132 AC
Red Keep and Myr
During those three long years after the Black Conspiracy in 129 AC, the queen's hostages did their best to keep their distance from royal politics and intrigue. Prince Aegon and Princess Helaena Targaryen (mostly Helaena) brought their children up in comfort. Nine year old Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen was growing like a weed, and his budding talent with swordplay was a source of immense pride for his father. His twin sister, Princess Jaehaera Targaryen, although mostly quiet and reserved, was becoming more interactive and extroverted thanks to the companionship of her two friends, and future cousins-in-law, Ladies Thea Celtigar and Myrine Darklyn. The three girls were inseparable, and Thea and Myrine were often in contact with their fiancés' half-uncle and half-aunt.
Prince Maelor Targaryen was a happy, energetic six year old boy who loved to zip around the royal gardens pretending that he was riding a dragon and fighting invisible enemies with his toy sword and shield. He would sometimes role-play as the knight in shining armor to save the damsel in distress, who was always his fiancée, Princess Visenya Targaryen. Jaehaerys would "kidnap" his young half-cousin, and Maelor would charge after him. Princess Visenya would giggle madly in her cousin's arms while her fiancé shouted out statements like "unhand her" or "release her and you shall be spared". Besides saving his cousin from imaginary evil dragons and wizards, Maelor would hold mock jousts in the garden.
Maelor and his brother and male cousins would ask for the favor of their respective betrothed; Visenya would just give Maelor a pebble or a clump of grass in lieu of a handkerchief. With bated breath, the girls would watch as the boys charged at each other with fake lances, cheering when their "knight" had won (the older boys often let little Maelor win though). But the bubble of protection that Aegon and Helaena had built around their family could not shield them from the outside world forever. Edmund was the family's connection to the goings on of their half-sister's court, keeping them informed of special events like births, deaths, and moments of discord. When Edmund told Aegon about the coalition between House Targaryen and Essos, the Elder Prince stood up from his chair.
"I will lend my sword to this conflict." Aegon said. Helaena's eyes widened and she blinked.
"You… you are going to fight for our half-sister?"
Aegon snorted at his sister-wife's words."Of course not. Ever since Rhaenyra became queen, I have been bored out of my senses. All we do is mill about here or go hunting or hawking in the Kingswood. I would like to put my swordplay into use before I forget everything Ser Cole has taught me."
"But from what Edmund has told us," Helaena replied, "Rhaenyra and Uncle Daemon have amassed a large enough force—" Aegon cut is his sister off rudely.
"Yes, I know Helaena. But I do not think our sister or uncle would mind an extra dragon in their army."
Prince Jaehaerys looked up from his atlas of the Known World with wide, hopeful eyes.
"Can I come with you, papa? Shrykos has gotten big enough for me to fly…"
"Absolutely not!" shouted both Aegon and Helaena, startling Jaehaerys and causing him to meekly sink back into his chair. Realizing that they had scared their eldest child, brother and sister rushed to Jaehaerys's side to comfort him.
"I am sorry for shouting at you, son", Aegon said with a gentle hand on Jaehaerys's back. "But you are too young fight in a battle yet."
"Exactly, my darling." Helaena added. "Your eagerness to fight for House Targaryen is commendable, but you have not reached your tens. You are still a boy."
"Will anyone go with you, father?" Jaehaerys asked quietly, disappointed that he could not go.
Aegon did not have to ponder his son's question long. He looked in the direction of his squire, who had been standing in the corner of the room.
"Yes," the prince said, "Edmund will come with me."
It was Edmund's turn to widen his eyes. But rather than being afraid, Edmund was excited.
"Really, my lord? You want me to accompany you into battle?"
"Why yes of course." Aegon said. "You are my squire after all. It is your duty to follow me wherever I go. When you survive this war, I shall knight you Edmund."
Edmund could not help but grin, and that was that. Aegon relayed to Rhaenyra through Edmund his intentions to help with the coalition. The queen accepted, and the two men prepared for battle. When the hour for the army to depart came at dawn, both Aegon and Edmund got up and went to get suited up in their armor. As a servant fastened on his breastplate, the prince suddenly addressed his squire.
"What name would you like, Edmund?"
Edmund gave his liege a bemused look. "What do you mean, my lord?"
"You do not have a family name. What would you like to be called when you are knighted?"
Edmund began to think hard. What should his surname be? His father had told him that his grandfather had originally hailed from Maidenpool, could he be Ser Edmund of Maidenpool? No, Edmund did not grow up in Maidenpool, and it did not make sense to claim to be from there. Neither Ser Edmund Gaoler nor Ser Edmund Servile, both inspired by the professions of his grandfather and father respectively, sounded appealing either. Edmund furrowed his brow in frustration.
"How about "Naeryon"? Aegon said as he observed his squire's contemplative look. Edmund broke free from his clouded mind and he looked at his liege again.
"Naeryon? A Valyrian name?"
"Not a name," Aegon began, "but a word. When I was a boy, my tutor taught my siblings and I some Valyrian texts that had been deciphered at the Citadel by my great-uncle Vaegon. "Naeryon" is the Valyrian word for "loyal". It is the origin of the Valyrian name Naerys."
Edmund was surprised by Aegon's sudden intellectual side. He had never thought that his lord cared much for reading or learning anything as cerebral as etymology (the study of words). But still, he liked Aegon's suggestion. Ser Edmund Naeryon, it had a nice ring to it. The squire nodded his head.
"I like it. That will be my family name."
Aegon the Elder smiled.
"Good. I'm glad."
Edmund's excitement grew when Aegon invited his squire to ride with him on Sunfryre. When they had arrived at the Dragonpit, Edmund stood before the cell that contained Sunfyre the Golden, the loveliest dragon to ever fly the skies of Westeros. Edmund had never been this close to any of the dragons before. He had been a page when Aegon had first invited him to see the dragons, but the terrified boy had declined. Believing that he was too scared to see the beasts, Aegon did not invite Edmund over to the Dragonpit anymore.
But now, Edmund was a nineteen year old man who was soon going to fight in his first battle, he could not show fear now. As Aegon led his beloved Sunfyre out of his enclosure, Edmund stood straight as a post, and he did his best to keep himself from showing any sign of trepidation. Sunfyre was a tame creature, and he did not show any outward signs of aggression, much to Edmund's relief. But soon, Edmund's initial anxiety was replaced by awe. True to what he had heard, Sunfyre was a truly magnificent dragon, for he had scales like beaten gold, wing membranes that were of the lightest pink, belly scales white as ivory, and eyes like sapphires.
Sunfyre was a large dragon, slightly smaller than Meleys the Red Queen, but no less formidable. The dragon acknowledged the strange man that stood before him, and he lowered his head and sniffed Edmund. The squire closed his eyes as he felt Sunfyre's exhaled breath flow out of his nostrils.
"Sunfyre, this is my squire, Edmund. He is a friend. He is going to ride with us. Do you like him?"
Sunfyre narrowed his blue eyes at Edmund, as if he were looking for the most minute flaw so as to render his master's squire unworthy to ride him. After what felt like an eternity, Sunfyre grunted and he looked towards the opened gate at the end of the Dragonpit.
"He has accepted you, Edmund." Aegon said, bringing Edmund out of his stupor and back to reality. The prince gestured towards his squire. "Come, help me get this saddle on, then we will go." After performing this task, the men took off and joined the others on their way towards the Triarchy.
Flying a dragon was the most exhilarating feeling Edmund had ever known. The sensation of the dragon lifting off from the ground and watching the city shrink below, the feeling of the air currents blowing against his face, and the sound of the flapping wings, Edmund could not help but feel that the Targaryen's were part-god since it seemed that no ordinary man could tame these mighty dragons and make use of their power. Was this what Ronnel Arryn, the last King of Mountain and Vale, felt when Queen Visenya Targaryen took him for a ride on Vahgar in return that his mother, Queen Regent Sharra Arryn, surrender the Vale to the Conqueror? Most likely, and Edmund could not help but agree that riding a dragon was worth surrendering a kingdom for. But all thoughts of the King Who Flew and of conquered kingdoms were quickly dashed away when Edmund heard from Aegon that Myr had been spotted.
Edmund took a deep breath and whispered a quick prayer. He could feel his bravery starting to seep out, and Edmund did his best to hold onto it. Looking over Aegon's shoulder, Edmund could see the large columns of smoke rising from the city along with orange flickers of flame. Down below, Edmund could see some of the ships getting closer to the shoreline. Up ahead, Princess Rhaenys Targaryen was already having Meleys burn down the harbor warehouses and marketplaces of Myr, chasing away the rioting citizens and soldiers.
Speaking of fire, Aegon saw that most of the docks had been burned away until only their support posts were left standing up through the water like charcoal stalagmites. Most of the merchant ships had been incinerated as well during the madness of the civil war. Without the docks, the army would have to disembark along the shoreline outside of the city walls. Thankfully, the gates had been left open so that refugees could flee the carnage, ensuring that the army could march into the city without being kept out. But this also allowed outlaw bands and opportunistic sellsword armies and bravos to invade the city, their factions claiming Myr's districts as their own.
What had once been a brilliant city of trade and learning had become a cesspool of brutality and bloodshed. The midday sun gleaming off of the armor and weapons of the mercenaries gave away their positions to the dragon riders. When Aegon uttered "dracarys", Sunfyre opened his great maw, and a torrent of golden fire shot out. Soon the mercenaries, now cloaked in a pulsing garments of fire, scattered about, their screams of pain reverberating throughout the streets. Looking over to his right, Edmund saw the Red Queen doing the exact same thing near what appeared to be a temple.
The dragons continued on their path of destruction. While Meleys took care of the archers on the battlements of Myr's walls, Sunfyre worked on dwindling the numbers of the mercenaries in the city. Unfortunately, Myr's famous crossbowmen were in the streets. When Sunfyre the Golden swooped down to breath more fire upon their comrades, the crossbowmen took aim and fired their bolts. Two struck Sunfyre's left flank, three on his side, and one in the neck; Sunfyre hissed with pain, but it was nothing that he could not handle.
But a lucky shot struck Sunfyre at the joint where his right shoulder and wing met was especially bad. Although he was a large dragon, an arrow or crossbow bolt aimed at the right place could easily debilitate the dragon. Sunfyre grunted with discomfort, undoubtedly the bolt struck close to a nerve because otherwise Sunfyre would have been able to shrug off an injury like this.
"Seven hells!" Aegon cursed. He then turned to his squire. "We are going to have to land so that I can pull that bolt out of Sunfyre's wing. You are going to have to protect us, Edmund. Ready to prove yourself worthy of knighthood?"
Edmund swallowed nervously, but his words came out untroubled.
"Yes, my lord. I am ready."
Spotting the seemingly deserted city square, Aegon landed Sunfyre on the cobblestones. Both riders dismounted, with the prince immediately heading towards his dragon's wounded right wing, and Edmund beginning an anxious patrol around Sunfyre with his sword and shield out. The square was strangely quiet. No shouting, no screaming, no dragons growling, nor the dramatic whoosh of dragonfire being breathed down upon the streets could be heard here. In the absence of sound was a plethora of disturbing things that filled Edmund's sight.
Corpses in varying degrees of decay and ruin were scattered about, mostly human of course, but there were a few horses and even a poor dog with an arrow between its ribs that added a little dark "diversity" to the casualties. Vultures, who had flown away after Sunfyre had landed, gradually returned to resume eating their feast of carrion. The air was perfumed with the scents of death and smoke. Edmund took in slow steady breaths as he looked for signs of the enemy approaching. He did not have long to wait.
Even though there was a dragon present, sellswords brandishing their weapons and shouting battle cries poured into the once deathly silent square, causing the vultures to fly away again. Maybe the men thought that they could swamp the three, their great numbers being able to overwhelm a dragon perhaps? Edmund put his shield up and prepared himself for his first fight. Seeing the incoming assault, Aegon turned his attention away from Sunfyre and he unsheathed his sword. Sunfyre the Golden hissed loudly and bore his teeth, ready for battle.
Undeterred by the dragon's display of aggression, the sellswords continued on with their charge. Sunfyre looked over his left shoulder and breathed out a geyser of dragonfire. The first wave of warriors were instantly engulfed in the golden flames, and soon the thrashing silhouettes of burning men screaming in agony could be seen and heard. While their comrades burned, more soldiers made their way around the fire, only to be incinerated as well by another blast from Sunfyre. But some of the men were faster, and they were able to maneuver around Sunfyre's line of fire.
Two men emerged from behind the golden conflagration and they made their way towards Edmund. Their oiled black hair shimmered under the fire light, and the brightly colored clothes that the men were wearing identified them as bravos. Bravos were warriors from Braavos who were known for confronting anyone with a sword and challenging them to a dual in front of the Sealord's Palace by the Moon Pool. Besides lurking about the streets of Braavos, bravos were also known to demand duals in Myr as well. Of minor note, bravos were also known to travel in pairs.
And now, Edmund had come face to face with a pair of these bravos. They wielded slender swords that were used for thrusting, and the blades were pointed directly at the squire. Although small, those swords gave their wielders the advantage of speed, and in the right hands, they can be quite lethal when aimed at the right place on a person's body. Edmund held up his shield in a defensive position and pointed his short-sword at the bravos. Although clothed in plate armor, Edmund was positive that the head bravo could see that he was inexperienced.
That bravo was dressed in orange and red clothes, and had a long scar on his left cheek. He grinned arrogantly at Edmund before charging at him. Edmund took a deep breath, his muscles tightened, and his senses became sharper as his first serious opponent rushed towards him. The squire was able to block the attack with his shield, but Edmund had to move very quickly as the bravo thrusted his blade at every opening he could find. The sound of metal striking metal in a chaotic rhythm added to the mayhem.
During the melee, the bravo fooled Edmund by appearing to initially be going for another lunge towards his left, but instead, as his blade was heading towards the shield, the man moved his sword hand around the shield and stabbed Edmund's left arm. The tip of the stiletto went through an opening above the gauntlet and through the chain-mail just below Edmund's left elbow. Edmund grit his teeth with pain, but in that split second, he saw an advantage. Resisting the pain, Edmund pulled his shield arm back, the bravo was still holding onto the hilt of his sword, and he rammed his shield into the man as hard as he could. The force of the blow pushed the man back and knocked him off his feet; he had let go of his stiletto and the blade slipped out of Edmund's arm since only the tip had been buried into the skin.
Seeing that his opponent was down, Edmund went on the offensive and he closed in on the fallen bravo. With his short-sword, Edmund slashed the man's face as he was getting up. As the bravo screamed and cupped his bleeding face, Edmund delivered the coup'd grace by stabbing the man in the heart, the blade coming out through the bravos's back.
"Papa!" The other man shouted in horror.
Edmund looked up from his first kill. The second and much younger bravo resembled the now dead first one with oiled black hair and similar facial features. But instead of his father's fiery orange and red colors, the young man wore blue and green clothes. He looked inexperienced, and he must not have joined his father in the skirmish with Edmund because he did not feel that he was ready to fight a fully armored opponent. Edmund watched as the man just stood there, his mouth agape, tears streaming down his sweaty face, and an expression of unbearable sorrow and regret written all over the man's expression. Edmund, rattled by his first kill, felt remorse for what he had done.
But then the man became angry, and he drew his sword and rushed towards his father's killer screaming. Edmund dug his heels into the ground and he waited for the blade to connect with his shield. When the vengeful man's blade struck the shield, Edmund pushed him away and slashed his opponent's chest open in a diagonal cut with one swing. The man dropped his sword and fell to his knees, blood cascading down from the gash on his chest. Looking up from his fatal injury, the man locked eyes with Edmund.
There was hatred in those hazel irises, but also resignation and strangely enough, pity. Pity for his killer? Pity for a young man who now had blood on his hands for killing a father and his son? As if guided by an invisible puppeteer, Edmund walked over towards the dying man. With his sword in hand, Edmund brought it up and swung it towards his enemy's neck.
Perhaps he wanted to put him out of his misery? Or, was it simply because Edmund wanted the life and loathing in those eyes to disappear forever?
The man's head landed with a small thud on the cobblestones, his body falling over shortly afterwards. Everything seemed to stand still as Edmund took in the carnage he had just caused. Within the span of ten bloody minutes, he had killed his first two enemies. He could feel blood trickling down his left forearm beneath his chain-mail and gauntlet, his sword was drenched with it, the shield was nicked and cut, and Edmund's heart was beating so fast. Strangely enough, despite the blood and gore, Edmund did not feel nauseous.
He felt some remorse for what he had done, especially since he had killed a father-son duo, but he also felt pride. Edmund was proud that he had stood his ground and had fought bravely without backing down. Hearing swords clashing, Edmund looked over and saw Prince Aegon Targaryen trying to fend off a warrior with a great-sword; Sunfyre was preoccupied with an unfortunate burned soul he currently had in his jaws. Back to his senses, Edmund rushed over to his liege's side with his sword and shield ready. Soon he was going to add a third kill under his belt.
He ran underneath Sunfyre, and Edmund saw that Aegon's enemy, while wearing chainmail, was not wearing gauntlets, leaving his hands and wrists exposed and unprotected. Edmund rushed over and he swung his sword down on the man's wrists as his sword was pressed against the prince's blade. Razor sharp steel cut through skin, bone, and tendons as if they were butter, and the mercenary's great-sword fell to the ground, his amputated hands still clasping the hilt. The man backed away in shock whilst staring at the bloody stumps where just seconds ago had been capped with his hands. Edmund ran towards the man and kicked him in the stomach, knocking him down to the ground where the squire then finished him by stabbing the mercenary in the throat.
"Gods," Edmund thought as he pulled the tip of his sword out from the handless mercenary's throat, "I am becoming quite the killer!"
Feeling a set of eyes on him, Edmund turned around and saw that Prince Aegon was looking at him. The prince's breastplate was splattered with blood, and his skin was sanguine from heat and glistened with sweat. He looked impressed, boosting Edmund's confidence considerably. There were no more mercenaries left. Silence had once again descended upon the square.
"Are you alright, my lord?" Edmund asked, any anxious trembling having died with the three warriors that he had just killed.
"I am thanks to both you and Sunfyre." Aegon said as he relaxed his stance. Sunfyre grunted, as if saying 'thank you' to his rider.
"You are most welcome, my lord." Edmund said with a broad grin. "Now what do we do?"
Aegon smirked and he sheathed his sword.
"Well first, let me get this bolt out of Sunfyre's wing and we can—"
Sunfyre began to snarl, and it soon became known as to why he was being aggressive. The two men listened, and above the roar of dragonfire, they could hear the din of war, shouting and the sound of blades clashing could be heard. The army had entered the city. Aegon quickly tore out the bolt from Sunfyre's wing, causing the great beast to hiss with pain.
"There you go boy." Aegon said as he gently patted his dragon. "You can fly now without too much pain."
Aegon then turned to Edmund. "Come on, let's go. We need to burn the rest of those bastards out of Myr."
Edmund nodded in agreement and he joined his prince upon Sunfyre's back. From the air above as they soared, the squire watched as Queen Rhaenyra's army clashed with the sellswords and bravos. Although their numbers were greater, the ragtag warriors were no match for the better trained and equipped soldiers and knights of the crown, and they fell like flies to the Targaryen swords. Sunfyre's golden flames helped greatly in reducing the enemy's numbers, adding the roar of dragonfire to the clashing of swords and the screams of the unfortunate souls who had been set aflame.
As the battle waned, and with most of the mercenaries dead, Princess Rhaenys Targaryen landed Meleys on the steps of Myr's main sept. She entered the sanctuary and walked passed the frightened masses who had sought refuge within the ornate marble walls. With her cape flowing behind her, and the candlelight flashing off of her steel and copper armor, the Queen Who Never Was was a sight to behold, and the Myrmen could not help but stare at Rhaenys in awe. The princess approached the septon and told him to ring the bells. It was time to bring back peace to Myr.
Soon the sound of bells being rung drowned out the noise of battle, and for the first time since the beginning of the Triarchy Civil War, a great calm descended over Myr. When the last of the sellswords had either been chased out or killed, the remaining Myrmen emerged from hiding, and heralded the queen's army as their saviors. The same thing happened to Lys and Tyrosh as well. The Bloodwyrm and the Velaryon Princes dragons laid waste to the chaos that had engulfed the two island cities, and they established order by rallying the last remaining magistrates to call for peace. When those two cities surrendered, the Three Daughters War was over. It was a glorious victory for both Queen Rhaenyra I Targaryen and her allies.
After the surrender, the surviving magistrates were gathered on Bloodstone, the largest island in the Stepstone archipelago. Besides those officials, magistrates from Braavos, Lorath, and Pentos were there as well. They had brought a large table that had ink pots and several large pieces of parchment laid out upon the smooth surface. The Velaryon Princes and Rhaenys were there with their dragons and bedecked in armor. The Westerosi half of the delegation arrived shortly afterwards via ship.
Surrounded by a small guard of Velaryon vessels, the main ship contained Rhaenyra's small council. The queen and her husband led the flotilla in the air above on their dragons. Rhaenyra I and Daemon made quite an impression when they landed, Syrax and Caraxes causing a great cloud of dust to rise up from the ground that made the delegates cough and cover their faces. Undeterred by the dust, the king and queen made their way towards the table. Rhaenyra was dressed in a maroon and sable dress, the jewels in her crown glittering in the sun. Daemon wore his crown and armor, the latter having been cleaned of blood and soot from the battle in Lys.
When everyone was assembled, the treaty was signed. Besides officially ending the conflict, the true goal of the treaty was to dissolve the Triarchy, ending the expensive seafaring tolls that merchants had to pay up until then for thirty-six years since 96 AC. When the last signature was signed, the magistrates of the fallen cities bowed to Queen Rhaenyra, and shook hands with the other delegates. Despite finally getting peace, Lys, Myr, and Tyrosh now had to face many long years of recovery and reconstruction. Making their defeat sting even more, the cities were placed under the temporary occupation by one of their rivals until they got back on their feet: Lys was occupied Pentos, Myr by Braavos, and Tyrosh by Lorath.
While the former Triarchy began the process of healing, Westeros celebrated their queen's victory. Merchants sang Rhaenyra's praises for finally putting an end to the exorbitant tolls, and even the Lord of Casterly Rock and the Voice of Oldtown expressed their thanks since now the traders in their major port cities, Lannisport and Oldtown, could make their living without issue. While the Blacks celebrated with feasts and tourneys, the hostage Greens within the Red Keep had another celebration in mind. Just as promised, Edmund received his knighthood. In the presence of his proud father, Wesley, and the prince's family, Edmund was knighted by Prince Aegon the Elder.
He was now Ser Edmund Naeryon. Since he was now a knight, Edmund needed a coat of arms. After much thinking, and some suggestions by the prince and his sister-wife, Edmund came up with his heraldry. It was quartered into four pieces: in the bottom left was a servant in black and red clothes holding a gilded cup on a purple field to represent Wesley, in the top right was a gaoler wearing brown and grey clothes holding a ring of keys on a black field to represent Edmund's grandfather, in the top left was a pair of peach colored severed hands on a red field to symbolize the mercenary Edmund had maimed, and finally, on the bottom right were two black slender blades on a fiery orange field for the two bravos Edmund had killed. Edmund had tears in his eyes when he laid eyes on his shield for the first time.
"Magnificent…" he whispered as he gazed upon it.
"You have arrived, my son." Wesley said proudly, his hand on Edmund's shoulder.
"You will stay with us, right, Ser Edmund?" Prince Jaehaerys asked from his mother's side.
"Of course he is staying darling." Princess Helaena said. She gave Edmund a hopeful look. Ser Naeryon smiled at the young prince.
"That is correct your grace, I am staying."
Jaehaerys and his siblings smiled when they heard that. All three of them rushed over towards the knight and they embraced him. Edmund handed off his shield to his father so that he could return the children's embrace. They were like his second family, and Edmund could not imagine his life without them. He was not only a big brother figure to the children, he was treated like he was another of the prince and princess's offspring.
Edmund was their protector, and he wanted to stay to ensure that the queen and her family would never invoke harm upon his charges. He was their sword and shield. History would later tell of the depths of Ser Edmund Naeryon's devotion to the Greens, and how far he would go to help them succeed…
Rewrite Notes: Very little changes here. The rewrite is done!