Author's Notes: Good day, everyone! As ever and always, I am humbled and pleased by your support of this work. You lovely readers are awesome!

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Update: I will be skipping the next posting date of this story. TDR, unfortunately, can't be my top priority at the moment and that's left me with only one buffer chapter left. The next posting date will tentatively be set for 6/26/21, but I cannot yet fully commit to it. The next chapter will release no later than 7/5/21.

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Chapter 97

Aemon XXXIV

Everywhere he went he felt like he was walking on clouds. Despite the crisp tinge of fall in the air, the colors of the flowers in the gardens and the dresses the ladies wore somehow all seemed brighter. He realized only after his spirits were soaring through the sky just how gloomy and fretful he had been since his return to the past.

Daenerys had accepted his proposal for marriage! The wight was mere days away from being revealed to the world. For once he felt like everything was going right.

His footsteps faltered only for him to pick up the pace again. There was Winterfell to be concerned about and he had not yet brought the Ironborn into the fold of the Seven Kingdoms. There was still so much work that needed to be done, but after spending his first year anxious, he was going to allow himself to be carried away in his happiness for even just a few days.

Temper yourself or Jaime will call you a little girl again. Like he's one to talk, Aemon thought ruefully. Jaime was near bursting with excitement. He was mere days away from being married as opposed to weeks like Aemon was. But Jaime channeled all of his emotions into aggression, either training against Brienne or any man who wanted to tempt his fate. Aemon had much less time for training in between his meetings, his sojourns with Daenerys, dinners, lunches, and private meetings. He preferred to celebrate with Daenerys or at least take a walk to enjoy the fresh, salty air.

When they had kissed a few days ago after she said yes, Aemon had immediately been brought back to his first ever kiss with Daenerys. The contrast could hardly be more different. The air had been chill with the turning of Winter, which made the heat from Daenerys more apparent. Here she had to compete with the summer sun of King's Landing, making her feel more muted, but she was no less passionate despite it going no further than a kiss.

She had been more vulnerable in that moment than Aemon had ever seen her. The knowledge that her father had been set to murder everyone in King's Landing had shaken her. He wondered if that had really been the best time to spring that news on her. It made him nervous to his core that it would frighten her to the point of rejecting him. But it was not the type of news that would sit well with the kingdom if he'd put it off for too long. With all of the activity being undertaken to clear the wildfire, the knowledge would have eventually leaked out and it would have looked poor on him to have continued to hold the secret. He was immeasurably grateful that Jaime had undertaken the expense or it might have been some time longer yet before the wildfire could be neutralized.

We're on the same page at least, Aemon thought. Daenerys now had a greater understanding of why he had to be so careful in his dealings as king. She was now well aware that there was a line that could not be crossed in the course of ruling and that their family had been so close to crossing it. He had a feeling that she never imagined anyone ever daring to go that far. He hadn't either before Jaime had set him straight.

Their wedding was mere weeks away. He hoped that the reveal of the wight and the threat of undead armies would not stifle her joy. The Long Night was still some years away and Aemon was pleased with where the kingdom was at present, especially compared to last time.

"Ah, Your Grace, a word if you please."

Aemon faltered in his steps once more and felt his own joy dampen. But he smiled and nodded his head in greeting to Prince Oberyn who was smiling insincerely toward him. Ser Barristan was the guard for him that morning; he was ever neutral as he regarded Prince Oberyn.

"Good morning, Prince Oberyn. Please join me on my walk."

"I was hoping we might take this to your solar. It is a matter of utmost importance," Oberyn said with a venomous tone.

Aemon sighed inwardly. He was already certain of what this meeting was about. "Very well. Come with me."

Once they entered, Aemon asked, "Refreshments?"

"No, thank you, Your Grace," Oberyn replied impatiently.

"To what do I owe this meeting?"

Oberyn studied him for a moment with narrowed eyes and then said, "As you're no doubt aware, Your Grace, when Dorne agreed to be an ally, there were many conditions to be met. Chief among them is marriage between our families."

"I do recall."

"Prince Viserys is dead. The match has fallen through. We need another."

Aemon regarded him for a moment. It had been two weeks since Daenerys' arrival with that particular piece of news and yet Oberyn had stood silently by. He had a feeling that if Daenerys had rejected him, Oberyn would have immediately swept in with grand overtures.

"I understand, but that will be considerably more difficult to fulfill this time around."

"Why should it be any more difficult than before?" Oberyn asked with a wry smile.

Aemon raised his eyebrows at him. "My uncle was a perfect suitor for Princess Arianne as it meant his children would have inherited Sunspear. There are no other men in my family who could make a suitable match with her. Because Dorne allows women to inherit over men, that means any woman who marries Prince Quentyn will not be able to provide any of her children an inheritance. Lord and Lady Stark will not find that an acceptable match." Especially Lady Stark, Aemon thought ruefully. Even if he didn't want to do right by her, he wanted to do right by Arya. He wasn't about to break her heart, yet again, with another arranged betrothal.

"Very well, I will not demand a match between your cousin, Lady Arya, and my nephew, Prince Quentyn." Oberyn's mouth quirked into a smug smile. "We demand, no less than either Princess Arianne or Prince Quentyn's future daughter have a match with your future son."

How unsurprising, Aemon thought. "Prince Oberyn, I will not bargain with children that are not yet born lest we run into the same situation that happened just now with Prince Viserys. I don't think that wise."

"It seems we're at an impasse." Prince Oberyn glared at him. "I thought you were a man of honor, Your Grace. It appears that I have misjudged you. I will be returning to Dorne on the morn." He made to leave.

"You would walk away from your position on the Small Council? Ser Daemon has already taken his place in the Kingsguard. You would have him dishonor himself to return with you?"

"It is you who dishonor him by not fulfilling your end of the bargain," Oberyn snapped.

"And what of your daughter Saranella? I heard that Healer David has accepted her as a student." Aemon doubted that attempting to guilt Oberyn would amount to much, but he thought it worth it. After all, Jaime was still David's patron and tha

For the first time, Prince Oberyn shifted ever so slightly, revealing his discomfort at the idea. "Our agreement cannot be in force as long as one of the conditions remains unfulfilled. Her involvement with the Shepherds is not part of the agreement and she would remain here." Prince Oberyn turned to leave.

"Prince Oberyn, we have yet one more option to explore if you're willing."

He turned. "Speak it then, Your Grace."

"I am not willing to bargain in the specifics of children that I do not have. However, that does not mean a future betrothal cannot be arranged. There will be children, after all, in both of our families. I will agree that one of my children will marry one of your family's children. When the time comes to make the betrothal formal, we'll then set which two will marry. Does that sound fair?"

Prince Oberyn approached carefully and quietly. "You will put that in writing, Your Grace?"

"Of course, I will. If you so desire, I will even send a copy of the contract to your brother, Prince Doran."

"Then it seems we are in agreement," Prince Oberyn said, offering his hand.

They shook. "I will send for you when the contracts are drawn and ready to be signed, Prince Oberyn," Aemon said.

"I look forward to it, Your Grace," Prince Oberyn replied with a small bow and headed out.

"You know very well he won't settle for anything less than a daughter to be queen," Ser Barristan replied.

"I'm aware, Ser Barristan. In my experience, setting such terms in stone leaves it open for the Gods to play games. Best not give them that chance," Aemon said with a wry smile.

"And yet they have not steered you wrong so far," Ser Barristan said.

Aemon frowned. "They have hardly showered me with support. They could have stopped the prisoners from leaving the Eyrie. They can bring a man back through time but they can't strike a man dead where he stands? That would have put an end to Baelish before he'd even gotten started," Aemon muttered.

"These are trials, Your Grace. Every king has them. You handled it masterfully."

"Jaime handled it masterfully. I just tied off loose ends," Aemon sighed.

"You still managed to negotiate Dorne back into the Seven Kingdoms after nearly two decades of being slighted. You brought longstanding criminals to justice. You've restored House Targaryen's honor; you've even restored your family."

Aemon snorted. "Do you flatter all of your kings, Ser Barristan?"

"You, Your Grace, and your father. Robert Baratheon would not have stood for pretty words even if they were truthful."

"I never saw you as one to speak ill of past kings," Aemon said with a raised eyebrow.

"It is not in my nature to do so and I shall refrain from speaking any further in that regard."

"Just as well." Aemon sat down at his desk and pulled a piece of parchment before him to start writing.

"However, Your Grace, I do not mean to burden you any further, but there is an issue I have been meaning to bring to your attention for some time…."

Aemon blinked at him and said, "Very well, Ser Barristan, speak."

"It's … about the new oath."

Some time indeed, Aemon thought. "I see. That reminds me, you will take your new oath when the court is next in session."

"As you will, Your Grace. Are you … sure this is what you want the new oath to be?"

"The hour is rather late on that. All the other Kingsguard have sworn it save for you," Aemon replied, giving him an arch expression.

Ser Barristan sighed. "I am concerned, Your Grace. The knights you have enlisted in the Kingsguard are all worthy candidates by far compared to those in Robert Baratheon's old Kingsguard. But now a Kingsguard can kill you or any other king as long as they can justify it."

"Well then, I would hope this would incentivize future kings to take great care in picking their Kingsguard. I insist that this will henceforth be the new oath. At least until another king decides to change it," Aemon said in his most authoritative voice, drawing himself up.

Ser Barristan stared at him for a moment, but then nodded. He turned back to begin writing again when the old knight's voice spoke again. "This is because of what happened between Lord Lannister and King Aerys, isn't it?"

"Indeed it is. King's Landing would be a massive graveyard were it not for him. Thank the Gods that someone had some sense to do something about my grandfather," Aemon muttered beneath his breath.

Silence fell once more in the solar. Then in a quiet voice, Ser Barristan said, "Your father also did."

"Hmm?"

"Your father had every intention of overthrowing King Aerys. He was well aware of how dangerous his father was becoming. This was even before Lord Rickard Stark and Brandon Stark suffered their fates," Ser Barristan said. His voice was barely above a whisper and only seemed to get lower. His eyes were cast down and his expression was grim.

"Why didn't he then?"

Ser Barristan looked back into his eyes, hesitating for a moment. He glanced around the room as though he expected someone to be hiding. He walked over and bent down to whisper in his ear. "Lord Varys, the master of whisperers, informed your grandfather of Prince Rhaegar's plans. That put an end to it."

Aemon felt a chill rush down his spine at the words. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists until he was trembling with rage. "What?" he whispered fiercely. "Why?"

"It's … impossible to say, Your Grace. This is what he is…." Ser Barristan said, shifting his feet uncomfortably.

That snake, Aemon thought. He took several deep breaths to regain his control. He looked toward Ser Barristan, glaring at him, wishing desperately to interrogate him further. But he knew that not only would the effort be fruitless, the news would reach Lord Varys' little birds. He had to find another means.

Jaime was right. He's hardly trustworthy! All of that talk about the best for the realm … my father could have averted those deaths by ascending the throne. But Varys betrayed him. I will get to the bottom of this. It seemed that no sooner had he dispatched one snake than another revealed itself. He appreciated Ser Barristan's discretion. He would have the jump on the spider once more and perhaps he would be able to trap it before it did any more harm to the realm.

|-The Dragon's Roar-|

Daenerys XIII

She set her sights on the Tower of the Hand and walked toward it with such determination that she barely saw any of the people around her. They all curtsied and bowed as she passed, muttering their greetings, but they seemed to understand she wished not to be interrupted. It was long past time since she should have had this conversation, but at least with the revelation of the truth, the hostilities would be limited.

She could agree and stand with Lord Lannister in his decision to kill her father and prevent the whole of King's Landing from being destroyed. But she still had questions surrounding that day that no one else could answer. She was determined to get the truth of the matter. She hesitated a moment at the bottom of the stairs and started up.

Daenerys could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Ser Barristan was a formidable knight but kindly and warm. He wore his heart on his sleeve and she knew she could trust that his loyalty to the Targaryens was true. That was less apparent with Lord Lannister. Yes, he was loyal to King Aemon, but was he loyal to her? Up until the feast, she had only ever seen him at a distance and ignored his presence at all other times.

When he was telling his truth, he looked like a man unburdening himself from a great weight. But even through the exhaustion, there was a fierce quality to his demeanor. Ser Barristan was quick to smile, but Lord Lannister was quick to scowl. She was not sure what to expect and it unnerved her.

It's time to set aside your fear, she scolded herself. He is Aemon's closest confidant and you are now Aemon's betrothed. Upon approaching the landing of the solar, his squire drew himself up and the guards stiffened. They all gave her a half bow.

"Princess," the boy said in a voice that cracked.

"Is Lord Lannister in?"

"Yuh-yes," the boy said and tapped on the door. "Princess Daenerys Targaryen wishes to see you, m'lord."

"Let her in," Lord Lannister's voice called out from within.

The boy held open the door for her. She made to step through, but then looked back at her guard. "Stay," she whispered.

"Are you sure, Khaleesi?"

"There is no reason for fear," she replied and stepped through.

Lord Lannister stood from behind his desk and bowed. "Princess," he said quietly and gestured to a separate table and chairs. "Would you like to sit?"

"Thank you, my lord," she replied and sat in the chair he pulled out for her.

"Wine?"

"That's not necessary."

Lord Lannister was quiet as he sat and cocked his head at her. "What can I do for you?" he said in a voice that was startlingly quiet.

Daenerys looked down at her hands to find them twisting fabric and settled them, drawing herself up again to make eye contact. "I understand and respect the decision you made to end my father's life," she said in a wavering voice. She hadn't yet come to terms with the magnitude of her father's intended actions and her heart revolted at the idea of making peace with Lord Lannister, but she knew it was the right thing to do. "I apologize for any disrespect that I have shown you."

"Princess, you do not need to apologize for anything. I'm sorry it had to come to that," Jaime said. His eyes were far away and his expression was grim.

"I do have … some questions."

"Yes?"

She hesitated and then said, "Why did you not protect Princess Elia Martell, Princess Rhaenys, and Prince Aegon?"

"It's King Aegon VI. King Aemon ordained him as such," Jaime corrected, but then he fell silent and he was now the one who had difficulty keeping eye contact. His eyes seemed to rove about the table as if searching for an answer; when he finally looked at her, she saw guilt. "I was not aware that they were in danger. I thought the danger had passed with the death of your father. Few were more surprised than I to learn what my father had ordered."

Daenerys shifted in her seat. "I've been told … tales of your father. His cruelty."

"The Reynes and the Tarbecks were from before I was born. They were vassals beholden to my father. King Aegon, his mother and sister—they were royalty. They should have had protection, been treated with kindness at the very least. I never thought my father would dare breach that etiquette," Jaime replied.

Her mouth twitched with accusations, but she held them back. It seemed he had been just as taken with his father as she had by hers.

"Their deaths are my biggest regret. If there was any one thing I could avert, it would be that," Jaime said. "That is in part why I am King Aemon's ally. We are friends, but I promised Prince Rhaegar that I would protect his children. I failed two, but I won't fail this one."

Daenerys felt her ire fading away for the moment. "Was my brother really as kind and gentle as they say?"

Jaime's eyes went far away again, but she could see the ghost of a smile. "He was a good man. He treated me well. I thought he was everything that a good king should be. I see much the same in King Aemon." His smile faltered again. "I'm afraid I don't remember much, Princess. It's been too long."

"No? Ser Barristan seems to remember much."

Jaime snorted. "He would. He was in the Kingsguard when Prince Rhaegar was born. I was there for only a few years and Rhaegar was away for much of it until he died."

"Then can you tell me much of Princess Elia, King Aegon, and Princess Rhaenys?"

"Princess Elia was such a kindly woman. She was frail in body, but she had inner strength and a sweet smile. She always saved a blackberry tart from breakfast for me because she knew how much I liked them. She adored her children. King Aegon was a happy babe. Always giggling or smiling. Most babes shrink from the Kingsguard when they see us, but King Aegon always squealed in delight and wanted to touch us. He insisted I hold his hand every time I visited. Princess Rhaenys was always skipping. When she got her kitten, she carried it around in her arms all of the time. She named it Balerion," he finished with a wry smile and Daenerys giggled at the thought of the tiny kitten next to the dragon's enormous skull.

"I'm afraid I don't remember any more. It was too long ago," Jaime said. "If you wish to know more about Princess Elia, you might ask Prince Oberyn, but he may not be all that happy to tell you."

"Oh?"

"Prince Oberyn bears a grudge against Prince Rhaegar for setting his sister aside for Lady Lyanna Stark."

Dany picked at the seam in her dress before stopping herself and blurted out, "Why did he do it?"

"I don't know, Your Grace. Prince Rhaegar treated me well, but I was not a confidant. That would be either Ser Barristan or Ser Arthur Dayne, and Ser Arthur is long dead."

"Ser Barristan mentioned something about a prophecy?"

Jaime shook his head. "I never would have taken Prince Rhaegar to put much stock into prophecy. Maester Aemon in Castle Black would know more."

Dany smiled. "Aemon—King Aemon—told me about him. I think I will write him."

"I'm sure he will have much to tell you. I don't mean to be rude, Your Grace, but I must return to work."

"Of course. Thank you," she said, inclining her head.

He looked like he wanted to say more but simply dipped his own head back.

Upon leaving the room, the stare-off between her guards and his ceased as they fell in behind her.

"Was there any trouble?" Daenerys asked.

"No, Your Grace," Ser Jorah replied.

"Then did you really need to act so hostile?"

"They're Lannisters. You can never be too careful, Your Grace."

She gave Ser Jorah an exasperated look but then turned her thoughts back to her family. She hoped her letters to Maester Aemon would be more fruitful. It seemed passing strange that Lord Lannister would remember so little when he was so much younger compared to even Ser Barristan, but she supposed it couldn't be helped.

I'll just have to search harder, in different places, she thought. Her heart was still light as she thought about King Aegon, Princess Elia, and Princess Rhaenys, imagining their smiles as they might have been.