Chapter 4; dragon dreams
By dawn, King's Landing, although relieved, was also shaken by the terror caused by Draconys, who had practically destroyed a part of Dragonwell and knocked out every dragon he had encountered. But it had had the desired effect and now the entire city was talking without exception about Vaegon and his "feat" so the plan had paid off, he had even flown a couple of times on Draconys' back over the capital. But it wasn't easy, because his body was fragile and he had to cling as best he could to the dragon's back. However, the view was wonderful and even he laughed with joy at experiencing such a moment.
Finally they landed on the ground outside the wall, the dragon's legs sinking into the ground under its own weight. However, sliding down a scaled wing was a real experience, although he landed on the ground quite bruised, but it was nothing important.
As expected, the guard was already there to escort him back to the red fortress, and he boarded a carriage that entered the streets while the crowd rushed to see who, according to rumors, was going to be the new king. Vaegon even took his time looking around the city. Although the destruction had been minimal, the city was in need of enormous renovation. No wonder, as a result of the long period of peace, the city would continue to grow in population until the most basic services were no longer guaranteed, as happened with the city after the dance of the dragons.
Arriving at the red keep, he was greeted by the lord commander of the royal guard, old Sir Ryman, who told him to accompany him to the king's offices. He was really tired, he hadn't slept at all in almost two days, and his body was so fragile that for a moment he feared that his legs would be reduced to dust, but at an easy pace he walked leaning on the cane. he.
When the doors opened, Vaegon found the old king sitting at his desk. He was emaciated and looked like he had another twenty years in his body. But Vaegon gave him a formal bow.
"Father," Vaegon said, "how can I help you?"
"Vaegon…where did that dragon come from?" The king inquired, looking at him with his penetrating violet eyes. "Sir Harold said that according to you, it had emerged from the ruins of Valyria… is that true?"
Vaegon remained deeply silent before answering.
"No," Vaegon responded after a sigh. But on the ship he had already created his own story.
"And where from then?" he asked the king again in a dark tone "because the flames of that dragon do not resemble any dragon in old Valyria... even Balerion would resemble a dwarf in comparison"
"It comes from the shadowlands beyond northern Asshai," replied Vaegon. "I summoned it…by accident."
The king looked at him in disbelief, trying to digest what his son had said.
"How did you say?" he asked without any emotion.
"I am aware of Aegon's dream," Vaegon spoke, surprising his father. "When mother returned from the wall she told me of Silverwing's terror, and his refusal to advance beyond the wall...I did not understand it...until I myself ended up seeing Aegon." the others in my own dreams"
The king rose from his desk with the energy of a colt and walked towards his son, his face red.
"What are you wearing?" he asked her, hyperventilating.
"I dreamed of dragons with many dragons, large as mountains, fierce as storms, majestic as the sky, illuminating the darkness…I saw the sword of Azor Ahai illuminating the night like the morning star. I saw the fire and the ice converge, and at the end I heard the songs of spring after the long night" he said with a voice so serious that the king was fascinated.
"The sword I saw you wield…"
"Yes," Vaegon responded forcefully. "It is the sword of Azur Ahai."
The king opened his mouth and his eyes in surprise at what he was hearing, it was all too unreal, but he couldn't find any other possible explanation. Before he knew it his son was helping him sit back down.
"I've been researching for years, Father, and I was even in Asshai," he said to surprise him. "Sometimes when I went to sleep in the citadel instead of in my bed, I woke up in different places. The first time I woke up in a city in ruins, consumed by fire and salt, with fire worms roaming everywhere, the water that surrounded it was smoking" he said, remembering the story as if it were yesterday "Yes... it was the day after upon reaching Oldtown...I still remember getting off that ship...and the screeching of those monsters...I saw Aerea...I did see that sea plagued with the worms that devoured her...I saw her walking in pain and Balerion badly injured, I had never seen the black terror like this ...and then they both looked at me intently and their eyes shone with a violet that was not from this world...the next day I woke up in my bed, but in my head I could still hear Aerea's screams and Balerion's roars...I was listening to them for a while. a fortnight"
The king stared at him, absorbed in everything he was saying. His good friend Barth had never revealed the details of Aerea's death to anyone. He now understood why.
"Several years passed until the next dream," Vaegon continued, "I found myself in the darkest and most icy night that had ever fallen on the earth... I walked and walked without ceasing, I saw bluish beings riding giant spiders, the towns were burning and the dead were dying." They rose... but there was a light... and I saw him fighting... and winning... then finally spring came... I don't know if it was a dream, but Azor Ahai himself threw his sword at me before disappearing embraced by the fire of life... The next day I received the news of Aemon's death."
Jaehaerys didn't know what to say, but the memory of his firstborn tightened his chest.
"I had a third and final dream," continued Vaegon, sure of himself. "The same night on the Maeguelle he died. After mourning his death, I fell asleep. Then I traveled to a place full of life, where there were dragons everywhere, and happiness seemed eternal. The columns rose to the sky, and the crystalline waters of the great river, in the middle of a meadow that had no end, revealed a city that would make Valyria itself pale." He paused to take a breath and glance askance at the old king waiting for him. each of his movements "Then a darkness poured over that land, and life gave way to an endless shroud… I saw hundreds to thousands disintegrate in search of other lands, I saw many seem and I saw how after the first winter I saw As if from the corpse of a great dragon, larger than Casterly Rock, two dragons emerged, one of fire, the other of ice, and the two moved away from each other and I saw how that dragon of fire left for the lands of eternal summer... I saw to the shepherds on the slopes of the fourteen llamas…and I saw eggs hatch"
Then Vaegon fell silent and lowered his head in exhaustion. Formulating a theory was really exhausting, especially when you were exhausted.
"And what happened next?" asked the old king.
"I investigated on my own, day and night, and finally came up with an answer," Vaegon spoke. "Millennia ago, many millennia ago, long before the age of dawn, in the shadowlands there was a civilization, a very advanced one, more than you. and I would even dare to dream... back then, although it may seem inconceivable, spring, summer, autumn and winter coexisted in the same year, with three moons each." The old king opened his mouth in surprise to object but Vaegon continued "But those people longed for spring and eternal summers, which led to their own damnation, with the survivors scattered throughout the world. But one people persisted in preserving their customs, the so-called people of shadows, but they ended up disappearing and their survivors spread to the lands of summer and the north, far to the north, where the ice is eternal. That town prospered for some time, but eight millennia ago it collapsed and its inhabitants became the others, carrying their curse with them as a treat for all humanity...those from the lands of fire took longer to evolve, since many had died during the long night. , and its attributes had very little to do with the primitive civilization… but it would finally give rise to Valyria"
The old king was thoughtful for a long time, it was a lot to take in. Finally, after a sigh he rose from his seat, and ordered Sir Ryman to summon the court at once. Vaegon was somewhat perplexed, but his fatigue was already preventing him from concentrating properly, so he just followed his father.
In a short time the council and the most prominent and also the most clever lords had gathered in the throne room, with only Prince Vyserys and his family missing. Vaegon walked uncomfortably with all eyes on him. Jaehaerys climbed the steps and sat on his throne, leaving Vaegon himself at the foot of it, while Otto Hightower and Sir Ryman guarded the steps.
"The emergency court has been convened to make an important announcement," said the old king in a tired voice, "after the death of my beloved Baelon, I have decided that the next prince of Dragonstone will be my son Vaegon…who has just renounced his links as archmaester…all overlords and vassals are hereby ordered to swear allegiance to you as my heir."
The announcement was not at all surprising, Vaegon's very presence in the red fortress had already raised the rumors. Furthermore, the fact that few saw him as a feasible option to occupy the iron throne had increased exponentially, after seeing how he claimed possibly the most powerful dragon the world had ever seen. However, the news was no less shocking, but after a few seconds the first applause finally arose, which soon became a torrent and everyone without exception swore loyalty to Vaegon as crown prince. Some out of respect for the old king like Lord Beesbury, others out of loyalty, such as the members of the royal guard, and finally out of pure convenience, among which were the majority of the lords present, led by Otto Hightower, who was already doing his own machinations in his head.
"Thank you father," Vaegon replied, "I will honor your decision, for I only wish the best for the seven kingdoms," he said, removing his archmaester's chain from his neck and throwing it to the ground to the dismay of Grand Maester Rucinter.
Then Vaegon returned to his chambers to rest, while Draconys withdrew from the city to build his own shelter a few leagues away, where at the end of the day he would end up laying his first brood, while he watched the crows fly in all directions to send the news. . Now it was his turn to see how the seven kingdoms would react to his new heir.