The Princess and the Queen 34: Corlys II

"I do not know why you are so reluctant to pay the dowry, Lord Corlys," the King snorted, as if that would make Corlys' argument crumble like his skin did. "I was led to believe House Velaryon has no shortage of coppers," he said, almost snarling.

Corlys had to hold back the urge to strike the old man for that. Why was he talking down to him with such disdain?

I am the man who has been running your city and kingdom for years, and the head of the house of your queen.

The lack of respect was baffling but, unfortunately, an all too regular occurrence. Corlys' method of dealing with it was trying to forget it, which was easy considering how uninvolved the rotting set was in matters concerning his own kingdom.

Though this was one of the very brief times he had taken an interest in something, and as usual, it was done with the intent of rewarding his eldest daughter whilst also punishing Corlys.

As much as Laena despises that Valyrian city of his, it keeps him occupied most of the time.

"I do not wish to pay the dowry because it is not I who should pay it, and in the instance that it was I, it would still be unjust," sighed Corlys, knowing that it was likely futile.

"What do you mean by that?" he squinted. Was the man a fool or just acting like one?

"Princess Rhaenyra was the party that broke the betrothal between her daughter and Prince Aemon; it was not I or Queen Laena who did so," answered Corlys, looking the sorry man in his sorry purple eyes. "Why is it that Aemon should bear the burden of paying concessions? When a betrothal is bro-"

"Because it was Prince Aemon who maimed one of Rhaenyra's children," interrupted the King, making sure to sound as condescending as possible.

"That is not justification for the breaking of a betrothal, Your Grace," Corlys answered. "It sets a dangerous precedent, of ending possible alliances on a whim-"

"Very well then," he replied, crossing his arms.

Will he let me finish?

Corlys, again, had to refrain from rolling his eyes and biting his tongue until he could taste blood. The King was more incessant than ever today, which just made Corlys wish he had forgone this entire meeting for something much more productive.

If I knew he was just as unwilling as he was upon his return from Dragonstone, I would not have bothered.

He was convinced that the King's ludicrous decrees could eventually be reversed, or at least a softening of the blow would occur, but it just was not happening. Sometimes, it was possible to change the old man's resolve by continuously nagging him until his resolve would be worn down, but this was not one of those times.

Just like his resolve on his heir has not changed… Though that is a lost hope, I have long since focused on other ways of securing my grandson's birthright.

The King sat with his arms crossed for a while, his brows furrowed, which showed he was deep in thought. Some "hmmms" later, he finally grinned and looked at Corlys.

"The breaking of Prince Aemon and Princess Visenya's betrothal was done by the decree of myself," said the King, proud of what he had come up with. "It was merely on the advice of my daughter. She did not break it, so is not eligible for any reparations for the cancelled marriage."

Damned fool, was it his daughter or his brother who suggested such an idea?

"With my own order, it shall also be announced that the family of Aemon is responsible for the payment of the dowry, due to his actions of Dragonstone," he grinned. "I do hope this soothes your concerns."

"This still does not give me a good reason as to why the burden falls upon Driftmark's treasury, and not the one of King's Landing."

"It does because I have commanded it so," the King said plainly.

"With all due respect, Your Grace, you cannot simply order me to pay a dowry I have no real involvement with!" Corlys scoffed, slightly taken aback by his assertiveness.

If only he could act as such all the time.

He would have gained so much more respect from Corlys if he did. Undoubtedly, his standing would be much worse, but at least Viserys would have been a worthy adversary.

A man worthy of being the one who beat my son at the Great Council.

"Ordering me to pay it is a farce! A king cannot just order his vassals around to bend to his whims without consequence. It is what Maegor would have done-" said Corlys, only realising after the words had spilt out of his mouth.

"I am the King; I do not need counsel from you on what to do and how to act," the King said, his eyes angry. "I cannot even remember the number of times you have asked me to reverse this decision…" he sighed, looking at his Valyrian city. "But it shall not happen. I am a merciful man, Lord Corlys, so please, I ask this of you: do not badger me about this again, or the number of gold dragons shall increase."

That was it. There was no changing his mind now.

Likening him to Maegor was not the best of strategies.

Corlys wasn't truly surprised at his failure but was still angry that nothing could be done. Having to pay a dowry on behalf of the King's son was nothing short of humiliating, yet refusing to do so was even worse.

The realm would have seen Corlys as either frugal and niggardly, a sheer contrast to the vast, vast wealth of him and his house, or they would see him as dishonourable, who goes against the explicit commands of his king.

Half the realm already sees me as dishonourable.

The party of the Princess would always look upon Corlys with disdain and try to twist any action he did, but the latest happening was unsalvageable. The perfect prince's younger brother tearing out his nephew's eye had already sent ripples across the continent. No dragon could overturn the attempted kinslaying by Corlys' grandson.

And yet another setback…

There was still time to cut out Aemon's bad habits and mould him to grow into a controllable man, regardless of Corlys' daughter's overprotective coddling of him. It wouldn't be easy, but at least it was possible, unlike attempting to reverse the decree of paying the dowry.

"Yes, Your Grace," spat Corlys, swirling around and marching out of the room.

He gave the stone ground a tiny kick with his boots as he left, before heading to his son's quarters to have lunch with him.

Hopefully, that conversation will go much better than this one.

Laenor had wished to sup with Corlys for a while now, and Corlys did yearn to have a private meeting with his son, but Corlys' busy schedule had not yet allowed it until now. So many meetings, plans, and deals with lords and ladies and the council, especially after the incident at Dragonstone…

Now that there is no possible solution to the dowry, it is time to focus on securing the city.

In all his wisdom, the King had declared the exile be lifted from Prince Rhaenyra and her husband. It was inevitable, and even if it weren't, the exile wasn't permanent either. But now it meant Corlys had even less time to make preparations and contingencies for it.

We must act quickly, to nip any attempt at gaining a foothold within the city.

For this, Corlys suggested a purge of the City Watch. He stated to the Small Council that Prince Daemon was a longtime friend of many influential commanders, and any of those with suspected loyalties would pose a risk to the very security of the city and the health of Daeron's cause itself.

The cost this shall incur… as well as the possibility of another hit to our reputation… but it is still a risk worth taking.

The plan was to expose the Gold Cloaks for having vast amounts of corruption rife within their ranks. A cleanup of the force would take place, with those deemed disloyal, or those from houses and regions in which loyalty was dubious, being purged.

Of course, there was always the chance of a loyal member of the City Watch being caught up. Moreover, being too harsh could garner the reputation of having an iron fist. Still, both were preferable to a disloyal member remaining and allowing the Reds an avenue into the city. And for the final berry on the pie, the City Watch's golden cloaks would be replaced by blue cloaks to eradicate the last symbol of Prince Daemon's time as its commander.

Luckily, or unluckily, the task has been entrusted to others within the council.

Corlys was much too occupied to draft a list of those members, so the task fell onto a combined effort made up of Otto Hightower, the Hand, Jasper Wylde, the lawman, and Vaemond, the very commander of the disloyal men.

Men of varying adeptness and also varying loyalty.

There was no doubting the competence of Otto Hightower, but the Lord Hand expressed doubt when presented with the plan and that such a display of "ruthlessness", as put by the man himself, was akin to Prince Daemon's shows of power. Still, he went along, following a heated debate in the council chamber and hearing Daeron's support for the plan.

And as for Jasper Wylde, the Ironrod's capability and willingness were never in doubt, but the man was from the Stormlands and paid homage to his liege lord, the ever-so-humble Borros Baratheon.

That said, it is most likely paranoia. My feud with Lord Borros has been public for years, and Lord Jasper has not shown any inclination towards treachery.

Vaemond, meanwhile, was one of the few people Corlys would trust with anything, but whether he was able enough for such a role was still in question. His placement as the Commander of the Watch was more due to blood ties to Corlys than actual ability. However, the impending plan would be a good test of Vaemond's leadership, and if he was not up to standard, Otto Hightower and Ironrod would be there to pick up the scraps.

And if Vaemond still cannot take command effectively, Ser Daeron or Rogar can be placed in his position instead.

Through all this, his mind went off to another of his family. Family that he hadn't seen in a long while.

I must see Marilda and our boys sometime soon… Addam and Alyn are both ten now…

He would still send her money so she could care for herself and her boys, but it wasn't enough. It had been a few years since he had seen Marilda, and Corlys longed for her tender company, which he often had years ago.

When I have a shred of time one of these days, I shall make a visit to Hull.

Once Corlys was done gathering his thoughts, he arrived at his son's chambers. The guards posted outside let him in and shut the door behind him.

Inside, Laenor stood from his desk, having been occupied with some book. He had a wide smile on his face, and his arms were open for an embrace.

"Father!" he said cheerfully, his purple eyes twinkling like the amethyst gemstones on his silver necklace. Laenor was certainly dressed like a proper Velaryon, with a clean aquamarine doublet stitched with cloth-of-silver seahorses and waves all across. His long, silvery white hair was combed behind him, with a small braid across the middle.

"Son," smiled Corlys, as Laenor gave him a short embrace whilst Corlys just patted his son's back.

"It has been a long while since we had a proper meal together, has it not?" Laenor grinned, pulling out a seat for Corlys. "I do wish the four of us could do so; that has been an even longer while," he noted.

"Aye, your sister is often as occupied as I am these days," replied Corlys as their meal was brought in. It was a simple one, but one of Corlys' favourites: a flaky pie filled with saltcod, lobster, and crab all swimming in butter and cream and seasoned with saffron, pepper, and parsley. Alongside the pie were some baked turnips, carrots, and onions, and a pitcher of Arbor Gold was there to wash it all down.

"Shame. And Mother is preoccupied with Laena's children," frowned Laenor, cutting into the pie with a knife, letting the creamy filling ooze out. "No matter," he shrugged. "I have supper with her occasionally; it is usually you and Laena who are too occupied."

Corlys bristled at that remark but eased up just as quickly. His son was correct in that Corlys had been too busy with furthering their family's interests that he hardly got to spend time with Laenor, as he once did before.

"Soon enough, we all may be even more occupied," simply replied Corlys, taking a long swig of the wine. Too large of a sip. The wine was so sweet it was almost cloying, which was the usual for Reacher vintages.

"Oh?" Laenor asked, an eyebrow raised.

"You haven't heard of the sellswords gathering in southwest Essos?" asked Corlys, the smallest dose of sarcasm in his voice.

"I have certainly heard of that," chuckled Laenor. "But I wasn't aware that fighting had broken out."

"It hasn't. Not yet, at least," Corlys sighed. "But I fear the peace may be short-lived, especially with the lack of garrison your good-father has so insisted on."

"Ah, you had almost ruined my bloody meal," he replied, relieved. "I would pray that the peace lasts for just a while longer, then. I am not eager to return to those rocks," Laenor scoffed.

"The prospect of burning down a fleet of Myrish pirates and Lyseni slavers does not entice you?" laughed Corlys. "I remember you being all so eager last time around."

"Aye… I was all so eager until actually living through it," he replied, shaking his head and shuddering at the thought. "Joff certainly is eager, but I am not the same as him. And with Vaegon and Valaena, too… I would mislike flying off to war yet another time, unsure if I would ever return to hold them again."

"I do agree, it did become a… grim affair towards the end," agreed Corlys, putting a chunk of buttery turnip in his mouth. "If I did have my way in the council, war would be nigh impossible, but the Lord Hand insists the contrary."

"It has paid off for now," Laenor shrugged, before Corlys' cold glare made him frown. "... in that the lack of defence on the island has not enticed the Essosi as of yet."

"Mayhaps," grimaced Corlys. "But you mustn't forget, should war break out again, which I am heavily inclined to believe, it shall be even bigger and bloodier than the last," he said gravely. "With the Triarchy formalising an alliance with the Dornish, and our friends at Dragonstone's less-than-formal alliance, too."

"I fear you may have the right of it, as much as I am hoping you do not," Laenor sighed. "But I would rather we not discuss more of this. I wouldn't wish to be reminded of it…" he drifted off, staring at the wall. "Valaena, Vaegon, Ali, all of it…"

"Very well," nodded Corlys with a warm smile. They ate in silence for a small while until Laenor perked up with a cheeky grin.

"I do wonder how Mother is managing," smiled Laenor, but his voice betrayed the tiniest hint of scorn.

Corlys grinned at the thought. Usually, Rhaenys would take their grandchildren on dragon rides. She loved it, the children loved it, and Corlys loved it when either of them would gush away about how much fun they had. Not only did the usual dragon rides serve as essential bonding time for his family, but it would also give the younger generation more experience on dragonback.

And today's session includes a new participant.

"I think she can handle Aemon," Corlys said proudly. "The boy would never disobey his grandmother. Hells, he loves your mother more than anyone that isn't his mother."

"And I thought he loved Prince Daeron and Princess Baela too, yet even I am aware of his displeasure with his two siblings," he said, raising his eyebrows and rolling his eyes.

"He shall get over that," shrugged Corlys. "Some harsh words from his mother and some friendlier ones from his grandmother should have an effect."

"The issue is that Laena cannot see any wrong in her son's actions," sighed Laenor, taking a sip of wine. "She hasn't told me such, but it is clear to see… especially now he has the biggest dragon of them all."

"It is concerning…" replied Corlys. Laenor had the right of it. Aemon was incredibly loyal and fierce, and twice as stubborn. They were valuable traits but could get out of hand quickly when the man in question had the largest dragon on the continent.

Yet another matter for me to add to my list.

"It is more than concerning, I feel," scoffed Laenor. "I did not wish to tell you this, but the reason Vaegon is not with Mother and the rest today was not due to a sickness."

"We realised," said Corlys gently.

"Aye, then you must solve the matter as soon as possible, Father," he replied. "Alicent does not wish to let Aemon anywhere near our children, and I do not blame her one bit."

"That may be a tad too far, though-"

"I do not think so," Laenor laughed bitterly. "Aemon may be Vaegon and Valaena's cousin, but that has not stopped him from taunting them like he does to every other child at court. He may give little apologies at the encouragement of Laena, but that doesn't change the tantrums he throws if Vaegon beats him in the yard or what he's implied about Valaena!" he said, his voice raising to a shout.

"Then what do you suggest be done?" Corlys asked.

"Alicent had the notion that he be warded off with one of allies, in order to build ties, but also so the boy could learn a thing or two from them," he answered sternly. "Perhaps he may learn chivalry, decency, respect, and whatever else he needs to learn… and if he doesn't learn any of that, at least he won't be in the city to terrorise my children any longer."

Lady Alicent had the notion…

Corlys nodded along to Laenor's suggestion, not daring to say a word of his thoughts. It would only enrage him further, and for once, it wasn't time to play petty games of politics when his grandchildren were involved.

Yet his wife does have quite some sway over him.

"I shall certainly discuss this with your mother, and Laena," Corlys replied. "But I am not certain if your sister shall approve."

"It is worth trying," Laenor bluntly replied.

"Very well," smiled Corlys.

The conversation soon dwindled down, with them discussing more light-hearted matters, even after they had finished their meal. Some servants took their plates and leftovers, but they remained chatting all the same. Eventually, though, the hour was getting late, and Laenor declared that his children would be missing their father, so he took his leave.

"Ah, son, one more matter," Corlys said as Laenor was beginning to stand up.

"What is it?" Laenor asked, an eyebrow raised.

"I was thinking," he began, putting his arms on the table. "Lady Alicent is still quite young-"

"No," said Laenor curtly. "And damn you if that was the entire reason you wished to sup with me."

"You have not even let me finish what I wanted to say," frowned Corlys.

"Because I know what you are going to say," he said, rolling his eyes. "You wish for me and Alicent to try for another child."

"She is still in her thirties, and would be able to have one more, or two," said Corlys, half-knowing his son would refuse but trying anyway.

"We agreed, Father," tutted Laenor. "We agreed not to have anymore."

"We didn't agree on anything."

"Me and Alicent," he sharply said. "The act was too painful for me to enjoy… it was a miracle I even managed, and my hatred of it does not bring her any enjoyment either. How can it, seeing me so repulsed by her?"

"Laenor," Corlys whispered slowly. "To build alliances-"

"To hell with your alliances, Father!" snapped Laenor. "I thought when Alicent's womb quickened a decade ago, you would be satisfied, and it was twins, too! You even said it was enough, for a while at least… but it seems you had a change of heart yet again…" he said, his voice much calmer but filled with sorrow.

Laenor did not let Corlys reply and just stormed out of the room, slamming the door with all his force. Corlys, left alone in the room, just took another sip of wine and shrugged.

It was even more futile of an attempt than trying to convince the King, and it seems this has been equally as successful.

After a short while of brooding over his two failed attempts at convincing two stubborn people, he decided to head back to his quarters, and his wife.

Rhaenys was there when he arrived, just as magnificent as she always looked. She wore a long, loose-fitting blue dress stitched with shiny golden flames. Her hair was let down, and Corlys could see hints of silver speckled in her jet-black hair. Crow's feet were at the side of her pale lilac eyes, and she had a gentle smile on her face.

"Long day?" Corlys simply asked, sauntering over to the table to pour himself a cup of wine.

"Aye," she nodded whilst smiling. "You?"

"Longer," he smirked, taking a sip of the sip. It was a newer Driftmark vintage, made from a mix of red and white grapes, and tasted just how Corlys liked it.

Rich and strong, yet not too sweet nor too bitter.

"Did lunch with Laenor not go very well?" she asked, worry in her eyes. "Or were your pleas to His Grace such an abysmal failure that it soured the mood for the rest of the day?"

"A combination of both, surprisingly," he chuckled.

"The first I am not too surprised about," Rhaenys said, making a face. Upon hearing it, she was just as furious at the suggestion but did not let it linger as long as Corlys did. "But how in the seven hells did you anger our son, love?"

"I shouldn't have, yet I still did," he replied. "He does not wish to have more children with Lady Alicent."

"Oh, Corlys," groaned Rhaenys, putting her eyes in her fingers. "You damned fool. You know he is stubborn about those matters."

"It was worth an attempt, though," he shrugged.

"Was it?" she asked. "Very well, though, you have an apology you owe our son on the morrow."

"It seems I do," nodded Corlys, looking at the rose-coloured liquid in his goblet before taking a sip. "And how was your day? I cannot imagine flying on dragons with our grandchildren can be described as long, for certain."

"Oh, it most certainly can," chuckled Rhaenys, crossing her legs. "Daeron and Baela are sweet souls; bless them…"

"But their baby brother is quite the opposite," finished Corlys, garnering a laugh from her.

"His unwillingness to listen seems worse than you at times," she said. "Despite how shocking that may sound."

"Is that really?" he grinned.

"Unfortunately, I was the only person he was willing to listen to," continued Rhaenys. "Imagine how all the others feel," she said, her tone soft. "And truly speaking, Aemon is starting to worry me."

"Laenor thought the same as you," sighed Corlys. "And I am inclined to agree with the both of you."

"From what Daeron told me about Dragonstone…" she shook her head. "It is not a pretty tale."

"I am aware," Corlys agreed.

"And I take you are also aware of how different Daeron and Baela's accounts were from Laena's?" she asked.

"I noticed that too," he replied solemnly. "The question now is, what do we do about it? Laenor suggested that he be warded off somewhere, largely because his wife wills it."

"That would not be the most ideal," Rhaenys frowned. "It shall only flare up the boy's tempers further… One thing that can be attested is that Aemon rues his older siblings for not supporting him as much after the incident on Dragonstone. To send him away shall make him think we are abandoning him, leaving him to fend for himself. He will only hate us more."

"Aye," he nodded. "That would be out of the question, no matter how much our son shall mislike it."

Rhaenys nodded in return before standing up and pacing around the room. They remained in that compassionate silence for a while until she turned to Corlys, her face still.

"I blame myself for Aemon," she said.

"How so?" asked Corlys, barely keeping in a laugh.

"For how he turned out," replied Rhaenys.

"Aye, on that, I blame the King," Corlys said. "The man is hardly aware that Aemon is his own blood. To think he would have taken his eye, too!" he growled, clenching a fist.

"I blame my cousin too, the foolish sow of a man," she spat. "Yet we are not blameless either… Viserys may have been absent, which means that Laena was the one to raise him."

Corlys stood, nodding softly whilst walking over to Rhaenys. He pulled her close, wrapping his muscled arms and calloused fingers around her until he could smell the mint of her breath.

"And all Aemon knows is rage and hate and vitriol," Rhaenys whispered as he ran some fingers through her hair. "Where do you think he learnt that from? And do I blame Laena for this? No, I mostly blame us for it. Remember… all those years ago, when we left her alone in the city, without anyone by her side to aid her and comfort her? Trapped in the castle by my sorry cousin, and left with only her children, her thoughts, and her dying dragon? We failed our daughter, Corlys. She needed us, and we were not there. It was only after we truly realised, but that was not good enough. We were just as bad as Viserys is now. And for that, Laena lost all of the hope and charm and passion and adventure she had as a child. And that was passed on to Aemon," she said, her eyes staring into Corlys'.

He gave her a small peck on the forehead and embraced her tightly. He could feel her tears drip onto his cloth-of-gold doublet, but he ignored it. They remained interlocked together for a small while until she pulled away to look at Corlys, her iris the usual pale lilac but the whites as pink as his wine.

"If we send Aemon away, it will be just like what we did to Laena," she simply put as Corlys nodded slowly.

"I would also dread for whoever lord accepts him as their ward…" Corlys replied, caressing her arms. "Knowing Aemon's temperament, it would be yet another thing to add to his awful reputation."

We need something to boost our reputation in the eyes of the realm; as of now, it is lower than ever.

"Do you think this is all worth it?" quietly asked Rhaenys. "Marrying Laena off to Viserys? It has caused nothing but grief for all of us. We could have allowed Otto Hightower's plot to succeed and watched from the side as the realm split into two. Now though…"

"Now, though, it is much too late to go back," Corlys swiftly answered. "Lives are at stake, now that blood has finally been spilt. Our grandchildren, for certain. Laena too. And maybe even us."

"I know this, which is why I regret it at times," she frowned. "You have not yet answered my question."

Corlys stared at Rhaenys, her face soft and pleading but her eyes full of fury. He took a small step back, thinking about what his dear wife had asked.

"It is most certainly worth it," he finally replied. "On the chance our blood shall finally sit the throne, the result of decades of struggle, it shall make it all worth it in the end."

"And should we be unsuccessful? Should Rhaenyra come out triumphant? Should our blood never be remembered in the history books and never sit the Iron Throne? Then?"

"I do not intend for that to happen," Corlys replied dismissively. "The same way I intended to return from my voyages. The same way I intended to be the victor in the Stepstones. The same way I intended to bring House Velaryon to glory," he firmly said.

"Very well," she nodded, almost smirking, with a glint of fire in her eyes.

They lingered in amiable silence until the sun began to set, letting in streams of purple, yellow, and red through the windows. A soft breeze followed it, but the lamps kept them both warm. Soon enough, it was supper time, and servants arrived with platters of fruits, cheeses, and a leg of mutton covered with spices and cooked with onions, peppers, and carrots.

"Tomorrow is a council meeting, is it not?" Rhaenys asked after swallowing a mouthful of hot bread and mutton.

"Aye, it most definitely is," Corlys replied. "And I pray that His Grace is not well enough to attend."

"I pray the same every day, just without the enough to attend part," she said softly, almost making Corlys choke on his fresh pear juice.

"We shall formally introduce the corruption trials to the whole council," explained Corlys, before outlining the plan. "And especially to the ears of Daeron for the first time."

"I forget he is a man grown now at times," Rhaenys smiled. "I was about to mention how his ears should not be sullied with such an event."

"It will leave our reputation even worse than it already is," he grumbled. "Even if it proceeds as perfectly as possible."

"It has not been a great few weeks for people's perception of us, has it?" she noted to the tired nod of Corlys.

"We would need to show the realm that we are the side to pledge support to," Corlys said. "Mayhaps a tourney would suffice, or a royal progress for Daeron."

"Both sound enticing," she agreed, stabbing her fork into a bright red pepper. "What else could be viable?"

"It would need to be an event of significant size," he replied, gritting his teeth.

"Oh, seven hells!" suddenly laughed Rhaenys. "How could you forget?"

"Forget what?" Corlys asked.

"Daeron has been a man grown for over a year now," she smiled, as Corlys did upon realising what she was implying. "And Lady Jocelyn is just two years his younger, and shall turn six-and-ten soon enough…"

"And when she does," Corlys grinned. "We send invites out to the entire realm, to join us in celebration. Not all may attend, but many certainly shall, to curry favour with us, and to glimpse the darling prince of the realm…"

Corlys took another small bite of the mutton and washed it all down with a sip of the juice. Nodding and smiling to himself, he thought about how this would finally bring a change of fortune to him and his faction.

A/N: Normally, I do not do these, but I would like to share the link to my discord server for this fic! Feel free to join C:

/EUXpy5BBCr