An Emperor's Song
Disclaimer: I do not own PJO, GOT or ASOIAF. All character rights go to their respective owners. Also, some of the elements in this story are inspired by other published works. I do not take credit for any of it.
A/N: This was originally supposed to be one chapter but it was getting a bit too long so I decided to break it into two separate chapters.
Chapter 12. Waltz of the Dragons Part I
Arc 1: Clash of Kings
299 AC
oOo
Morning time at Highgarden, with Percy…
Languid footfalls echoed throughout the halls of Highgarden as Percy made his way back from Willas's study. A bucket of water sloshed at his side.
After spending the majority of their time conversing about their unofficial alliance and playing a few more games of cyvasse, it had taken the crow of roosters for both men to realize that their discussions had gone until morning time.
But while Willas was only a yawn away from falling asleep on his cyvasse board, Percy felt rejuvenated the moment the sun rose over the horizon.
He didn't know whether to thank R'hllor or curse her for essentially forcing him to become a morning person.
Turning the last corner that led to his given chambers, Percy brought out his key before opening the door.
Inside of the sunlit room was a slumbering Daenerys who filled the air with the sound of light snoring.
Percy let out a great sigh for having expected his young aunt to still be asleep despite the fact that he had told her that her training would start in the morning.
It wasn't as if he could necessarily blame her though. Since he and Viserys had been the main providers for their small family, Daenerys had gotten accustomed to sleeping in for however long she desired.
Of course, now that Percy had taken it upon himself to train his aunt to the best of his ability these kinds of situations would no longer be able to continue.
Setting his things down on a nearby table, Percy walked over to stand at the side of the bed.
He took in Daenerys's peacefully sleeping face with a warm look before lifting up the bucket of water he had brought with him.
"Sorry about this, Dany." Percy said apologetically before upturning the bucket to allow all of its icey contents to douse everything below.
The effect was instant and the girl immediately jumped out of her slumber gasping for air.
"Dragons of old!" Daenerys spluttered hysterically.
As his aunt struggled to gather her bearings, Percy set the bucket down before going to his cupboard. After grabbing what he needed, he walked back over to the drenched Daenerys who was comically gaping at him with an extremely incredulous expression.
"Here, put these on. You can move in them better than you can in a dress." Percy said nonchalantly, placing the fresh set of clothes on a portion of the bed that wasn't completely soaked.
After a long moment of staring, Daenerys finally spoke. "What's wrong with you?" She asked in such a genuine manner that he couldn't help but snort.
"I should be the one asking that." Percy says, "I told you that your training was going to start today and yet I come in here to find you still asleep."
Daenerys blinked before she exploded. "So you decide to nearly drown me!" She exclaimed.
"Don't be so dramatic. It's just a bit of water." He waved off her anger.
"Just a bit of water? I'm soaked!" Daenerys gestured at her dripping self.
…perhaps he shouldn't have filled the bucket with so much water.
"Well, you can sit there and complain all day if you want. I'll be waiting outside if you still feel like learning from me." Percy says dismissively before walking to the door.
He chuckled when he heard Daenerys quickly get out of bed behind him all the while grumbling curses under her breath.
It didn't take long for his aunt to freshen up and switch into the clothes he had given her which consisted of a simple pair of trousers, a shirt and some boots.
"Next time, a simple wake up call will suffice." Daenerys said as she exited their room.
"Where's the fun in that?" Percy grinned.
After giving him one last death glare, Daenerys allowed Percy to lead her to a well secluded training yard that Willas had informed him about the night before.
Apparently the middle Tyrell brother, Ser Garlan, had his own personal training yard within Highgarden that he used whenever he was back home. It was quite an impressive one as well.
To the sides of the decently sized square shaped yard were multiple racks filled with various wooden weapons, blunted weapons and even some real weapons. Large wooden beams and small obstacle courses also surrounded them.
Based on the pristine and unused condition of most of the training grounds equipment, Ser Garlan's visits to Highgarden was in itself a rarity.
Reaching the center of the yard, Percy turned around and faced Daenerys who stared at her surroundings with awe.
After waiting a few moments for her initial excitement to pass, he put on the same commandeering look his old teacher, Chiron, used when he had first taught Percy how to swordplay.
"Before we get started, there's a few things I want to tell you." The seriousness in his tone gained Daenerys's full attention.
"First, from now on you'll have to keep yourself in good condition-" As Percy started he began slowly pacing back and forth, "-because if your body is weak then you won't be capable of doing any of the things I'll be teaching you."
"That much is obvious." Daenerys murmured before wilting under Percy's pointed stare.
He continued. "Secondly, keep things simple. In a real fight your mind will instinctively go into survival mode and then you won't be able to remember even half of the moves you'll learn." His words drew a confused frown.
"Then what's the point of lea-" Daenerys's question was cut short.
"Eventually, you'll reach the point where you're able to use most of what you learned even if you're in the middle of a life-or-death fight. Maybe you'll even get to the point where you don't have to think. But it won't happen naturally and it won't be an easy thing to learn. Even Viserys was barely able to learn it." Percy told her truthfully.
Daenerys looked surprised at that information before she asked. "Did you learn it as well?" She asked curiously, gaining an affirmative nod.
"That's amazing!" Daenerys said in awe before letting him continue.
"And lastly, never turn your back on your opponent." Percy says before adding, "You've already seen the consequences of not following this rule."
Daenerys giggled at the memory of Viserys's loss in his spar with Tristan some time ago.
"There's a few other things that I could talk about but they're not that important right now so I'll tell you them later. Alright, let's get started." Percy finished.
"Yes!" Daenerys immediately perked up in readiness, "Which move will I learn first? Parrying? Thrusts? Or maybe a disarming technique?"
"Start running." Percy told her simply.
"…what?" Daenerys uttered, baffled.
"Did you already forget what I told you? You aren't exactly in the best shape." Percy says.
"Hmph! I happen to be in the best shape. Thank you very much." Daenerys huffed.
"You can barely climb a set of stairs before you start huffing and puffing." Percy pointed out dryly.
Daenerys balked at his comment before an oddly wide smile morphed her face. "Are you calling me fat, Perseus Targaryen?" She asked sweetly.
Percy may have been a legendary hero that went through countless battles with hideous and powerful monsters, some the size of skyscrapers, but the dangerous undertone in his smiling aunt's voice was enough to make a shiver run down his spine.
He quickly set out to save himself. "Of course not! You look perfect, Dany. But looks won't help you on the battlefield. You'll need to gain at least some muscle to be a fighter."
Oddly enough, Daenerys suddenly became withdrawn after Percy's comment. "…how long am I supposed to be running for then?" She quietly murmured, refusing to meet his gaze.
Percy raised a brow at her sudden change in attitude but ultimately decided that it was better than arguing with her before he began explaining what he wanted her to do.
They started off by doing twenty running laps around the courtyard. While the size of the training yard wasn't too big, Daenerys as stated before wasn't in the best physical shape so she was nearly exhausted after the first few laps.
Surprisingly, though she voiced her complaints with colorful language, his aunt never actually gave up and continued to go through the onslaught of taxing exercises he put her through.
Push-ups, sit-ups, squats, jumping jacks, etc. Percy used whatever modern techniques he had at his disposal that didn't require special equipment in order to give Daenerys a tiring and lengthy workout session.
By the end of it all, Daenerys could be found sprawled on the dirt gasping for breath and caked in sweat.
Percy crouched down beside her with an easygoing smile. Even though he had done all of the exercises alongside her barely a bead of sweat rolled down his face.
"Was this everything you hoped and dreamed for?" Percy said feeling highly amused.
"…I hate you." Daenerys grumbled out from under her arms that acted as a shield from the now fully risen sun.
"Well, you're going to hate me even more because we're aren't done yet." Percy revealed as he stood to his feet.
"At least give me some time to rest." Daenerys groaned in protest.
"Those who sweat more in training bleed less in war." Percy held out a hand toward her, "C'mon, on your feet."
Though she bemoaned unhappily, Daenerys eventually grabbed ahold of Percy's hand allowing him to pull her up onto her feet.
He had to admit that he was impressed by his aunt's endurance. In the beginning of Viserys's training the prince couldn't even hope to keep up with him during their warm ups and needed at least one break in between each workout.
But Daenerys not only kept up with him without taking any breaks but she even had enough energy afterward to keep going.
His rambunctious and impulsive aunt had always been overly energetic as a child but it was only now that Percy was realizing just how much energy Daenerys actually had.
When Percy walked toward a weapon rack an excited look immediately adorned Daenerys's face. "Are we going to start practicing with swords now?" She asked hopefully.
"Yes, but first I want to teach you a few basic moves." Percy tossed over the lightest wooden sword he could find to Daenerys who fumbled to catch it.
After acquiring a sword of his own, Percy led her to a nearby training dummy. He motioned for her to stand a few paces away from him as he stood in front of the straw-filled manikin.
"The first move I'll show you is a simple stab." Percy said before raising his sword to demonstrate.
Daenerys watched with apt attention as Percy delivered a textbook stab on the dummy.
After demonstrating the stab move a couple more times on different areas of the mannequin, Percy stepped away and gestured for Daenerys to step forward.
"Now you try." Percy told her.
Looking very nervous, Daenerys stepped forward before slowly raising her sword.
"Hup!" With a grunt, she aimed a stab at the training dummy's torso.
Daenerys looked back at him but soon realized that he wanted her to continue showcasing the stabbing move so she began delivering a series of stabs.
Percy hummed as he gauged his aunt's performance.
For starters, he could truthfully say that Daenerys had more skill with a sword than Viserys had when he had first started. This in itself was surprising to Percy since he hadn't met many natural born swordsmen who weren't demigods or descendants of one.
The fact that his aunt was showcasing this much precision in her striking early on made him wonder how good she would be once he finished teaching her.
All that being said, Percy could sense that there was something wrong with Daenerys's attacks. And he had a vague feeling that he knew what it was.
"Alright, you can stop. Let's try a slash instead of a stab this time." Percy led Daenerys away from the target before replacing her.
"While a slash is just as simple as a stab, it's a lot more deadly in the hands of someone who knows what they're doing." Percy then demonstrated what he meant by quickly slashing all of the dummy's various vital points.
Once he was sure that she had enough time to observe him closely, Percy stepped away and let Daenerys come forward again.
Like last time, his aunt seemed tense but she promptly raised her sword before she began attacking the target with rapid slashes.
"…I see." Percy murmured to himself after watching her attacks for a short while.
Before the real training could start, Percy first needed to figure out which combat style best suited his aunt. And it seemed his suspicion that Daenerys was more suited to the unorthodox Greek hack-and-slash style of sword fighting had been correct.
Daenerys's strikes were a lot more fluid and precise than before. She was also getting increasingly confident in her movements as she continued striking the target, as if it was becoming more and more natural.
"That's enough." Percy told her after a few more minutes.
Her brow coated in sweat, Daenerys finally stopped her onslaught and turned to face him. "Did I do well?" She asked hesitantly.
"You did a lot better than I thought you would. I'm actually kind of surprised." Percy said with the utmost honesty.
"Really!" Daenerys beamed.
"Don't get me wrong, your strikes were horrible. Pitiful at best. But you did better than Viserys when he first started." Percy added.
Daenerys's smile slipped right off at his blunt criticism. "…thanks, I guess." She grumbled.
"I told you this wouldn't be easy." Percy reminded her.
"I know." A deep exhale escaped Daenerys's lips before she perked up. "So what now?"
It seemed Daenerys truly was ready to put everything on the line in her pursuit to become a warrior.
"Hit me." Percy spread his arms with a welcoming smile.
Daenerys blinked at that. "You want me to hit you?" She restated slowly.
Percy nodded. "Before I had you practicing on a stationary target. Now I want to see you practice on a moving target." He told her.
"I've only just started using a sword. Isn't this moving a bit too fast?" She inquired.
"I'll be honest, I don't have the time to train you like how I trained Viserys. I barely have time to sleep nowadays and I have a feeling that it'll only get worse after the war is over-" Percy continued with a sigh, "-but before it does, I want to at least teach you as much as I can. That way you can develop your skills on your own without my help."
"But how am I supposed to learn properly without a teacher?" Daenerys wilted a bit.
Percy used his hand to tilt her head up. "Chin up, Dany. If it's you, you'll turn into a great warrior in no time. I'm sure you'll become better than me one day." He said in comfort.
His words seemed to have the desired effect on Daenerys as her expression gradually brightened.
"Do you really believe that?" Daenerys asked him.
"No. But it doesn't hurt to try." Percy said bluntly, taking a few steps back before assuming his sword stance with a challenging grin.
Daenerys matched his enthusiasm. "Very well then. I guess I'll just have to prove you wrong by beating you now." She spoke with unyielding confidence as she also took on a ready stance.
"You're trying to climb up a mountain when you can't even climb up a couple stairs." Percy tsk-tsked.
"Arrogance must be one of our family traits." Daenerys said with an eye roll.
"Confidence speaks for itself." Percy shrugged before adding, "If you can land even a single hit on me, I'll have the cooks bake you an apple pie."
This made his aunt's eyes narrow. It was known by anyone close to her that Daenerys absolutely loved apple pies or anything that had anything to do with apples.
"Don't go back on your word." Daenerys smirked.
Now with enough motivation to attack an entire army by her lonesome, Daenerys used both hands to bring up her training sword.
After taking a deep breath, Daenerys raised the sword high above her head before charging at him with a war cry that sounded more akin to a wail.
If there was one positive thing Percy could say about her attack it was that his aunt was moving quite swiftly even though she was carrying a sword that weighed at least eight pounds. That was where his praise ended though.
The fact that she had left herself exposed to an attack aimed toward her midsection by raising her arms so high, the instinctive impulse to nearly close her eyes as she anticipated an attack from him; everything about the way she came at him was just downright terrible.
Percy watched with a blank expression as Daenerys drew nearer every passing moment. He may have thought her swiftness to be the only redeeming thing about her advance, but to someone like him, she was still practically moving in slow motion.
He only deemed it necessary to move when Daenerys's sword was already descending down onto his head. With a simple sidestep, Percy completely avoided the attack.
Daenerys stumbled past him as her sword connected with empty space and with some effort she spun back around to face him.
"Looks like you won't be getting that pie after all." Percy said with a languid tone.
His aunt frowned before she began her advancement again. She was a quick learner because this time she decided not to overextend herself like she did before and she also followed up on her initial strike with supplementary ones.
This of course didn't change much as Percy was still able to avoid all of Daenerys's wide and poorly coordinated strikes with ease.
But since this was supposed to be a learning experience, Percy began speaking words of advice and pointed out her many faults as he absentmindedly evaded all of her attacks.
He sidestepped a stab.
"Extend your leg a little more to the front."
A slash sailed right over his head.
"You're exposing yourself when you overextend like that."
A kick that was more like a flail missed him by a mile.
"Was that supposed to hit me?"
As Percy continued to calmly deconstruct Daenerys's actions, her attacks grew more and more frantic and desperate until something very strange happened.
Daenerys growled in annoyance as yet another one of her strikes connected with air. It was obvious that she was becoming increasingly frustrated.
"I might need to have a maester check your eyesight. I'm starting to get a little worried now." Percy quipped.
"Gods, shut up already!" Daenerys yelled before furiously spinning around to deliver a backward slash.
His eyebrows raised a bit at her sudden increase in speed but the change wasn't drastic enough for her attack to actually land. Or so he thought.
As Percy leaned his head back to avoid the slash, which he determined was a good few inches away from his face, he was very surprised when he felt something connect with his face.
Percy stumbled back in an absolute daze and although he was more surprised than injured, he felt a cut on his cheek open up, deep enough to draw forth blood.
"Oh no, you're bleeding!" Daenerys immediately paused in her assault and stepped forward with a worried expression.
He struggled to form a conclusion as to how exactly he had been injured while absentmindedly stopping Daenerys who had reached out toward his face.
"It's just a scratch. It'll be gone by tomorrow." Percy told her, unbothered but the razor thin cut that stung his cheek.
Most of his attention was currently focused on figuring out what exactly happened.
Something odd had obviously occurred when he moved to dodge Daenerys's sword but he couldn't for the life of him find a logical answer. This was mainly because he hadn't been able to even see what had hit him.
"Perseus?" Daenerys spoke, drawing his attention.
Apparently he had been spaced out long enough for his aunt to worry.
"Sorry, I was just surprised." Percy wiped a line of blood off his cheek.
Daenerys shook her head. "It's fine. Should we continue?" She asked cautiously.
It was obvious that she wasn't keen on the possibility of him cutting their training session short. Her worries were unwarranted though as it would take a lot more than a scratch to put him out of commission. He would simply push his suspicions aside until he had time to think.
"Let's continue." Percy said before they immersed back into their spar.
Their long and arduous training session went on without another hitch after that mysterious incident.
oOo
Somewhere in the North, with Theon Greyjoy…
With just a few words from his sister, all of Theon's planning to take over Winterfell had turned to shit.
"We're leaving the North."
Theon stared at his only sister, Asha, with a dumbfounded expression.
When Asha, accompanied by their uncle Victarion, had arrived at his temporary post in the North, Theon had at first been excited at the fact that his sister and uncle would personally be able to see his grand plan unfold.
But instead of arriving to accompany and encourage him on his first real reave, his sister had come to tell him that they were now retreating out of the North.
"What?" Was all Theon could utter at the moment.
Victarion rolled his eyes at his response while Asha simply explained herself.
"Dorne has laid siege to the islands. They personally sent the Viper to lead the invasion as well." Asha told him.
Stunned even further at this information, Theon could only gawk in disbelief. Surely his sister was joking. Dorne barely had a few merchant ships let alone enough war galleys to invade the Iron Islands.
Maybe the islands weren't actually being attacked. Perhaps his sister had just caught wind of his plan to capture Winterfell and didn't want him to have the glory. Yes, that was it. That must be the case.
"That was quite funny, little sister. Dorne attacking the Iron Islands? I would've never thought of such a joke." Theon chuckled uneasily.
His uncle let out an annoyed snarl. "It's not a joke, you imbecile. If you weren't so-" Asha raised a stern hand to silence Victarion.
Theon couldn't help but envy how much more respect his sister was given by their family and the other ironborn. If he had tried to silence his uncle in a similar manner he was sure it would have ended in bloodshed.
Asha turned back to Theon. "I'm being serious. Father ordered for the Iron Fleet to return. Every ironborn is en route to defend the islands from the Dornish. The only one who didn't know was you, that's why we came to get you." She informed him.
No matter how skeptical he felt or hard he looked, Theon could see that his sister was being honest. The Iron Islands were being attacked by none other than Dorne.
"B-but how!? Dorne doesn't even have enough ships to protect their own shores. " Theon said, stumped.
"They used to not have ships. Apparently Prince Doran constructed a fleet." Asha says.
How an entire fleet was able to be built without the Seven Kingdoms knowing about it, Theon didn't know. Even if Dorne was known for being as cunning as a snake, having that many ships built without anyone knowing about it was surely impossible.
"How many ships do they have?" Theon asked.
"Enough to capture most of the major isles. Only Pyke remains." Asha revealed shocking Theon even more to the point that he had to lean against the railing of his ship in order to keep balance.
Everything had been going well for the Iron Islands. While many scoffed at their hit-and-run tactics, they hadn't taken nearly as many losses as the other kingdoms because of it so they had been in the best position to conquer the Seven Kingdoms.
But like the vipers they titled themselves to be, Dorne was able to strike at the heart of the ironborn by attacking the isles when most of its defenses were at its lowest.
And now suddenly they were the ones who were closest to losing the War of the Five Kings.
"So what now? We just leave behind all of the progress and sacrifices we've made in the North?" Theon asked angrily.
Asha sighed before approaching him, laying a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We have no other choice, Theon. Our home is under attack. We must defend it." She tells him.
Theon knew that she was right. How could they continue to call themselves ironborn when their home was being razed? Still, something about the situation just didn't sit right with him.
He only had a few hundred men compared to Asha and his uncle who led the majority of the ironborn army. And Theon wasn't stupid, he knew that his uncle, and his own father, thought very little of him so it was hard to imagine Victarion going out of his way to personally retrieve him instead of immediately setting out to defend the isles.
"Theon!" Asha's voice gained his attention and he looked back at his sister, "We're kin, aren't we? That means we have to stick together. No ironborn left behind."
Her words made his eyes widen a bit. Ever since he reunited with his family, he felt like an outsider, an ironborn only by blood. His family considered him to be more like a Northerner than anything and they each showed obvious disdain for his Northern tendencies by never actually calling him an ironborn. Until now that is.
His skeptical behavior was something he had gained from being in the North. But now he was among his real family so there was no need for him to be so guarded.
Theon straightened himself up before nodding. "Right, then let's go remind those sand fuckers why the ironborn rule the seas." He said with resolve, gaining a grin from his sister.
Fate may have been turning against them, but if anyone could survive the tides of change it was the ironborn.
oOo
Evening time in Highgarden, with Percy…
Though dinner time had yet to come to pass, Daenerys had been very adamant on redeeming her reward for managing to land a hit on him. And no matter how luck endowed the strike had been, a promise was a promise.
So after some much needed rest, Percy found himself journeying back from the castle's culinary quarters with a basket of food in hand.
"Perseus!" Percy paused in his steps and turned to face the person who had called out to him.
Viserys jogged after him with an enthusiastic look. "Where have you been? I was searching the entire castle looking for you." His uncle said exhaustedly as he reached him.
"I was-" Percy briefly paused.
After his long winded discussion with Willas, it had slipped Percy's mind that he had yet to inform his uncle about his sudden decision to start training Daenerys.
"-with Daenerys." He chose not to bring up their training. There would be another time to do so. Plus, Viserys looked like he really wanted to tell him something.
"You seem happy." Percy commented blankly.
"I'm more than just happy, I'm fucking jubilant! Perseus, I may have found 'the one'." Viserys said, ecstatic.
"The one?" Percy repeated slowly, gaining a quick nod in confirmation.
Percy let out a heavy sigh. After living with Viserys for over ten years, he had gotten rather accustomed to his uncle's tendency to suddenly proclaim love for one of his many bed partners.
It was almost like a routine at this point. Viserys would first bed a particularly alluring woman and if she managed to satisfy him then he would begin to think that their wedded union was fated to occur.
After which, Viserys would approach Percy and tell him of his plans to marry the girl. He would then tell his uncle to think the decision over for a week. And usually by the end of that week the prince would have gotten bored of the poor girl prompting him to quickly move on to his next target to repeat the same process.
Percy decided to humor his uncle. "So who is the lucky girl?" He asked dryly.
"Margaery." Viserys replied instantly.
"…" Percy keenly watched his uncle's face for any sign of joking, but he eventually realized that Viserys wasn't making a joke.
"For god's sake, please don't tell me you-" Percy wasn't even able to finish his hopeful sentence.
"You should have seen the looks Margaery made when I fucked her, Perseus. Ugh, and the sounds. I'm getting hard just thinking about it!" Viserys exclaimed.
Percy's eyes widened in alarm at his words and he quickly looked around to see if anyone had overheard his uncle's loud ranting. But fortunately there was no one around them,
"Keep your voice down, idiot!" Percy hissed before he quickly dragged Viserys into a nearby vacant storage room.
After closing the door behind him, Percy whirled around to face his uncle. "Are you insane? Margaery is the daughter of Mace Tyrell, his only daughter!" He said.
"Weren't you the one who wanted me to play along with Margaery's schemes?" Viserys pointed out.
"Yes, but I didn't tell you to fuck her!" Percy cursed angrily as he began pacing back and forth.
While he himself didn't really care for the general notion that most people held in regards to women maintaining their 'purity' until marriage, it didn't matter because he was no longer in his old world where modern values greatly contrasted the ones that his new world was governed by.
If word got out that a Targaryen prince had seduced the Flower of Highgarden after subsequently leading the battle that led to her late husband's death then the popularity that their house had somehow been able to retain within the Reach would plummet dramatically.
"She was the one who came to my room in the middle of the night dressed like the little minx she is." Viserys told him.
Percy paused at that. "You're saying Margaery is the one who made the first move?" He asked, receiving an affirmative nod.
While that information helped calm his nerves somewhat it also greatly troubled him because he very much doubted that Margaery would suddenly decide to throw away her maidenhood for no good reason. And if that weren't the case, then the woman was most likely coached into the decision by her scheming grandmother, Lady Olenna.
"What the hell is that old hag planning?" Percy murmured aloud as he racked his brain for the answer.
"There is no plan, Perseus. Margaery wants to marry me as well. She already went to talk to her father about it." Viserys tells him.
"But why? I thought Margaery wanted to marry me so that she could become queen." Percy said.
Viserys shook his head. "Margaery doesn't care about becoming queen, that was Lady Olenna's goal all along. But last night she told me that she doesn't want to follow her grandmother's word anymore." He stated.
Percy tried his best to wrap his head around the notion that Margaery had genuinely fallen in love with Viserys in the span of a few weeks but he simply couldn't.
"Maybe they're planning to blackmail us." Percy mused to himself before his attention was again gained by Viserys who grasped his shoulders.
"Perseus, I know that I don't have the best record when it comes to things like this. But just listen to me this one time because I'm being serious." Viserys began.
"I know it's only been a short while, but I'm telling you I've never felt like this before. Even if I disregard the sex, which was beyond words, I still wouldn't be able to describe the way I feel when I'm with her. It's simply impossible for me to explain, even to myself. And you can tell me that I've finally become as mad as my father. But I love Margaery regardless of the fact that she tried to use me, regardless of the fact that I can't exactly explain why I love her. But isn't that what love is? To love someone unconditionally, regardless of their faults and without reason."
Words couldn't describe how shocked Percy felt at that moment. He had only known his uncle to be this serious on a few occasions. And all of them had been during life threatening moments.
Percy didn't see the need to check for any falsehoods, even though he could practically feel the sincerity in Viserys's voice, because he had never seen his uncle look so sure of something. It felt almost sanctimonious to continue to doubt the man's blatant feelings.
So with that, Percy relented with a sigh. "Alright, I believe you." His words drew a smile from Viserys.
"Thank you, Perseus." Viserys said genuinely.
Percy leaned back against a wall. "So what did Lord Mace have to say?" He asked him.
"Surprisingly, he agreed rather quickly. I thought he would have gone to ask his mother for permission first." Viserys snarked.
Percy simply hummed, he wasn't very surprised at that information. Before he had finished speaking with Willas the other night the man had told him that he would talk his father into officializing the alliance between their families. Apparently the heir of House Tyrell was a quick worker.
"So when will the betrothal be announced?" Percy asks.
"House Tyrell will be hosting an annual banquet in a few days. Lord Mace decided that would be the best time to let his vassals know about the marriage." Viserys tells him.
"A few days, huh. That's a lot sooner than I thought but I guess it's better this way." Percy admitted.
When he had first come to the Reach in order to secure the alliance of the Tyrell's he had done so with the acceptance that the task may turn out to be more arduous than what he first predicted.
But it seemed his worries were all for nought, since he would soon be able to focus on his main goal which was ending the war and ascending to the throne.
"So, why are you carrying around a basket of food? Planning to have an outing with a lucky maiden, perhaps?" Viserys grinned deviously.
"This stuff is all for Daenerys." Percy replied simply.
Viserys arched his brow. "Is my little sister beginning to develop a larger appetite? No man will want her if her waist gets any wider." He said bluntly.
"It's only for today. I lost a bet with her." Percy still wasn't willing to inform his uncle about their training.
Viserys simply nodded at that, evidently not interested enough to ask about the details. It wasn't unusual for them to make bets with one another after all.
"So, should I describe it to you?" His uncle regained a lecherous grin.
"Describe what?" Percy blinked.
"The sex of course!" Viserys exclaims.
Percy deadpanned. "Actually, I'm kind of busy right now." He said blandly.
"Oh, come on! Who else can I tell this to?" Viserys complained.
"Goodbye, Viserys." Percy drawled over his shoulder as he promptly exited the storage room.
While Percy was happy for uncle, even somewhat jealous, he really didn't want to spend the remainder of his day listening about his night with Margaery.
oOo
Elsewhere in Dorne, with Arianne…
Arianne needed to fuck someone.
It had been a few days since her father had spoken with her. And in the brief time since she had last seen him, Doran had made it his mission to halt her admittedly excessive indulgence in debauchery.
Nowadays, Arianne couldn't even take a stroll through the castle without guards watching her every move.
Not that they didn't do so before. But now instead of drooling at her ass or teats as she walked past them, they held their chins high and dutifully reported her whereabouts to Areo who then reported back to her father.
The fact that her father had sent the last guard who lied about her location to die a slow and painful death in the snake pits was likely the reason for the household guard's drastic change in demeanor.
"Ugh, I'm so bored!" Arianne groaned aloud to herself as she lay sprawled on her bed.
She couldn't even talk to Tyene or one of her older cousins as the Sand Snakes had gone with their father to besiege the Iron Islands.
It was times like this where Arianne began to regret not getting into fighting like her dangerous cousins. If she could fight as well as them then she would've most likely accompanied them on their mission.
An idea formed in Arianne's mind. 'Perhaps I should learn how to fight.' She thought.
Though this stray thought was dismissed as quickly as it came to her mind. Arianne didn't find anything attractive about fighting.
Plus, the risk of her beauty being marred in even the slightest way was enough to give her nightmares. She'd much rather have a strong man who could fight her battles for her.
At the thought of that, Arianne began thinking about her cousin, Perseus, which was something she noticed that she had been doing a lot of recently.
She wondered if Perseus was as good a warrior as some proclaimed him to be.
A few people had informed her not long ago that when Renly's encampment had been attacked her betrothed had been among the first to enter the battle. They also said that he didn't even suffer a scratch throughout the entire battle even though he had been surrounded by enemies.
But Arianne knew that such actions were almost always taken out of proportion by those who hadn't been there to witness the event themselves.
If she wanted to know what kind of person her cousin was then she would have to ask someone who had actually stood by his side.
A smirk formed on the princesses lips. What better person was there to ask about her exiled betrothed then one of his own men.
Arianne quickly hopped to her feet before walking into the smaller separate chamber that acted as her wardrobe.
Inside of the room were countless dresses, skirts, gowns, jewelry and other attire. If one were to stroll through the room they would have also noticed that each piece of clothing was as revealing as the last.
But for once in her life, Arianne wasn't planning on attracting any attention to herself. So after a brief moment of searching, she finally found a black traveling cloak to wear.
After going back to her room, Arianne lifted up the cloak's hood to conceal herself more before creeping over to slowly open her chamber door.
She poked her head out of the door and was relieved to see that the current duo of men that guarded the doorway to her chambers were both sitting on chairs fast asleep.
Careful not to wake the sleeping guards, Arianne quietly closed the door behind her before she set out toward her destination which was the portion of the castle that housed servants and guests.
There weren't many men who could boast of knowing her cousin. Perseus and his family had lived in isolation for most of their lives after all.
But there were a few who could say that they had stood by his side during the ongoing war. And coincidentally, her father was hosting one of those few men.
Arianne stepped toward a chamber doorway. She gave one last look at her surroundings before facing the door.
There was a momentary debate within her mind on whether or not she should knock and announce herself. But she decided against being considerate.
Sunspear was her home. All of its belongings were hers by birthright and no room within the sandy walls was free from her authority.
So with that, Arianne reached inside her cloak and brought out the master key that only she and her father had before opening the door.
Only when she had already stepped inside of the chamber did she realize that it was almost pitch black.
And not a moment later, she felt an arm wrap firmly around her before a blade was pressed against her neck.
"Who are you?" A familiar voice growled out from behind her.
"Arianne Martell, Princess of Dorne." Arianne gulped, fear made her as still as a statue.
There was a brief pause before the pressure from the blade on her neck disappeared. A few moments later, light suddenly flooded the room.
Arianne turned around to see her cousin's emissary, Tristan, who was using a tinder box to light another nearby candle.
Seeing as how the young man was only wearing a pair of trousers, he had obviously been sleeping when she had entered.
"You shouldn't break into other people's rooms, princess." Tristan remarked coolly.
"Well this is technically my room since my ancestors built this entire castle." Arianne murmured.
Tristan finally turned to face her. "Why are you here?" He asked.
Having regained her confidence, Arianne took it upon herself to sit cross-legged on the man's bed which gained her a raised brow.
"I wanted to ask you a question." Arianne told him.
"So, you broke into my room in the middle of the night…to ask me a question." Tristan said, blankly.
"You know, most men would drool at the thought of me being inside of their room." Arianne said innocently.
"I'm not like most men." Tristan shrugged.
Arianne licked her lips as her eyes began roaming. "Indeed you are not." Her mouth was starting to water at the sight of his well-defined chest.
A frown formed on Tristan's face. "Why are you really here, princess?" He asks, drawing a sigh from her.
"I already told you, commander. I wanted to ask you a question." Arianne says.
"Then ask and begone." Tristan said bluntly.
The young mercenary's behavior was beginning to vex Arianne. Mainly because she had yet to encounter a man who wasn't immediately smitten by her.
Well, there was also the time she had tried to pursue Renly but she had her suspicions about the late would-be king's preferences.
While usually Arianne would try to press the issue further, she still had her original goal in mind so she decided to quit messing around.
"What kind of man is Perseus?" Arianne asked as she leaned back to lounge on the bed.
Her question seemed to surprise Tristan as his eyes went a bit wide.
After a moment, Tristan finally spoke. "What do you want to know?" He said.
"What he acts like, the food he enjoys eating or the things he does to pass the time. I want to know everything about Perseus Targaryen." Arianne says.
Another moment of silence passed before Tristan spoke again. "Why do you want to know more about Perseus?" He says.
"Why wouldn't I want to know more about my long lost cousin?" Arianne asked back.
She didn't know when her father was going to publicly release the information about her and Perseus's betrothal contract so for now she would have to keep it a secret.
The young man stared at her carefully before speaking again. "Perseus is as fierce and strong as a dragon. I'm sure his ancestors are proud." He told her.
"That's not very helpful." Arianne said brusquely.
"I don't know what else to tell you, Princess. I don't know very much about Perseus." Tristan simply shrugged.
Arianne was beginning to regret leaving her room. The only reason she had risked sneaking out was so that she could learn more about Perseus.
Unfortunately, it seemed like she wouldn't be getting any answers for the time being.
"Now can you answer one of my questions?" Tristan suddenly spoke, "What's the real reason for you coming here in the middle of the night?"
A revelation suddenly occurred in Arianne's mind. Even though her intention was to find out more about Perseus, she was already at risk of being scolded by her father for leaving her room.
Shouldn't she at least get one reward for her bravery?
Arianne stood to her feet. "Truthfully, I've been quite bored these past few days." She sighed dramatically as she slowly approached Tristan.
"Bored? You're the Princess of Dorne, you can have anything you want." Tristan says in an unbelieving manner.
A saucy smirk formed on her face as she came to stand in front of the soldier. "Do you really mean that? That I can have anything." Arianne breathed out sensually.
Like most men who had their manhood still attached, Tristan was quick to catch on to her meaning.
Arianne slowly parted the top of her cloak to reveal a portion of her naked breasts underneath. Her nipples were already hardened partially from arousal but mostly due to the coldness of the night.
Tristan's eyes trailed down to gaze at her lovely treasure. She smirked when she saw the young man take a deep breath before reaching out toward her.
Though surprisingly instead of submitting to his basic instincts, Tristan reached out to cover up her exposed breasts. "You should leave, princess." He said firmly.
Too stunned to speak or even think, Arianne was brusquely escorted out of the room by the soldier.
No more words were said as Tristan closed the door behind her, leaving her alone in the cold and empty hallway.
Eventually, Arianne regained her thoughts and a poisonous fury welled from within her.
She couldn't believe that she, the most beautiful woman in all of Westeros, had just been rejected by a no-name sellsword. There were men that she had sentenced to death for lighter slights.
And what was even more infuriating was that she couldn't even have her father execute the young man since she had been the one to sneak out in order to pursue him.
So Arianne had no choice but storm her way back to her chambers. But she did more than just seeth along the way. Plots of her revenge were already beginning to form within her mind.
She would make the young sellsword regret having the gall to reject her.
oOo
Meanwhile, with Margaery…
A nerve wracked Margaery stood, as still as a statue, at the door to her grandmother's room.
She had already approached her father about marrying Viserys, an idea he readily agreed to though it was mostly due to the influence of her eldest brother who had been present at the time of her visit.
It had been very surprising to find out that Willas had already spoken with Perseus the other night and that the two men had come to a mutual agreement to work with one another.
That information just went to prove that she and her grandmother would have lost the game in the end due to their shortsightedness.
It was no secret to their family that Willas wanted to change Westeros for the better. The daunting task had been one that her brother aspired to complete ever since the fall of House Targaryen.
Though she was somewhat taken aback due to the sheer confidence her brother spoke with when their father asked about the likeness of Perseus's ascension to the Iron Throne.
It was as if he had found out something about the exiled king that made his entire view of him change.
In a way, the same drastic change had also occurred with her in regards to her feelings and overall outlook toward Viserys.
A few weeks ago she couldn't bear to hear the prince speak for too long, now she couldn't help but smile every time she thought about him. If her grandmother knew about her current dilemma she would definitely scoff and call her a lovesick fool.
Speaking of which, Margaery had been standing outside her grandmother's door for almost half an hour debating on whether or not to tell her the news of her decision to marry Viserys.
"If you're going to come in then hurry up and come in. I can hear you fidgeting at the door, Margaery." Olenna's voice rang out from behind the closed door.
Too surprised to give a response, Margaery finally decided to enter.
Inside of the room, Olenna sat in bed with an opened book in her lap.
"Oh, I know that look. That's the look you had when you broke your mother's jewel box and ran to me for help. Well, get on with it. What mistake did you make this time?" Her grandmother remarked tiredly.
"I didn't make a mistake, grandmother." Margaery quietly murmured, making Olenna arch an inquiring brow.
Margaery was beginning to wish that she had taken up Viserys's offer to accompany her. She had only rejected his offer due to not wanting to be seen as weak-willed by her lover, but she was becoming more and more nervous as she stood in front of her grandmother.
As the daughter of House Tyrell, Margaery didn't fear many people. Unfortunately, Olenna was one of the very few that could make her feel like a little girl again.
Her grandmother would eventually find out about her betrothal to Viserys. But she knew from experience that it would be wiser to tell Olenna now rather than her finding out later.
So with that, Margaery breathed a calming breath, straightened up her posture and spoke with as much confidence as she could muster.
"I've decided to marry Prince Viserys." Margaery braced herself for the response that came after a tense moment of silence.
"Yes, I know. That was what I planned after all. For you to marry Viserys and become Queen after Perseus is taken care of." Olenna says.
Olenna wasn't stupid nor was she too naive to not understand what Margaery's words truly meant.
Her grandmother was simply giving her the chance to rethink her decision before it was too late.
But Margaery had plenty of time to think about her choice to be with the prince and she never once thought that she was making a bad decision.
She knew from the moment that she gave him consent to take her maidenhead that there would be no going back.
Margaery loved Viserys and she was sure that he loved her as well.
"I no longer wish to become Queen." Margaery said firmly.
Another bout of silence, much longer and more tense than the last, filled the chamber.
Olenna stared at her with a blank expression before she suddenly heaved a great sigh. "I knew you weren't cut out for this. I should have focused my efforts on Willas." She said with the utmost disappointment.
Margaery couldn't help the pain she felt in her heart by her words. "This isn't a bad thing, grandmother! If I marry Viserys then our family will be safe from the Targaryen's revenge. Isn't that what you wanted?" She spoke desperately.
"You know damn well what I wanted, Margaery. I wanted you to become Queen!" Olenna angrily tossed aside her book, "But instead you choose to be the bedside whore of an idiot prince that doesn't even have the balls to face his nephew."
Oddly enough, the insults her grandmother directed at Viserys made her angrier than the one directed at herself.
"Don't you dare say that about him, grandmother! Viserys is a good man." Margaery stated furiously.
Olenna cackled. "Oho! It seems you've already been made into an obedient dog. If I had known that the prince was capable of fucking silly little girls into submission I would have sent someone far more experienced than you." She japed.
Margaery clenched her teeth. "Viserys was right. You don't care about me. You only care about fulfilling your own delusions of being Queen." She seethed.
"Watch yourself, girl." Olenna warned but Margaery was no longer willing to contain her anger.
"Does it make you angry that you weren't able to become Queen, grandmother? You always spoke about how lucky my grandfather was to marry you but you were the one who was actually in luck. My grandfather was the only lord in the Seven Kingdoms who wanted to pursue you. Do you want to know why that is? It's because your heart is as black as coal. If my grandfather had known that perhaps he would still be alive today."
"Get out, get out now! I don't ever want to see your face again." Olenna began shouting furiously, "Go be with your sweet prince. Enjoy your life with him. But know that you are always going to be known as the stupid little girl who chose love over her own family!"
Hot tears had already begun pouring down Margaery's face at this point. But there was nothing more that could be said, so she fled the room without another word.
She didn't know where she was running to, only that she needed to be alone.
Her grandmother had been her idol for the majority of her life. The seemingly perfect lady she one day strived to be like. But now she knew that her grandmother wasn't perfect, or perhaps she had always known and had simply chosen to ignore Olenna's imperfections.
Eventually she came upon one of her favorite spots. It was a well secluded vineyard that happened to be on a lush hill that overlooked almost the entirety of the Mander River.
The teary-eyed Margaery occasionally sniffled as she silently peered at the view.
"I thought I'd find you here." A voice that originated from behind her made Margaery glance over her shoulder.
She wasn't too surprised to see Viserys carefully making his way through the vineyard to reach her. They had met up at this same spot many times before.
"I want to be alone." Margaery sniffled.
Viserys ignored her words and sat down on the soft soil next to her prompting Margaery to try and hide her tear stained face from him. He didn't say anything but she knew that he was looking at her.
Suddenly, a hand gently cupped itself under Margaery's chin, forcing her head to turn. Her gaze met with Viserys who was looking at her with his warm, purple eyes.
"You don't have to hide ever your tears from me, Margaery." Viserys told her.
"I don't want you to see me in such a pathetic state." Margaery murmured, embarrassed.
Viserys let out a sigh before brushing the tears from her cheeks. "Silly girl, I care about you so there's nothing pathetic about your feelings." He tells her.
Her heart couldn't help but warm at his words. "What did your grandmother say?" He asked.
"She said I was making a mistake." Margaery began sobbing.
"Oh, darling. Don't be sad." Viserys wrapped his arms around her in comfort, "She's probably giving you an opportunity to prove her wrong."
Margaery looked up at him. "She told me that she never wanted to see me again." She informed him tearfully.
Viserys blinked at that. "Well, at least the wedding won't be awkward." He said, looking relieved only to wilt when he noticed Margaery glaring daggers at him.
"…perhaps that was a stupid thing to say." Viserys mumbled an apology.
"You think so!" Margaery said heatedly.
"What I'm trying to say is that sometimes you have spats with the people closest to you in your life and at some point those people may leave you. But that doesn't mean that it's a bad thing. It simply means that you are becoming more independent." Viserys says.
"But Olenna was my family! She practically raised me. And she always told me that a woman is at their strongest when they have a family to protect. But I don't have that anymore." Margaery cried.
"Then maybe it's time for you to start your own family, Margaery." Viserys tells her before motioning toward the river making her turn as well.
Though she couldn't hear them, she could vaguely see a group of children happily playing alongside the river bank while a woman, surely their mother, washed a basket of clothes.
She couldn't help but gain a small smile as the mother lovingly reprimanded the playing children for going too far into the river.
It was no secret that Margaery didn't have the same childhood as most children of the Reach did.
But instead of being secretly resentful of smallfolk like most of her noble ilk, she simply hoped that one day she could have children of her own that could be as happy as them.
"I know it may seem like you no longer have a place in your family. But you mustn't forget that you will always have a place in your new family, in our family." Viserys says.
Margaery held his gentle gaze for a moment before looking back out toward the river. "Do you think we can have a family as happy as theirs?" She asked softly as she peered with longing at the family.
Viserys exhaled a deep breath before firmly replying. "We will." He promised.
A warm smile adorned Margaery's face at his response before she happily leaned her head on her lover's shoulder.
Her betrothed was right. Just because Olenna no longer wanted anything to do with her didn't mean that she was no longer without a family.
She still had her mother and her father, as well as her three oftentimes annoying brother's. And now she even had Viserys as well as a future sister and nephew-in-law.
Her warm thoughts were brought to a close when Viserys suddenly but gently laid her on her back before he climbed on top of her.
"You're in luck, love. I happen to know a quick way that we can make our own family." Viserys grinned down at her suggestively.
Margaery gave her lover an arched brow. "Really, Viserys? In the middle of a vineyard?" She said in an amused tone.
Viserys simply smiled. "The soil isn't the only fertile thing I see. And it just so happens that I have a seed to plant." He quipped, drawing an amused eye roll from Margaery before he leaned down to claim her lips.
As the two lovers progressively started to get more and more lively, Margaery silently thanked whatever god was responsible for allowing her to meet her silver prince.
…she also hoped that no one could hear her cries of pleasure.
oOo
Meanwhile in a small town within the Stormlands, with Catelyn Stark…
"Did ya hear? Someone put out a hefty bounty on the Lady of House Stark."
"There's not a bounty on Lady Stark, you idiot! The bounty was put on the knight that killed Renly and kidnapped Lady Stark."
"Why would the knight who killed Renly kidnap a lady from the Stark family?"
"Who cares. All I know is that the knight's head is worth three-hundred gold and there's an extra five hundred gold for the rescue of Lady Stark."
"Eight hundred gold! I could live off of ale and whores with that kind of money."
"Don't you already do that?"
Catelyn Stark grimaced as the group of men she had been spying on began roaring with laughter.
It had been a few weeks since her escape from the battle of Storm's End but things were becoming increasingly more complicated by the minute.
After Brienne defeated the three sellswords with some help from her, Catelyn barely managed to lift the unconscious knight onto a horse before riding away from the ongoing battle as fast as she could.
Thankfully everyone was too preoccupied with fighting for their lives to take notice of the Lady of House Stark riding off with a member of Renly's Rainbow Guard.
Catelyn let out a soft scoff. If only Renly was as good at giving commands as he was at giving titles, perhaps then she wouldn't be in her current predicament which was hiding from the Targaryens in some backwater town.
"Did I tell you lot what happened today? A group of soldiers came to town asking questions."
The men from before sparked a conversation that immediately gained Catelyn's ear.
"Where did they come from?"
"To hell with where they came from! Why are they here?"
"They came bearing the three-headed dragon of House Targaryen. Said they're looking for the lady of House Stark."
"Why would the Targaryens care about finding the Stark lady? Don't they know about her oldest boy who claims to be the King of the North?"
"How should I know what the hell those crazy bastards are thinking? They probably just want to kill her personally."
"True, those Targaryens are a vicious lot. So what did you tell them?"
"I just told them that if they're looking for someone the best place to start is at the inn. Then they tossed me a dragon and sent me on my way."
"They gave you a dragon just for that!? Shit, maybe I should tell them to check the whore house too!"
Once again, the men began bellowing with laughter but Catelyn was no longer paying attention. In fact, she had immediately begun to storm out of the tavern the moment she had heard that a group of Targaryen soldiers had arrived in town.
Catelyn made sure to keep her hood from falling as she hurriedly made off into the direction of the inn that herself and Breinne were hiding at.
Even after receiving help from a local maester, the blue knight had been forced to rest in bed due to the grave nature of her wounds.
If those soldier's happened to find out who the burly woman was then Brienne would have no way of defending herself.
When Catelyn finally reached the inn she let out a breath of relief. There weren't any soldiers waiting outside of the inn and there weren't any horses in the stable next door either. It seemed the Targaryen soldiers had yet to make an appearance.
She entered the rundown building and quickly made her way up the rickety staircase that led to the guest rooms.
Once she reached her door, Catelyn glanced over her shoulder just in case she had been followed.
Fortunately, she was alone in the hallway. Though oddly enough, unlike how noisy her neighbors usually were inside of their rooms, an eerie silence reigned in the inn.
Shaking her head, Catelyn reigned in her paranoia and opened the door to her room before swiftly entering.
The room was dark to the point that she instinctively discarded her cloak before beginning to light the candle on the side of the door.
"I've some bad news, Brienne. The Targaryens men arrived in town today looking for us. We'll have to leave as soon as p-" Catelyn became completely petrified the moment she turned around.
Standing across the room right above the sleeping Brienne was a strange looking man with white-gold hair dressed in all black.
Fear gripped her heart when she noticed the hilt of a dagger on the man's waist belt.
Strangely enough, instead of acknowledging her presence the man simply continued to stare down at Brienne.
It may have been her eyes playing tricks on her but Cateltn could have sworn that she saw disappointment in the man's face.
After a moment of very tense silence, the man finally spoke with a smooth voice. "She passed away in her sleep before I even entered the room." He announced simply.
Catelyn's petrified state was finally lifted at that news. She quickly looked at the blue knight and to her horror noticed that Brienne's bandaged chest was no longer rising and falling. She was also beginning to look quite pale.
Tears pricked at the corner of Catelyn's eyes, but she refused to cry in front of her future murderer. Still, the fact that the brave woman had still died even after all of her efforts made the Lady of House Stark feel like she had failed her savior.
"It's a pity really. I had been hoping to kill another strong and healthy knight." The stranger said.
A cold fury formed in Catelyn. She had been right when she had first thought that the man had a look of disappointment. But it was only now that she was finding out the sickening reason for his expression.
"I never understood how those who pledge allegiance to the Targaryens could sleep at night knowing the kind of people they serve. But now I see that monsters attract other monsters." Catelyn says angrily.
At her words, the man finally looked up at her. "The relationship I have with the Targaryens is strictly business. And I must say, they pay very well. In fact, I sleep quite soundly knowing that every one of their enemies I kill will see me rewarded with riches beyond measure." He said as he stalked around the bed to stand in the middle of the room.
"Well, get on with it! I'll just kill myself if I have to stare at a miscreant like you any longer." Catelyn spat rebelliously.
The man simply chuckled at her insult. "You must be mistaken, Lady Stark. The only person I came to kill was her." He gestures toward the still Brienne.
Catelyn scowled at the fact that the man had just openly admitted to having come to kill her savior. "So what do you plan to do with me?" She couldn't help but ask.
At her words, the door suddenly burst open and men dressed in gold plated armor rushed inside. They immediately subdued her, making sure she couldn't run away.
The strange man slowly came to stand in front of her with the same cold smile on his face. Now that he was closer, she noticed that his blueish eyes were almost cat-like.
"You'll be taken back to Storm's End. Unharmed, of course. My employer would really like to meet you." The man smirked before gesturing for the men to take her away.
Catelyn didn't even have the spirit to curse at her kidnappers nor did she try to escape. She simply went silent with hopelessness because she knew that her fate was now in the hands of one of the houses she hated the most.
Her only wish before a black sack forcefully went over her head was to see her pups one last time.
oOo
Sometime later, at Highgarden, with Percy…
Over the course of a few days, all of the Reach's most important lords and ladies arrived at Highgarden for House Tyrell's annual banquet.
And now those same nobles were all currently gathered in the castle's great hall awaiting the arrival of the honored guests which happened to be Percy and his family.
Every man, woman and child in Westeros would soon know that the house of the dragon and the house of the rose had joined hands.
Nothing would be the same for his family after tonight. And because of this, Percy's nerves were practically going haywire as he nervously observed himself in a mirror.
Since tonight was a fairly important one, Percy had thought it necessary to dress up like most highborn did when they attended a ball. He had even asked Willas for advice on which clothes to wear.
Needless to say, the attire the Tyrell heir had helped pick out for Percy was extravagant or in his uncle's words, 'befitting of their noble lineage'.
But no matter how good he looked, Percy felt as if the weight of the sky was once again on his shoulders. He needed a way to ease his mind, so he glanced over to his sworn knight who had been silently standing off to the side of the room.
"Jon, tell me about my father, Rhaegar. You knew him, right?" Percy says.
A look of surprise briefly came over Jon's face before his brow set in a solemn frown as he replied. "Yes, my king. I considered Rhaegar one of my truest friends, my brother-in-arms." He said sadly before continuing.
"Your father was known for being a great prince and he was an even greater man. Fighting, reading, singing. There wasn't anything that Rhaegar wasn't good at. He simply drew the attention of everyone around him, no matter where he was." A sigh escaped the old knight as he slowly took a spot by Percy's side.
"But what most people don't know is that Rhaegar was quite shy." Jon let out a reminiscing chuckle, "I remember one time when we were at a welcoming feast and he was too afraid to ask your mother, Elia, for a dance."
Percy snorted at that. "Since I'm here I'm guessing he ended up asking for that dance." He said, amused.
"Oh, but he didn't. Rhaegar just whined and moaned about how pathetic he was until the feast was over." Jon revealed much to Percy's surprise.
"Afterwards though, on the way back to his chambers, your mother approached him and asked for a dance right there in the middle of the gardens." Jon tells him, surprising him even further.
"Hold on, my mother asked my father for a dance?" Percy asked in disbelief, gaining an affirmative nod from the old knight.
"That was the happiest I had ever seen Rhaegar. They danced for a long while until your father finally decided to confess his love and accompany your mother to her chambers." Jon says before adding with a thoughtful hum, "I'm quite sure your sister, Rhaenys, was conceived that night. Rhaegar was a lot more confident afterwards as well."
"I did not need to know about that last part." Percy mumbled as he straightened his collar, "So what you're saying is, I need to have sex with some lord's daughter."
Jon chuckled at that. "What I mean to say is that you don't need to be nervous, my king. The blood of kings runs through your veins. You are destined to be great. All you need to do is simply let destiny take its course." He told him.
Percy stared at himself for a moment before he exhaled a deep breath.
All this time he had been so worried about saving his family from the same fates his parents had met when he had forgotten who he was in the first place.
Though he may look a little different and do things a bit more differently now, he was still Percy Jackson, the Hero of Olympus and the bane of all things anti-Percy.
He had fought his way through the armies of immortals and the horrors of Tartarus without fear. Compared to that, the Tyrell's ball was nothing more than a tea party.
"Thank you, Jon. I needed that." Percy truthfully thanked the knight, he was feeling much more confident now.
Jon simply shook his head. "No need to thank me, your grace. I couldn't be with Rhaegar in his last moments. But I promised myself long ago that I will always be there for his children." He smiled.
Rapid knocking suddenly came from the door and just like that the heartfelt moment the old knight and his young liege were having was promptly interrupted.
A moment later, a very hectic looking Daenerys burst into the room. "Viserys said something about there being a dance later tonight?!" She said to Percy.
Percy sighed tiredly. It seemed his new life wouldn't allow him even a moment of tranquility. Though that wasn't necessarily a new thing.
"You can leave, Jon. We'll be out in a moment." Percy told his knight.
"My king. Princess." Jon bowed to each of them before exiting the room, closing the door behind him.
Daenerys walked up to him. "Please tell me he's only joking!" She exclaimed.
Percy shrugged. "He's probably right. It's a ball so I'm sure there will be some sort of dancing." He tells her.
"But I can't dance, Perseus. I'll look like a fool if I try. I won't do it!" Daenerys harrumphed childishly.
Percy couldn't help but chuckle at the cute pout on his aunt's face.
"What are you laughing at? You can't dance either, flame brain." Daenerys shot.
"Actually, I can dance." Percy smartly corrected her.
After his first flop of a dance with Annabeth at Nico's prom, Percy had been determined (and embarrassed) enough to learn how to dance from a few Apollo kids.
Daenerys narrowed her eyes at him. "What a load of dragon shit." She said, disbelievingly.
Percy rolled his eyes. "Believe it or not. You'll see later tonight." He said before taking a better look at his aunt's attire.
Her outfit consisted of a long-sleeve black lace dress that looked like a nightmare to sew by hand. There were see-through portions of the dress that showed off her back and arms.
Parts of the dress were embroidered with intricate silver dragon designs and studded with blood red ruby gems.
Daenerys's hair had also been beautifully made into two half braids that wrapped around her head, greatly complimenting her long, lush silver curls.
"Wow…you, uh, look good." Percy stammered out in awe at the sheer beauty his aunt was radiating.
He had no doubt that she would be drawing much attention at the ball.
A red hue seemed to cover Daenerys's face as she fidgeted with her dress sleeves embarrassingly. "I don't look that good." She mumbled, making Percy simply raise an eyebrow at her.
"…ok, maybe I do look a little good." Daenerys relented with an ecstatic smile, "But it's all thanks to Margaery! She visited every tailor in Highgarden with me in order to make the best dress."
Mention of his soon to be aunt-in-law made Percy frown. "Looks like you're already getting acquainted with her." He notes.
"She'll be a part of our family soon so why shouldn't I?" Daenerys shrugged.
"She may be marrying Viserys but that doesn't make her a Targaryen." Percy reminded her, gaining a frown.
"Well, obviously. What's wrong with you all of a sudden?" Daenerys stared at him with an odd look.
Percy shook his head. "Let's just go. Everyone's waiting for us." He said before guiding his confused aunt out of the room.
Standing outside was Viserys who, just like him, was dressed quite extravagantly and Jon who looked like he wanted to jump off a tower due to listening to his uncle seemingly boast about how good he looked.
"Where's Missandei?" Percy asked Daenerys.
"She said she wasn't feeling very well." Daenerys said before discreetly whispering in his ear, "I think she's sad about Viserys getting betrothed."
Percy could do nothing but blink at that news. He had noticed the looks the former slave girl had been giving his uncle but he had only thought of it as a little girl simply having a crush.
"Finally, nephew! It's about time you've gotten ready. What took you so long?" Viserys says, exasperated.
"I had to powder my nose." Percy joked as he began making his way toward the great hall.
"I thought you looked different." Viserys joked back with a grin as he and Daenerys joined him on either of his sides while Jon guarded their backs.
They walked in a calm silence until they eventually reached the entrance to the great hall.
"Ah, your grace! Milord was just wondering where you were." The Tyrell's high steward, Garth Tyrell, quickly approached them with a beaming smile, "Please, follow me. I'll announce your arrival to the other guests."
As the steward ordered two guards to open the giant, ivory doors that lead to the great hall, Percy turned to his family.
"Well, I guess this is where our family finally makes it's resurrection." Viserys remarked.
"Resurrection, huh. That's a big word for you, brother. Have you been reading my books?" Daenerys smirked.
"No one's been reading your stupid books!" Viserys shot back, though he looked a tad bit guilty.
Percy shook his head with a smile at his family's antics before turning back to face the now opened doorway. Chatter and music flooded out from inside the great hall.
A hand suddenly sliding into his own made him look toward Daenerys who had latched onto his hand like she always did whenever she was nervous.
After giving her hand a comforting squeeze, Percy once again faced the doorway.
"Alright, let's go introduce ourselves, shall we?" Percy said before he began leading his family toward the future.
A/N: …First and foremost I'd just like to apologize to the people that visited this story every month with the hopes that there would be an update. There are no excuses for my very long hiatus, only the truth which is that life goes on.
On a lighter note, I hope to update this story again very soon. But as always, I won't make any promises. Until next time!