Hi everyone and a Happy Memorial Day to my American viewers! It's been awhile I know. Busy with teleworking and online school along with the other changes that have come about because of this ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic. How are you all coping with it? Staying safe in quarantine?
Teleworking? Taking online classes?
Any who, without further adieu, here is the new chapter for Reign of the Dragon Queen! Your patience shall be richly rewarded. :)
The Vale
It was a normal late afternoon for the people of Gulltown. Fishing boats were arriving with the last catch of the day in their hulls, their crews desiring to unload the cod, crab, and herring quickly so that they could go to the taverns and quaff down mugs of ale and relax. Tired fishwives who plied their trade at the wharves did their best to try and hawk the remaining cockles, shrimp, and sprats that they had left in their baskets to anyone who might be interested in having seafood for dinner that night. Seagulls would occasionally swoop down to snatch a sprat from a basket or the fish that had fallen out of their baskets onto the dirty cobblestones below, their slick bodies shining like silver coins under the clouded winter sun. Watchmen stood guard around the marketplace, guarding the stalls that sold high priced goods like Myrish lace and carpets, jewelry, and exotic perfumes; other watchmen patrolled the walls that surrounded Gulltown, and people milled about performing their remaining errands for the day before dusk came.
The septas who resided at the Motherhouse of Maris, a convent that stands on a small island in Gulltown's harbor, also busied themselves through the day's final hours of sunlight. Other than being the home to a holy sisterhood, the Motherhouse is also an educational institute for orphaned girls and the bastard daughters of the nobility. After the last lessons of the day had been concluded, both a septa and an initiate led a large group of girls through the hallways to wash-up before supper. As the procession made their way through a columned hallway that faced the Bay of Crabs, one of the girls looked out towards the sea and saw something peculiar.
"Look!" the girl said while pointing towards the horizon. Both septas and the girl's peers turned to look, and they traced the direction that her finger was pointing at. To their great surprise, three dragons were flying above the harbor, a small armada possessing colorful sails following them from below. The dragons began to fly low, and as they passed the Motherhouse of Maris overhead, the terrified girls and their minders could hear the sinister growling coming from the great beasts above.
"What was that place, grandma?" Baelor asked after Rhaenyra, Jacaerys, and Lucerys had flown over the motherhouse.
"A nunnery, sweetling. It is a place where septas live."
Baelor furrowed his brow. "But why do they live on an island? Don't they like people?"
Rhaenyra smiled patiently at her grandson's questions. Gulltown was only minutes away now, and the queen had to concentrate. She went over the plan on how to arrest the Gilded Falcon and his sons and followers without any blood being spilled. Earlier as the royal host got closer to the inlet that led to the Bay of Crabs, the armada split up. King Daemon led half of the force to the other side of the peninsula to confront Ser Eldric Arryn and his Royce allies at Runestone, while Queen Rhaenyra and Princes Jacaerys and Lucerys would lead the other half of the host to Gulltown to seize Ser Isembard Arryn and secure the loyalty of House Grafton, the noble family that ruled the major trading city.
But even as these serious thoughts swam in her head, Rhaenyra felt the need to answer her grandson's questions.
"Septas spend most of their days praying and they like solitude. An island gives them both the privacy and silence that they need." She said, hoping that this answer would satisfy Baelor, which it did. "And to get away from men too." Rhaenyra thought on the side.
Baelor looked down both of Syrax's flanks at the world below. He could see that the bay was peppered with fishing boats and merchant ships. Fisherman and sailors were looking at the dragons and then at the ships that were cruising towards Gulltown. People stopped dead in their tracks in the city streets by the seafront and looked towards the horizon when they heard that there were dragons and warships coming. The merchants who were present at the docks and who also did business along the eastern coastline of Westeros were able to recognize the heraldry of Houses Targaryen, Velaryon, Massey, Celtigar, and Baratheon.
Caught up in the gathering crowd was a porter for House Arryn of Gulltown, which could be discerned from the color and heraldry that adorned the livery that he was wearing: a sky blue field surrounding a white circle with a golden falcon in the middle, both mimicking the heraldry of the main branch of House Arryn and to honor the Gilded Falcon himself. The porter knew that there was trouble afoot for his lord when he saw the red Targaryen dragon amongst the sails of the menacing fleet. With not a moment to lose, the porter dropped his purchases and sprinted off in the direction of the Arryn manor as fast as he could to warn Isembard and his sons. The man's flight did not go unnoticed since he was the only one who was running away from the crowd of onlookers as the Targaryen host approached Gulltown. Unfortunately for the porter, he was also noticed by the queen's grandson.
"There's a man running, grandma! Why isn't he with all the other people?"
Rhaenyra looked down at the streets below and saw the running man. Lucerys saw the man too and took action when he recognized the livery that he was wearing. Arrax was the smallest dragon in the royal host, just a smidge smaller than Vermax, but he was also the fastest. Luke had Arrax fly around the docks before the dragon was perfectly lined up with the street and chased after the porter. Arrax quickly caught up to the man just as he was reaching Gulltown's square, and under Luke's command, used his snout to bump the porter from behind.
The force of this bump propelled the man a few feet from where he was running and he rolled on the cobblestones. Aching with pain and dazed from what had just happened, the porter was slow in trying to regain his footing. Arrax landed in the square and the Lord of the Tides dismounted. As Lucerys made his way towards the bruised man, he drew his sword. Seeing the sword caused the man to stand up quickly although he was still sore, but before he could even run, Luke grabbed the man by his tunic collar with his left hand.
"You are not going anywhere." growled the prince. When the man tried to resist, Luke rose the tip of his sword up to the man's head until it poked the bottom of his chin. Vermax's shadow washed over the two men as he flew overhead. Seeing that his brother had restrained the runaway, Jace turned his attention towards his mother and joined her as Syax flew around Gulltown as they waited for their foot-soldiers to disembark.
The Queensguard were the first to step off the gangplank from the flagship, "the Sea's Delight." More ships dropped anchor, and foot-soldiers and knights disembarked to march with the Queensguard to meet with the queen and princes. The lords who accompanied the queen's men were Ser Addam of Hull (his brother Alyn remained with the fleet) and Jace's page, Percival Wylde; the heir to Stonedance and his sons (Gormon's oldest living son and grandsons), Lord Bartimos Celtigar and his respective son and nephew, Sers Clement and Dorian; and Lord Borros Baratheon. The host soon met up with Rhaenyra I and her sons and grandson in the square. Lord Commander Steffon Darklyn approached and bowed respectfully before the queen and Baelor, who were both still seated on Syrax's saddle.
"Had a pleasant flight, your graces?" Steffon asked after he had finished bowing. Both grandmother and grandson nodded, the latter moving his head up and down very rapidly with a big smile on his face.
"Yes, we did, Ser Steffon. We certainly did." Rhaenyra said as she gently squeezed Baelor's shoulders.
"How was your flight?" chirped Baelor, his grandmother gently correcting him that the proper word for Steffon's method of traveling was 'voyage'. Ser Darklyn was unbothered by the boy's misuse of words. He found it to be cute, and a smile manifested beneath his trimmed white beard. Pleasantries aside, it was time to get serious and attend to the task at hand: arresting Ser Isembard Arryn and subjugating his allies.
House Arryn of Gulltown was not the only noble family to reside in the city. As mentioned earlier, the Grafton's reigned over the Vale's only city; the Arryn's there had as much, if not more, clout as House Grafton due to their name and blood ties to the Eyrie. House Shett of both Gulltown and Gull Tower also resided in the city. The Gulltown Shett's and Grafton's had pledged themselves to the Gilded Falcon, while the Gull Tower Shett's were loyal to Ser Arnold Arryn. The plan was to have the royal host branch off and march on the seats of Houses Arryn, Grafton and Shett, and arrest Isembard and his family, and make both them and the other families bend the knee and swear fealty to Ser Joffrey Arryn.
When all of her men were assembled in Gulltown's square, Rhaenyra I Targaryen issued her commands. The Prince of Dragonstone was to lead a force consisting of men from Houses Baratheon and Massey on the Gilded Falcon's manse, while his younger brother was charged with leading the Celtigar's and Velaryon's against the Shett's of both Gulltown and Gull Tower, with Ser Roger Beesbury leading half of Luke's force against Gull Tower. Queen Rhaenyra herself led the Targaryen host, along with Lord Commander Steffon Darkln and the rest of her Queensguard: Sers Clothair Blackwood, Erryck Cargyll, Harrold Darke, Robert Darklyn, and Glendon Goode, to confront House Grafton and have them bend the knee to Ser Joffrey Arryn.
Given their marching orders, the royal host split up to fulfill their tasks. Gulltown's citizens stood frozen in the streets as they watched the army with wide, curious eyes as they marched by them; eyes looked up to the sky when the shadows of dragons passed overhead. A blanket of shock quickly fell upon the town as news of this surprise royal visit spread like wildfire. Banners fluttering over the strongholds of Gulltown's leading families served as beacons for the royal host, especially for the dragonriders; Gull Tower served as its own beacon as it stood tall over most of the buildings in Gulltown. Obviously, these families soon learned about the impending arrival of their surprise guests, and each of them reacted differently.
A servant in the Arryn manse had spotted Vermax in the sky as he was coming towards the manor, and the man raced through the halls to reach his liege. Ser Isembard and his sons and followers were sequestered in his solar pouring over a map of the Vale of Arryn when the servant began pounding rapidly on the door. All the men looked up when they heard the noise. The frantic knocking greatly concerned the men inside, and one of Ser Arryn's sons opened the door to see what was the matter.
"Mi'lords! The Targaryen's are here! The Targaryen's here!" The servant blurted out.
"What!?" Came the collective gasp of the men gathered inside. The men all but stampeded out through the door, nearly trampling the poor servant as they made their way out. Vermax's shadow washing over the house and darkening the windows greeted the Gilded Falcon and his followers as they ran into the hallway. After the waning sunlight returned to the windows, the banners of Houses Baratheon and Massey could be seen outside the manse.
Isembard soon found himself bombarded with conflicting, frantic advice on what to do next when he heard his own front door being slammed open. Furious that the sanctity of his home had been breached, the Gilded Falcon sauntered past his entourage to confront the intruders. He was soon met by both Prince Jacaerys Velaryon and Lord Borros Baratheon on the second floor, their men trailing after them up the stairs. Suddenly the ceiling above shook, and one of the hallway windows became dark, and the windowpane rattled from a strange rhythmic "breeze" that fogged up the expensive glass. When the fog had cleared, Isaac, Isembard's eldest son and heir, went to investigate what was going on with the window.
Isaac soon came to realize that he was staring at Vermax's snout when he saw the big nostrils flare and the mouth open slightly, baring two ivory rows of razor sharp teeth that were nearly the length of short-swords. Vermax turned his head to look through the window, and Isaac came face to face with a large dark honey colored eye that glared back at him, causing the young man to jump and step back fearfully.
"Do forgive my Vermax." Jace spoke up. "He is a curious and loyal beast who is growing bigger by the day. Be careful what you do next, ser. Vermax has not eaten since we left King's Landing, and there is only glass, wood, and plaster separating you from him…"
"Are you threatening my son, your grace?" Isembard said with a voice that dripped with fatherly protectiveness.
"No, of course not, Ser Arryn." Jace replied, to which Isembard snarled.
"First, you break into my home, then you threaten my son, and now, you are lying to my face—"
"Easy now, Isembard." warned Borros. "You are speaking to the Crown Prince of the Seven Kingdoms, not one of your sons."
"I know who he is!" Isembard hissed, causing Borros to turn red with anger. Before the Lord of Storm's End could act upon his anger, Jace stopped him.
"Ser Isembard Arryn." The prince began. "By the authority of the Iron Throne, and in the name of my mother, Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen the First of Her Name, I hereby arrest you, your sons, and followers for going against the will of the late Lady Jeyne Arryn."
The jaws of Isembard and his sons dropped when they heard this.
"What!?" snapped Elmar, the Gilded Falcon's second born son. "You can't do that!"
"The queen has no business in our affairs!" shouted Lord Gerold Shett, one of Isembard's followers, as soldiers marched up to seize the Gilded Falcon and his kin. While the Gulltown Arryn's vehemently protested their arrest, the subjugation of the other houses went much smoother and with relatively little fuss in comparison. Gerold's family was taken by surprise by the force that had been led by Prince Lucerys Velaryon, while the Shett's at Gull Tower were waiting outside their home when Ser Roger Beesbury and his men arrived to demand their submission. They did bend the knee before the queen's men, but the Shett's did not renounce their loyalty to the Mad Heir, instead desiring to wait to hear the news on what Eldric did upon being confronted by the king.
Queen Rhaenyra's subjugation of the Grafton's went smoothly. The Lord of Gulltown came out with his family, and knelt down before Syrax and Lord Commander Steffon Darklyn. Satisfied with the Grafton's submission, Rhaenyra I commanded the man and his family to rise.
"See that, Baelor?" Rhaenyra whispered into her grandson ear as the Grafton's all stood up. "This is how you exert control over lords. First, you make them kneel, and then you help them back up on their feet. That is how Aegon the Conqueror was able to cement his rule over the land during his conquest."
The young prince nodded at his grandmother's words as he watched the spectacle unfold. Word soon spread that all of Gulltown's leading families had been subjugated, and Rhaenyra smiled contently when she heard it. Now all that had to be done was to receive word from her husband that House Royce had bent the knee, and to send a raven to the Eyrie to inform Ser Joffrey Arryn about the subjugation of his rivals, and to come to Gulltown to be officially named as the new Lord Defender of the Vale. While Lord Piers Grafton invoked guest right and offered food and drink to the queen and her host, King Daemon Targaryen and his host were arriving at Runestone just as the sun was starting to dip under the horizon. A welcoming party was there to greet the consort and his host at Runestone.
Ser Eldric Arryn stood between his two greatest supporters, Lords Willam and Gunthor Royce. Daemon scowled when he saw Willam. Although nearly twenty years had passed since they had last crossed paths, Daemon could still recognize the face of the man to whom his Bronze Bitch had bequeathed all of House Royce's lands and monies to. Other than Rhea's nephew, Daemon also recognized the giant man that stood on Eldric's left. He was Lord Gunthor Royce, Rhea's first cousin who was better known as the "Bronze Giant" because of his height and strength.
Because Willam only had three daughters and no brothers or uncles to succeed him, Gunthor was also his heir. In fact, Gunthor's eldest son was married to Willam's firstborn daughter, a marriage that had seen the birth of many children. The Lord of Runestone's youngest daughter was betrothed to Ser Eldric himself. The cousins once removed wore their family's traditional bronze armor that was inscribed with runes, while Eldric wore the more plain and practical plate armor. Neither Royce man or Eldric flinched when Caraxes landed in front of them.
Even after Daemon had dismounted and began walking towards them, the men retained their stance without showing any indication of bowing to their king consort. The soldiers of Houses Caron and Darklyn whispered in low, surprised voices on how bold and foolish the Royce's were being. Lords Manfryd Caron and Gunthor Darklyn waited on horseback with bated breath to see how this confrontation would unfold. Daemon stopped when he was seven feet away from the three men, gripped his scabbard with his left hand, and lifted up his helm's visor so that his former in-laws could see his face. Eldric was the first to speak since neither Willam or Gunthor were inclined to speak with the hated husband of their late matriarch.
"I am sorry that you cannot receive a warmer welcome, your grace," Eldric began, his tone cordial and respectful, "but recent events have snuffed out most social graces as of late, especially after we received a raven just little over an hour ago about your wife's arrival in Gulltown and the chaos that has occurred there."
Daemon smirked.
"My wife has always had a flare for the dramatic ever since adolescence. But at least she gets things done."
"By sticking your noses into matters that do not concern you." growled Gunthor. "Your wife may be the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, Daemon, but the matters of the Vale should be ultimately left up to the Valemen themselves."
"Do remember that my niece is half-Arryn on her mother's side." Daemon said before Gunthor rudely interjected.
"No, only a quarter Arryn. Her mother was half-Targaryen!" Gunthor all but spat out. Daemon fixed the Bronze Giant with an angry, purple gaze, his grip on Dark Sister's sheath tightening considerably.
"Do not speak to your king that way!" shouted the Master of Coin. Gunthor balled his massive hands into fists while Eldric and Willam tried to calm him down. Caraxes hissed menacingly, and he licked his chops with a long black tongue.
"Easy, Gunthor…" Willam whispered. The bad blood between Daemon and House Royce was now evident for all to see, and the passage of nineteen years had not abated the hatred between the king and Rhea's kinsmen.
"I think it would be in your best interest to keep your mouth shut, Lord Gunthor," snickered the fearless Daemon. "especially since the Bloodwyrm is behind me."
"My lord," Eldric said as he stepped forward with his hands held out in front of him, "please, let us not spill blood here."
"Then bend the knee and submit to the will of your late cousin, the Maiden of the Vale."
Eldric held his hands at his sides and he looked Daemon in the eye.
"I am afraid I cannot do that, my lord." Eldric responded. "Jeyne never married or had children, and according to the laws of succession, the closest living relative of a lord or lady succeeds them. Your wife was your brother's oldest child, my lord, and she was able to inherit the Iron Throne because of that. Surely you can understand where I am coming from."
"My wife's succession was not without any opposition." Daemon countered. "The Greens wanted my nephew to inherit before my wife against their father's wishes, not so unlike what you doing now in regards to Ser Joffrey Arryn and his cousin's will."
Gunthor spat at the ground. "Laws of succession should not be bent by the whim of a dying woman," the Bronze Giant then furrowed his brow, "nor by the whim of a dying man even if he was the king..."
"Are you saying that my wife is a usurper, Gunthor?" Daemon said with a threatening tone. His right hand moved to Dark Sister's hilt.
"Enough! Please!" bellowed the usually quiet and composed Ser Willam Royce towards his cousin once removed. Gunthor growled while Eldric stood as still as a post.
"Do forgive my cousin, Daemon." Willam began. "He was very close to my Aunt Rhea when she was alive. Surely you remember that do you not?"
"Yes," Daemon said through gritted teeth, "I remember quite vividly."
When he lived at Runestone during the first year of that miserable marriage, Daemon recalled whenever he became cross with Rhea, which was frequent, Gunthor would be by his cousin's side in a heartbeat, and blows were often nearly dealt until the two were separated by Rhea's father, Lord Yorbert Royce. If life had been fair, Rhea should have been married to Gunthor rather than to Daemon. Looking further back on this, if Daemon's uncle had not been killed on Tarth five years before Daemon was married to Rhea, then his grandmother would have been sounder of mind, for Queen Alysanne Targaryen had become frail after learning of the death of her beloved son. If Prince Aemon Targaryen had lived, then the good queen would have made a better match for her second born grandson, probably betrothing him to either Laena or Rhaenyra from the start. But none of this could be changed, and here was Daemon, standing before the home of his long dead first wife arguing with her kinsmen once more.
Eldric noticed how dark it had become outside, as well as how the temperature had dropped, and he decided to move this meeting along.
"The laws of men are contestable things, your grace." Ser Arryn began, and all eyes were on him again. "But there is one law that no man or woman can deny or challenge, the law of the Seven above. I hereby request a trial by seven."
Gasps of surprise and whispering could be heard from both the king's host and the Runestone garrison. There had not been a trial by seven in ninety-two years since the start of Maegor the Cruel's reign in 42 AC. Daemon raised his eyebrows at this request. Surprise gave way to intrigue, and Daemon felt a flutter of excitement. He had fought in many battles, but never in a Trial by Seven.
"Looks like my sword-arm will get a good stretch after all." Daemon said to himself. A chill went up the king's spine, and Daemon realized that it had gotten colder since his breath came out in clouds, and the sun was setting.
"I must say, Ser Eldric," Daemon began, "It has become rather cold and dark. How about we discuss this trial further inside by a warm fire and after we had eaten a hot meal? That is," Daemon gave a pointed look towards his late wife's nephew and cousin, "if your guests are willing to extend guest right to me and my men."
Eldric turned to look at Willam, who gave a reluctant nod of his head. "You will all be provided for under my roof. Come inside. The servants should be done preparing dinner..."
The Lord of Runestone then gestured and led his guests into his home. As everyone filed through Runestone's gate, the foot-soldiers whispered about this exciting development. Little did these men know how exciting things were going to get in the coming days.