys once more as she growled angrily and attacked it before arrows rained on the dragon riders. Baela yelped as one grazed her cheek as she used her whip to make Alysanne obey and fly away with Rhaenys following with Jaime doing the same.
"That's a scorpion, isn't it?!" Baela assumed it was but at Jaime's nod she felt her blood go cold.
"Avoid it at all costs!" He roared as his dragoness shrieked her displeasure at her rider, keeping her from attacking it. Jaime knew his father had his best men manning it to ensure they struck their victims. So they flew oddly and made sure to avoid the scorpion and would bathe the armies in flames.
XLVIII
(Tyrion)
The lad did not seem appeased. The perfect prince but still half a boy for all that, with little and less experience of the world and all its woes. "Prince Aegon," said Tyrion, "since we're both stuck aboard this boat, perhaps you will honor me with a game of cyvasse to while away the hours?"
The prince gave him a wary look. "I am sick of cyvasse."
"Sick of losing to a dwarf, you mean?"
That pricked the lad's pride, just as Tyrion had known it would. "Go fetch the board and pieces. This time I mean to smash you." They played on deck, sitting cross-legged behind the cabin. Young Griff arrayed his army for attack, with dragon, elephants, and heavy horse up front. A young man's formation, as bold as it is foolish. He risks all for the quick kill. He let the prince make the first move. Haldon stood behind them, watching the play. When the prince reached for his dragon, Tyrion cleared his throat. "I would not do that if I were you. It is a mistake to bring your dragon out too soon." He smiled innocently. "Your father knew the dangers of being over-bold."
"Did you know my true father?" the boy asked curiously. Tyrion could sense honest curiosity and suspected the boy truly assumed he was the heir of Rhaegar Targaryen.
"Well, I saw him twice or thrice, but I was only ten when Robert killed him, and my own sire had me hidden underneath a rock. No, I cannot claim I knew Prince Rhaegar. Not as your false father did. Lord Connington was the prince's dearest friend, was he not?"
Young Griff pushed a lock of blue hair out of his eyes. "They were squires together at King's Landing."
"A true friend, our Lord Connington. He must be, to remain so fiercely loyal to the grandson of the king who took his lands and titles and sent him into exile. A pity about that. Elsewise Prince Rhaegar's friend might have been on hand when my father sacked King's Landing, to save Prince Rhaegar's precious little son from getting his royal brains dashed out against a wall."
The lad flushed. "That was not me. I told you. That was some tanner's son from Pisswater Bend whose mother died birthing him. His father sold him to Lord Varys for a jug of Arbor gold. He had other sons but had never tasted Arbor gold. Varys gave the Pisswater boy to my lady mother and carried me away."
"Aye." Tyrion moved his elephants. "And when the pisswater prince was safely dead, the eunuch smuggled you across the narrow sea to his fat friend the cheesemonger, who hid you on a poleboat and found an exile lord willing to call himself your father. It does make for a splendid story, and the singers will make much of your escape once you take the Iron Throne … assuming that our fair Daenerys takes you for her consort."
"She will. She must."
"Must?" Tyrion made a tsking sound. "That is not a word queens like to hear. You are her perfect prince, agreed, bright and bold and comely as any maid could wish. Daenerys Targaryen is no maid, however. She is the widow of a Dothraki khal, a mother of dragons and sacker of cities, Aegon the Conqueror with teats. She may not prove as willing as you wish."
"She'll be willing." Prince Aegon sounded shocked. It was plain that he had never before considered the possibility that his bride-to-be might refuse him. "You don't know her." He picked up his heavy horse and put it down with a thump.
The dwarf shrugged. "I know that she spent her childhood in exile, impoverished, living on dreams and schemes, running from one city to the next, always fearful, never safe, friendless but for a brother who was by all accounts half-mad … a brother who sold her maidenhood to the Dothraki for the promise of an army. I know that somewhere out upon the grass her dragons hatched, and so did she. I know she is proud. How not? What else was left of her but pride? I know she is strong. How not? The Dothraki despise weakness. If Daenerys had been weak, she would have perished with Viserys. I know she is fierce. Astapor, Yunkai, and Meereen are proof enough of that. She has crossed the grasslands and the red waste, survived assassins and conspiracies and fell sorceries, grieved for a brother and a husband and a son, trod the cities of the slavers to dust beneath her dainty sandaled feet. Now, how do you suppose this queen will react when you turn up with your begging bowl in hand and say, 'Good 'morrow to you, Auntie. I am your nephew, Aegon, returned from the dead. I've been hiding on a poleboat all my life, but now I've washed the blue dye from my hair and I'd like a dragon, please … and oh, did I mention, my claim to the Iron Throne is stronger than your own?'" Aegon's mouth twisted in fury. "I will not come to my aunt as a beggar. I will come to her as a kinsman, with an army." He said confidently.
"A small army." There, that made him good and angry. The dwarf could not help but think of Joffrey. I have a gift for angering princes. "Queen Daenerys has a large one, and no thanks to you." Tyrion moved his crossbows. "Say what you want. She will be my bride, Lord Connington will see to it. I trust him as much as if he were my own blood."
"Perhaps you should be the fool instead of me. Trust no one, my prince. Not your chainless maester, not your false father, not the gallant Duck nor the lovely Lemore nor these other fine friends who grew you from a bean. Above all, trust not the cheesemonger, nor the Spider, nor this little dragon queen you mean to marry. All that mistrust will sour your stomach and keep you awake by night, 'tis true, but better that than the long sleep that does not end." The dwarf pushed his black dragon across a range of mountains. "But what do I know? Your false father is a great lord, and I am just some twisted little monkey man." Tyrion said as the Prince glared. "And Queen Daenerys was never alone, I hear her twin always wrote to her, making sure that something ever needed to happen. Daenerys would have a place in Westeros, unlike you, Your Grace," Tyrion said. "I hope Your Grace will pardon me. But your king is trapped. Death in four."
The prince stared at the playing board. "My dragon—"
"She is too far away to save you. You should have moved her to the center of the battle."
"But you said—" the boy stuttered as a few eyed them, not happy at the prince's display.
"As I said. Trust no one. And keep your dragon close." the dwarf spoke as a flash crossed the boy's face.
Young Griff jerked to his feet and kicked over the board. Cyvasse pieces flew in all directions, bouncing and rolling across the deck of the Shy Maid as Tana jumped nearby. "Pick those up," the boy commanded, the angry sneer on his face as Shae and Tana watched. Cautious as the boy eyed the young girl with sudden interest when he saw them watching but Shae kept her close and had her helping in cleaning food for supper.
'He may well be a Targaryen after all.' The dwarf nodded to Shae and smiled softly. "If it pleases Your Grace." Tyrion got down on his hands and knees and began to crawl about the deck, gathering up pieces. Tana instantly joined in cleaning them up as the boy was about to say something before a bark from Griff ordered the boy to him.
"He does not act like Her Grace," Tana whispered, holding her hands for him to put them all in.
"No, he does not, he acts like my nephew, Joffrey," he said as Tana looked terrified. "Worry not, sweet girl. You will be safe with us, I will try to help keep you safe," he whispered as she nodded, a small smile.
"Yes, M'lord," she agreed.
XLVIII
It was close to dusk when Yandry and Ysilla returned to the Shy Maid. A porter trotted at their heels, pushing a wheelbarrow heaped high with provisions: salt and flour, fresh-churned butter, slabs of bacon wrapped in linen, sacks of oranges, apples, and pears. Yandry had a wine cask on one shoulder, while Ysilla had slung a pike over hers. The fish was as large as Tyrion.
When she saw the dwarf standing at the end of the gangplank, Ysilla stopped so suddenly that Yandry blundered into her, and the pike almost slid off her back into the river. Duck helped her rescue it.
Ysilla glared at Tyrion and made a peculiar stabbing gesture with three of her fingers. A sign to ward off evil. "Let me help you with that fish," he said to Duck.
"No," Ysilla snapped. "Stay away. Touch no food besides the food you eat yourself."
The dwarf raised both hands. "As you command."
Yandry thumped the wine cask down onto the desk. "Where's Griff?" he demanded of Haldon.
"Asleep." The man looked curious.
"Then rouse him. We have tidings he'd best hear. The queen's name is on every tongue in Selhorys. They say she is married to a boy with a northern Westerosi name but also rumored to be a second son to Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, a second marriage, meaning he is legitimate. If the talk in the markets can be believed, then our whole plan is now in danger," she said as the other paused. Tyrion froze, the union spread fast and he was stunned to learn of Jon's parentage spreading quickly. Rhaenyra and the couple attempted to keep it quiet. "She has ships coming to her from northern lands it would seem. She would have no need of us if this is true," the woman claimed.
Haldon pursed his lips. "The gossip of fishmongers is not to be relied on. Still, I suppose Griff will want to hear. You know how he is." The Halfmaester went below. By the time Griff appeared on deck, the pike was spitting and sizzling over the brazier whilst Ysilla hovered over it with a lemon, squeezing. The sellsword wore his mail and wolfskin cloak, soft leather gloves, dark woolen breeches. If he was surprised to see Tyrion awake, he gave no sign beyond his customary scowl. He took Yandry back to the tiller, where they spoke in low voices, too quietly for the dwarf to hear.
Finally Griff beckoned to Haldon. "We need to know the truth of these rumors. Go ashore and learn what you can. Qavo will know, if you can find him. Try the Riverman and the Painted Turtle. You know his other places."
"Aye. I'll take the dwarf as well. Four ears hear more than two. And you know how Qavo is about his cyvasse."
"As you wish. Be back before the sun comes up. If for any reason you're delayed, make your way to the Golden Company."
Spoken like a lord. Tyrion kept the thought to himself. Haldon donned a hooded cloak, and Tyrion shed his homemade motley for something drab and grey. Griff allowed them each a purse of silver from Illyrio's chests. "To loosen tongues."
"Allow the girls to join, they are good at listening and being invisible," Tyrion suggested as Tana frowned.
"Send the elder, keep the younger here. I'll need her help," Ysilla claimed with a sharp tone, Tana jumped when Yandry hauled her closer. Shae frowned and looked at Tyrion but Tana smiled.
"I will be alright," she spoke in a bastard Valyrian, one Tyrion became quite fluent in with her help. Ysilla frowned, not understanding but saw the nod Shae sent and followed with Tyrion at her side.
XLVIII
(Robb)
Robb continued to fight as the men continued to come wave after wave. He saw the dragons continuously flying around, Rhaenys was going lower, ducking, Robb shook his head to clear in before a shriek erupted from above. Alysanne had a bolt in her shoulder and was plummeting to the ground fast, Rhaenys shrieked at seeing this, alarmed. She flew to help her sister and attacked the scorpion with one flame burst, damaging it but not destroying it. It could still be operable but Theon and Gendry got to it and started to fight the soldiers defending it and using the weapon. As some put the flames out, others defended the weapon against the small cluster of northerners who came to help Theon and Gendry.
Alysanne had landed as she hissed in pain while Baela dismounted as Jaime did the same, Rhaenys took to the skies, defending her wounded sister. The father-daughter duo desperately pulled at the bolt to remove it as Alysanne roared in agony at the pain, she's never felt this so it was foreign, a feeling she despised, hissing as her rider attempted to remove the bolt. A roar of Lannister men charging at them, swords drawn, Jaime turned to see it pulled his daughter into him to protect her while Alysanne, turned her head around her rider with Rhaenys joining from behind, engulfed the men in flames as Jaime successfully yanked it free.
Red flames quickly joined as many saw the red dragon fly through the smoke with no fear and suddenly started to burn everything. Rhaenyra could not see what was wrong with Alysanne but knew she was down momentarily. Baela and Jaime were horrified to realize all three dragons were now fighting; if Tywin realized she was present, he'd go for her first.
"Get Rhaenyra back to Robb's faction!" Jaime shouted to his daughter as she nodded and ran around Alysanne and hauled herself into her saddle.
"Sōvēs!" Baela shouted, holding on as Alysanne launched into the air, her wing a bit sore as she flew and growled. Flying higher she intercepted Rhaella. "They have a scorpion! Only one I think," she shouted as Rhaenyra turned in her seat and winced when she did so. "Return to protect the King, we'll try and defend the walls of Highgarden." Baela knew with three dragons they had a better shot, but to keep Rhaenyra as safe as possible during the fighting was to stay away from the scorpion if it was still able. The queen nodded and returned as she cut the army in half, Rhaella flew in almost a zig-zag pattern with her dragonfire. It burned twice as fast with how she did it.
Robb was cutting through men as he avoided what he saw. He saw a handful of people he knew go down, whether dead or alive, he knew not. A bolt suddenly hit him hard as he growled in anger at realizing one of Tywin's men had caught him when Roose came to defend his King.
"The King is wounded!" the man shouted as northerners surrounded their wounded leader as Tywin's men slowly started to circle them. Rhaella's deafening shriek overcame the noise of the men as she descended down onto the ground. With blood-thirsty eyes and eagerness to unleash her wrath. Rhaella reared back and bathed all the Lannister men in her red flames as Rhaenys and Alysanne successfully pushed men away from Highgarden and even kept the flames from harming the structures. Rhaella with her rider's guidance launched into the air and flew straight for Tywin, avoiding the scorpion bolt that almost hit her, roaring at her sisters who flew past her quickly and rapidly hit the scorpion with blasts of fire as Tywin who ordered his men to fall back was now engulfed in flames. Tywin's horse knocked him from his saddle, sending the once great man to the ground as he flinched from the intense heat as Rhaella slowly advanced on him once she landed. Growling as he stared at the new dragons of House Targaryen.
"You will follow your father's path as all children do, my children will always avenge House Lannister," he hissed as she grinned.
"Your eldest son fights alongside me as does his daughter, both are free to be who they wish to be under me. Tyrion is going to Daenerys to help her. Cersei will fall with your bastard grandson, Joffrey," Rhaenyra said as he glared. "Drakarys!" She shouted, Rhaella slowly opened her mouth and breathed fire on the man known as the Old Lion, The Great Lion of the Rock. But the Great Lion he is no more. They had won.
Rhaella roared in triumph as her sisters joined with Grey Wind howling in confidence. The army cheered and roared with the animals as they listened to them. Rhaenyra closed her eyes when Rhaella took to the skies as she continued to show her win as Highgarden cheered with them, pouring out in droves as maesters and healers ran to the King and the wounded soldiers. Robb smiled as Rhaenyra flew near him as she looked to him proudly, sharing the happy smile at the realization, they could go home. King's Landing will fall on its own in due time. They needed to be home to prepare and decide on how to fight the Wildlings.
XLVIII
End of the chapter.
How was that? I tried to extend it and sorry if I made Rhaenyra arrive too early but I wanted all three to be there and help. And yes, I used the scene with Young Griff on the Shy Maiden. It was one of my favorites, but it will come to a head soon!
Please, tell me what you think!
~Rusty14~