First chapter of 2021! This is a long one. Enjoy!
Author's Note: Blood and gore, and lewd suggestions ahead.
140 AC – 143 AC
The start of the decade held much promise for Queen Rhaenyra I Targaryen. Her royal progress to the Reach had been a mostly positive experience. The Reachmen were considerate and generous hosts, and the Targaryen's displayed their power and majesty at every place they stopped at. Visiting Oldtown was an obstacle that both Rhaenyra and her family was able to overcome despite a few "hiccups". But in the end, the visit was an overall success.
The visit to Oldtown ended with the creation of a betrothal between the queen's younger half-brother, Prince Aemond Targaryen, and the ward of her second born son, Lady Daenaera Velaryon. The wedding was scheduled to take place the following year at the Starry Sept. The betrothal was announced during the Blacks' last night at Oldtown.
Most of the Blacks and Greens applauded the news. Lucerys and Rhaena were not all pleased with the betrothal, and their displeasure was evident for all to see. Daenaera looked horrified, and she bowed her head so that no one could see her tears. Aemond possessed a countenance of simmering fury. He had tightened his grip on the stem of his goblet, stared off in the distance, and bore a fearsome scowl on his face.
Lydus looked uncomfortable being next to his furious father, while Alys had laid a calming hand on her lover's arm.
Alys was the only one who could calm Aemond down whenever he became wroth, and the Hightower's servants whispered that she used spells to bring Aemond's temper down since no one else could soothe him like Alys did. Prince Aemond's skin turned beet red, but he did not shout or foam at the mouth. Instead, he quaffed down his wine in a single gulp, got up out of his chair, and stormed out of the great hall with his mistress and son tailing after him. Alicent sighed deeply as her middle son stormed off. She dreaded her upcoming talk with Aemond about his betrothal, but at least there was the promise that this conversation would be delayed for a few days while the prince stewed in his rage in the comfortable confines of his bedchamber.
Rhaenyra on the other hand, did not have that luxury. She had an audience with her second born son and his wife later that night after their last feast with the Hightower's had ended. This meeting was as uncomfortable as expected.
"You are going to have Daenaera marry Uncle Aemond, mother?" said a disbelieving Luke. "Aemond of all people?"
"He has a bastard son that he fathered on a witch!" exclaimed a distressed Rhaena. "A son who is three years younger than Daenaera!"
Rhaenyra I was not the least bit phased by her son and cousin's negative reactions. "I am sorry that this has upset you both, but this match is an important step in mending the rift between the Blacks and Greens. It is for everyone's benefit."
"Benefit? How will Daenaera benefit from this, mother?" asked Luke in an angry tone that surprised the queen. "She is only thirteen. Aemond is thirty.
We all know what he is like. She will be miserable with him in more ways than one!"
If Queen Rhaenyra felt any remorse, she did not show any, although her eyes did become darker. She was quick to show anger though.
"Would you rather have your uncle marry Laena or Megaera, Luke? Rhaena? Pardon me for sounding insensitive, but promising Daenaera's hand in marriage to my half-brother was easy since she is not close kin to me. How can you two be so sure that you would not have agreed to the match if you two were in my shoes? Even Alicent herself said that she knew not to pick one of your girls to be Aemond's bride.
Would either of you have disagreed with her?"
Suddenly struck mute, the Master of Driftmark desperately searched for a rebuttal while his cousin-wife looked down at her hands in shame or anger.
"Well... I... we..." Lucerys waved his hands. "Who knows, mother. Who knows. I wasn't there with you."
"Of course." Rhaenyra said dryly. She took no pleasure calling out her own son and cousin. Nothing more was said, and the matter was closed.
Poor Daenaera was distraught for the rest of the night, and she was melancholy the following morning. Her fostering with the Lord and Lady of High Tide had resulted in her being brought up with stories on what a bastard Aemond One-Eye was, and now, she was engaged to him! Luke and Rhaena comforted their ward the best they could, but their mutual dread over the future nuptials remained steadfast in both their hearts and in their minds. Not even Alysanne, Laena, Megaera, or Corlys could lift their foster sister's spirits up after she heard the news. Rhaenyra and Alicent were satisfied with the engagement, and Lady Sam hoped that the marriage would bring Houses Hightower and Velaryon together just like the betrothals of her daughters to two of the queen's grandsons were intended to reconcile the Hightower with the Iron Throne.
The following morning, the Black Targaryen's departed from Oldtown. Instead of resuming the last half of the royal progress on the Ocean Road, Rhaenyra I and her retinue, who were travel weary and ready to return to King's Landing, were going to disembark from Oldtown's docks to sail/fly over to the Shield Islands before landing on the mainland to visit Old Oak and Goldengrove before returning to the Roseroad to go home. Lord Ormund and his kinsmen gave their royal guests a wonderful sendoff with gifts from the Hightower's vaults like gold, silver, and casks of wine and baskets of saffron from Yi Ti along with expressions of goodwill. Goodwill or not, Rhaenyra and her family were happy to put Oldtown behind them as they left the Whispering Sound. The Blacks reached the Shield Islands by dusk.
They spent the night under the roof of Southshield, the seat of House Serry, and then departed the next day for Greenshield, the seat of House Chester, to return to mainland Westeros. The Blacks stayed briefly at Old Oak before heading off for their last stop during the royal progress, Goldengrove. When the queen reached the seat of House Rowan, a letter from Lady Sam awaited her. The letter detailed Alicent's discussion with Aemond about his upcoming nuptials with Lady Daenaera Velaryon. Well, to be truthful, Alicent did not say a lot to her son.
Mother and son were barely on speaking terms after the betrothal announcement, and the prince refused Alicent's summons to meet with her. Desperate to mend the rift between her third born child, Alicent dispatched Daeron to talk to his older brother on her behalf to get him to see sense. Aemond even gave Daeron the silent treatment when the latter tried to discuss the marriage with him. However, Daeron, was no longer the meek and subservient little prince who did whatever his older brothers told him to do. He was a husband, a father, a man of good standing and authority.
Daeron had more spine now, and he firmly told Aemond that he needed to man up and accept the betrothal. Yes, the ulterior motive for marrying Aemond to Daenaera was to make him dismiss his paramour, but Daeron, very reluctantly, reassured his brother that he could keep Alys after Daenaera became his wife. This statement seemed to perk Aemond up a bit. He perked up even more after Daeron added that he had gotten their mother to, very begrudgingly, accept the fact that Aemond was never going to give up Alys before or after his wedding. Compromise was the only way to get mother and son back on speaking terms again, and it worked.
The Lady of the Hightower made no mention on how Alys and Alicent interreacted with each other now, but Rhaenyra was pretty sure that things had become even rockier between the two women. Her curiosity was short-lived, however, as she socialized with the Rowan's. The Lord of Goldengrove, Thaddeus, was regrettably bedridden during the whole time the queen was at Goldengrove due to health issues stemming from his obesity. Rhaenyra listened to Ser Robert Rowan with an empathetic ear on how his father's health was declining, for what he was describing was similar to what the queen's own father had gone through during his last years of life. The visit to Goldengrove was not entirely dreary, for Princess Alyssa was reunited with her friend from last year, Lady Florence Rowan.
The two girls rekindled their friendship during the queen's stay at Goldengrove. Alyssa and Florence were inseparable, and the latter soon became ingratiated with the princess's younger brother and favorite cousin, Megaera. So close had the girls become again that they both began to dread the queen's eventual departure. Desperate for her friend to stay with her, Alyssa begged her grandmother to allow Florence to accompany them all back to King's Landing.
"Grandma, can Florence come home with us, please? She can be my companion. We want to be together. Please...?"
Alyssa had asked so sweetly with a tone that was childishly cute, which was good bait for her grandmother's approval. She even had her hands clasped together as if she were praying. Unable to resist indulging her granddaughter, Rhaenyra I made the arrangements with the Rowan's, who were more than happy to agree to send the seven year old girl to the Red Keep to serve the princess. It was a bittersweet day when the Targaryen's departed from Goldengrove. Florence was hugged and kissed by her parents, especially by her mother, and younger siblings.
Although the Rowan's were wonderful hosts, Rhaenyra I and her family were glad to leave for home at long last after spending most of the year travelling the Reach. Greeting the Targaryen's at the Red Keep were Princes Aegon and Viserys and their wives, little Valaena, Princesses Helaena and Jaehaera, who now sported a six-month pregnant belly, and little Gaemon. Rhaenyra was so glad to see her two youngest sons again, and she embraced them dearly. She greeted her daughters-in-law, enquired Thea about how she was faring since the miscarriage, and happily took the nine month old Valaena from Myrine's arms to hold in her own.
It was so satisfying for Rhaenyra and her court to sleep in their own beds that night. It was also satisfying to have completed the progress and reestablished ties with the Reach. Over the next couple of days after returning home, House Targaryen returned to their daily routines. The first member of Alyssa's retinue, Lady Florence Rowan, began her orientation the day after her arrival. Alyssa showed Florence around the Red Keep, showing her shortcuts, the dragon skulls in the throne room as well as the Iron Throne, and who was who.
While everyone's lives quickly returned to normal, Thea's life seemed to have become bleak. Melancholy emanated from Thea, her lilac eyes were dark, and she suffered from depression. Seeing her brother-in-law and Myrine fawn over their child and seeing Jaehaera pregnant again hurt Thea more than she cared to admit, and she began to hate herself for being unable to keep a pregnancy. Her sadness deepened after she learned late in the ninth moon about her cousin Beatrice's death in childbirth after giving birth to twin sons, Lords Oscar and Oswyn Corbray. Beatrice was only seventeen years old when she lost her life in childbed, and Lord Corwyn Corbray, now a two-time widower at the age of forty, mournfully declared that he would never remarry again.
Thea wept bitterly when she learned about her beloved cousin's death. As if the gods had not turned their backs to Thea enough that year, both her half-brother and cousin Arthor welcomed new children during the closing months of 140 AC: Ser Clement Celtigar and Lady Floris Baratheon welcomed a son they named Raymund, and Ser Arthor Celtigar and Lady Alyssa Royce, who became pregnant near the end of the second moon, welcomed a daughter whom they named after the queen, Rhaenyra. Aegon comforted his wife as much as he could, but even his love for her could not rouse her from the darkness that had befallen her life. Fearful of another pregnancy, the couple stopped sleeping with each other. Thea was aware of what her overwhelming sorrow was doing to her husband, and she began considering the idea of joining the silent sisters so that Aegon the Younger could find a happier and more fertile wife who could give him a family.
In stark contrast, Viserys and Myrine were over the moon with their daughter. Valaena was a healthy baby who was growing bigger each day. She was also a fast learner too, with Valaena starting to crawl and hold up her head earlier than expected. While Valaena was reaching her infancy milestones at a rapid pace, Gaemon was slow to reach his. It took him awhile for him to learn how to crawl, and when Gaemon tried to crawl around, his mother and grandmother helped him to move across a floor; it was sad seeing that blind child learning how to navigate through a world that he would never see.
Gaemon "the Blind", as he was now being referred to as, to his credit, was quick to learn how to follow sound. If one person spoke to him, the prince was able move his head accurately in the direction of the speaker. Jaehaerys hardly had a passing interest in his son's growth, and he still would not hold Gaemon. He viewed his own son as being an embarrassment, and often wondered why the gods had cursed him with an invalid for a firstborn. And yet, Jaehaerys prayed to those very same gods to bless his second born with good health and strength.
He prayed even harder after Jaehaera went into labor on the third day of the twelfth moon, twenty-eight days before Gaemon the Blind's first birthday. Unlike her labor with Gaemon, Jaehaera's second round at childbirth was not as difficult or stressful, and both Thea and Myrine were with her this time along with her mother. Much to everyone at the Red Keep's great relief, Jaehaera did not scream as loudly like she did before either. In half the time it took for her to deliver Gaemon, Jaehaera brought forth her second child, another boy. His cry was stronger than his older brother's, and Maester Orwyle was happy to report that the newborn prince was healthy, strong, and not blind.
"Yes!" shouted Jaehaerys when he learned that his prayers had been answered. He held his second born son with great pride, and gladly presented him to Aegon the Elder and Helaena. The baby bore every Valyrian feature: silver-gold hair and purple eyes, and just like his father, the prince was a polydactyl: he had an extra pinkie finger on both his hands, and an extra pinkie toe both his feet. When asked what his new son's name was, Prince Jaehaerys surprised everyone by declaring that the boy was to be called Aegon in honor of his father.
Needless to say, Jaehaerys's choice of name for his son raised more than a few eyebrows at the Red Keep. Three generations of Targaryen prince's bearing the name Aegon were now living under the same roof: the queen's half-brother, her son, and now her half-grandnephew.
"What should he be called then?" asked Prince Joffrey Velaryon. "We already have an Elder and a Younger Aegon."
"Little Aegon?" offered Viserys.
"Aegon the Healthy?" suggested Ser Percival Wylde who meant well, but he soon received a round of shaking heads and muttered nos.
"Or he can just be called Aegon." said Ser Edmund Naeryon. "Like his grace has mentioned, there is a Prince Aegon the Elder and Prince Aegon the Younger. His royal highness's grandson can simply be called Aegon. People should be able to catch on to that I hope."
And so, Prince Aegon Targaryen, the second born son of twins Prince Jaehaerys and Princess Jaehaera Targaryen, got to keep his name. Aegon's crying disturbed Gaemon, who found the shrill sound to be too overwhelming for his ears, and he wailed in return, wailing being the only way he could communicate his discomfort to everyone. After both baby boys were calmed down, Gaemon was placed next to Aegon between their mother's legs on the bed. Curious about the bundled object laying next to him, Gaemon felt around his brother's swaddling clothes, feeling the fabric of the blanket and the skin of Aegon's head.
Gaemon smiled with delight when he felt Aegon's soft skin and fuzzy hair. Jaehaerys frowned when he noticed how Gaemon was pressing his fingers on the baby's brow line.
"No, Gaemon. Stop doing that."
Jaehaerys stepped in to pull his firstborn's tiny hands away from the newborn Aegon, but Helaena stopped him.
"He is not causing any harm, Jaehaerys." admonished Helaena. "Aegon is not crying. He does not mind."
Jaehaerys thought otherwise, but he did not want to challenge his mother, and so he relented. Jaehaera, meanwhile, observed the scene with a crestfallen look. She knew that was going to be a great disparity on how her sons were going to be treated by their father. Gaemon was the ugly duckling whom Jaehaerys would ignore and belittle, while Aegon was the prized son who would be pampered and adored. As their mother ruminated over this cruel reality, the two innocent brothers laid on the bed getting used to each other.
Regardless, the birth of Prince Aegon Targaryen heralded a happy end to 140 AC. The following year of 141 AC would see some changes. The first change would occur in the Queensguard. One morning during the first moon, while overseeing the training of his sworn brothers in the Red Keep's yard, Lord Commander Steffon Darklyn began to feel pains in his chest. Minor aches at first, the pains grew in intensity seemingly with each heartbeat. Just as the pain became sharper, Steffon soon found himself short of breath.
Ser Robert Darklyn noticed his cousin's behavior and quickly became concerned. Hearing Robert asking their lord commander if he was alright caused the other men in the yard to turn their attention towards the suffering Steffon. It was only a matter of time before Steffon collapsed while clutching his chest. Steffon died before Grand Maester Gerardys could attend to him. A necropsy later revealed that Lord Commander Darklyn had died from a heart attack.
Steffon was sixty-five years old. He was the last surviving conspirator in the Black Conspiracy, and the queen made sure to honor Ser Steffon Darklyn during his funeral. Myrine, Josephine, and Robert paid their last respects to their kinsman before his body was taken back to Duskendale for burial. Following Steffon's untimely death, Queen Rhaenyra now had to find both a new Lord Commander and a new member of her Queensguard. For the new head of the esteemed order, Rhaenyra I selected Ser Clothair Blackwood to succeed his predecessor at the age of thirty-three.
To fill the vacancy left behind by the newly appointed Lord Commander Clothair Blackwood, Rhaenyra, on the suggestion of her Master of Ships, selected his nephew, Ser Dorian Celtigar. Dorian grinned from ear to ear when he learned from his father at Claw Isle that he had been chosen to join her majesty's Queensguard, the highest honor that any knight in the realm could ever achieve. As his uncle, aunt, and cousin watched with proud smiles on their faces, twenty-three year old Dorian swore vows before Rhaenyra I while Clothair draped the white cape over his shoulders. Dorian's cousin-in-law, Aegon the Younger, was a little leery that the man who saw him as a rival for Thea's affections was now living at the royal court, but he put his feelings aside since Dorian's presence made his wife happy. Ser Celtigar's latent jealousy was not as bad as it was before Aegon and Thea got married, but the prince swore he could feel Dorian's icy glare upon him whenever he was with Thea in the same room as Dorian.
Another loss would afflict the Targaryen's household just a month after Steffon's death. Maester Orwyle came down with an illness that his old body could not fight off, and he passed away in his sleep. The Green captives mourned the death of their maester. First serving at the Red Keep as the last Grand Maester for the Young King during the later years of his reign, Orwyle spent the rest of his career as the physician, advisor, and confidant of the Green hostages for twelve years, and he was viewed as being a member of the family along with Ser Naeryon. After Orwyle was buried, the Citadel sent Maester Urban, the twin brother of Maester Ulrich, to serve the queen's half-siblings and their family at the Red Keep.
Meanwhile, across the continent, two double weddings were held at the Starry Sept. The first wedding was between the Beesbury-Tarly couples: Lord Alan Tarly and Lady Allison Beesbury, and Ser Philip Beesbury and Lady Sansara Tarly, that the Prince of Dragonstone had betrothed the year before. The second wedding was between Prince Aemond Targaryen and Lady Daenaera Velaryon, and Lord Garmund Hightower and Lady Myrielle Peake. Jacaerys, Baela, and their children attended the first wedding, Lucerys, Rhaena and their children attended the second. Lady Sam attended both.
While the Beesbury-Tarly wedding was a joyful affair through and through for everyone, the second wedding was an unhappy event for the Velaryon's. Luke and Rhaena did not smile during the ceremony, not even Daenaera, nor Aemond. The couple did not want Daenaera to leave them, and they feared for her since she had flowered earlier in the year, meaning that if Aemond wanted to, he could consummate the marriage. Alys had an unreadable expression on her face as she watched the wedding while Lydus seemed angry. Garmund and Myrielle looked happy enough to make up for the one-eyed prince and his Velaryon bride.
Lucerys took up his position of overseeing Daenaera's disrobement by the male guests when the bedding ritual commenced later that night. Luke caught Aemond's eye during the ceremony, and his half-uncle leered at him in a taunting manner and said, "Don't worry, little Luke, I will be gentle with her." It took everything within the simmering Lord of High Tide to keep himself from running Aemond through when he heard those words. Poor Daenaera overheard what her husband had said, and she began to cry. Rhaena saw her cousin's tears and she began to cry too.
The family's hearts sank as Daenaera and Aemond were carried up to their marital bed. The Velaryon's met up with the newlywed Daenaera the day after her wedding.
"He did not hurt you, did he?" asked a concerned Lucerys.
A gloomy Daenaera shook her head.
"No, he turned away from me after everyone had left."
This answer greatly relieved both Luke and Rhaena, but their dread over their ward being married to Aemond still lingered. It was even harder to leave Daenaera behind in Oldtown as the wedding guests departed. Daenaera wrote to High Tide every day, but after reading her letters, the Velaryon's felt that Daenaera was not writing everything that was going on during her marriage. Their suspicions were supplemented by Rhaenyra's letters from Lady Sam, who detailed (lightly) that Aemond was cold towards Daenaera as well as controlling, and Alicent was wondering why the marriage had not been consummated yet. Luke and Rhaena wished they could fly over to Oldtown on the backs of Arrax and Morning to bring Daenaera back to High Tide and to roast her husband alive with dragonfire.
Another dragon joined the Blacks' arsenal that same year. Prince Aelyx Targaryen possessed an egg whose shell was scaled like a snake's that was black all over with white lining the scales. That egg hatched later that year. The hatchling had black body scales, claws, and horns, white belly scales and wing membranes, and red eyes. Much to everyone's surprise, Aelyx's hatchling had a cluster of thin scaly spikes at the tip of his tail, forming a natural mace of sorts, which resulted in the hatchling being christened as "Macetail."
Weddings, deaths, and a hatching aside, 141 AC was a largely uneventful year. Although, much to everyone's surprise midway through the year, Jaehaera had become pregnant again for the third time! The princess was impregnated five months after the birth of Prince Aegon Targaryen, and Maester Urban became concerned for Jaehaera's health. She had become incontinent after her second pregnancy, gained weight, and suffered from back pain. Urban told the twins that their third child should be their last, for a fourth pregnancy could heap more consequences on Jaehaera's body on top of the ones caused by her third one, and she could possibly die.
Aegon the Elder and Helaena were concerned for their daughter, and they pleaded with their son to heed the maester's warnings. Thankfully, Jaehaerys agreed to stop at three children with his twin-wife, which greatly relieved Jaehaera since she had quickly grown to hate being pregnant. Despite her feelings, the princess was seen to be rubbing her growing belly affectionately and whispering to her unborn child as 141 AC wore on. During the first week of the third moon of 142 AC, Jaehaera gave birth to her third child. Thankfully, her labor was not too difficult, and the princess brought forth a healthy and beautiful daughter.
Just like her older brothers, the baby girl was born with every Valyrian feature. But unlike her brothers, however, she was almost perfect, her only "defect" being an extra toe on her left foot. The twins were greatly delighted over their daughter's birth, as were their parents and younger brother Maelor since the girl was their first granddaughter and niece.
"She looks like you, sweetling!" complemented Helaena as she fawned over her newborn granddaughter. "She reminds of you when you were a baby."
Prince Aegon the Elder, a man who was not known for his sentimentality, had glistening eyes when he first held his granddaughter. It was similar to when his namesake, King Aegon I Targaryen, held his firstborn grandchild, the future ill-fated Queen Rhaena Targaryen, after she was born a hundred and nineteen years earlier in 23 AC. Jaehaerys and Jaehaera's newborn daughter was later christened as Princess Aeva Targaryen. Sadly, whatever joy was shared between the twins after Aeva's birth was short-lived, as Jaehaerys once again became cold towards his wife. The prince had become disgusted by the weight that Jaehaera had gained from her three pregnancies, her incontinence and the odor it gave off, which Jaehaera did her best to conceal with perfume, and strangest of all, Jaehaerys did not like how his twin sister-wife doted on Gaemon.
Jaehaerys felt that Jaehaera's attention should be given to Aegon and Aeva since they were healthier and stronger, and that Gaemon should be handed off to wet nurses and septas so that he could be "their problem" instead of his or hers. The rift between husband and wife soon became palpable in the Red Keep. Like father, like son, Jaehaerys soon developed a wandering eye, and he quickly set his sights on Jaehaera's seventeen year old lady-in-waiting, Lady Falena Stokeworth. Falena was a pretty and high-spirited young woman with a slender build, wavy light brown hair, and bright brown eyes who possessed a charming personality. She was the exact opposite of Jaehaera in every way.
Jaehaerys set out to woo Falena before his daughter was even two weeks old! He decided to make his move during a hunting excursion in the Kingswood. If the prince shot a deer or a wild boar, he would share the best parts of his quarry with everyone, reserving the choicest parts for Falena like the tenderloin or heart. If Jaehaerys saw any pretty wildflowers, he would sneak them to Falena when no one was looking. The prince did his best to subtly flirt with Falena when in company, but when he was sure no one was around, he made his flirtations more obvious to Lady Stokeworth.
Much to the lusting nineteen year old prince's delight, Falena reciprocated his advances. Before the month was out, Jaehaerys invited Falena to meet him in secret in the Red Keep's godswood. Falena arrived to see Jaehaerys waiting for her with a long-stemmed red rose in his hand.
"What is this, my lord?" asked Falena.
Smirking, Jaehaerys walked up to the woman and handed her the rose.
"An invitation, my lady."
Falena raised her eyebrows. Without waiting to hear Falena's question, Jaehaerys immediately provided his explanation.
"I have become bewitched by you, Falena. Jaehaera no longer satisfies me. She has become fat, and is unable to hold her waters anymore. She disgusts me to be honest with you. I do love Jaehaera, I really do, but only as a sister.
I wish to love more again, and I want you to be that woman with whom I can do that with, Falena. I am inviting you to become my mistress."
Lady Stokeworth blushed and she looked away. She felt some apprehension, but the pros outweighed the cons. Being Jaehaera's lady-in-waiting did have its benefits, but Falena had steadily grown disillusioned and bored with her position in the royal court. She disliked being around Prince Gaemon Targaryen since she found both his blindness and excess drooling to be disgusting, and her pity for him overwhelmed any other feelings she could have had for the boy. Worst of all, Falena had to deal with Jaehaera's incontinence. Being the princess's bed-maid as well as her lady-in-waiting, Falena also slept with Jaehaera at night to keep her company, and whenever the covers were lifted or dropped when Jaehaera was there, Falena got an unpleasant whiff of urine.
Becoming Jaehaerys's mistress could take her away from those unpleasantries. She could have her own bed and apartments. She could have her own household that would attend to her every need. Jaehaerys could gift her with luxury items like silk, jewels, and perfumes. Any child that would be born from their affair, particularly a son, had the chance of getting legitimized if Jaehaerys were to lose one or both of his trueborn sons.
The only cost that Falena would incur from this "trade-up" would be her betraying Princess Jaehaera. But was betrayal to comfort and riches? The reward was far greater than the consequence. Lady Stokeworth knew what she wanted, and she made her decision. She agreed to become Prince Jaehaerys's mistress.
Using the excuse of feeling ill to avoid joining Jaehaera in bed that night, Falena quietly snuck into Jaehaerys's bedchamber to officially begin their affair. As discrete as the two tried to be about going behind Jaehaera's back during their first few weeks together, their friends and relatives soon became suspicious of them as servant began gossiping about seeing Jaehaerys and Falena sneaking off together or in compromising positions. The gossip soon reached the ears of Princess Helaena Targaryen, and saying that she was displeased to hear about it would be an understatement. She remembered how her brother-husband was unfaithful to her when their father was alive, and she felt immense disappointment that her oldest son was becoming like just like him. Seeking answers, Helaena confronted Jaehaerys three weeks after he made Falena his mistress.
"Jaehaerys, be honest with me." said Helaena. "Are the rumors about you and Lady Stokeworth true?"
Jaehaerys flinched and he looked down at his feet as if he were a nine year old boy in trouble rather than a nineteen year old man. His body language spoke volumes, but Helaena wanted to hear a verbal answer rather than see a visual one.
"Jaehaerys, answer me." she said, her tone indicating no trace of anger or disappointment. Sighing, the prince nodded softly and answered.
"Yes, mother. The rumors about me and Falena are true."
"How could you, Jaehaerys?" said Helaena with growing emotion. "How could you do this to your sister? To your children?"
"It just happened..." muttered Jaehaerys as he tried to defend himself.
"Just happened? Ha!" laughed Helaena. "Did Falena just jump in naked into your bed one night? Do you take me for a fool, Jaehaerys?"
"N-n-no, mother, of course not!"
"Then why would you say that? At least your father had the decency to not lie about his infidelities when he was committing them. How long were you going to keep this a secret? Did you think that no one would find out about you and Falena?"
"I was planning on telling everyone later..."
Helaena sniggered at her son's remark.
"Of course, you were."
Helaena then straightened her posture and put her shoulders back with her hands on her hips.
"Jaehaerys. I am not going to ask why you have taken Falena into your bed. What I will ask you is for you to dismiss Falena and to forget about her. You are married with three young children all under the age of two and a half. Do not be like your father.
I raised you to be better than that, son..."
The prince stared at his mother blankly, and Helaena scoured his face in search of any sign that he was taking in what she was saying. But to her great disbelief, her son, her firstborn, mimicked her stance and stated the following.
"I am nine and ten, mother. Well past the age of majority; a man grown. You are my mother and I love and respect you, but I will not dismiss Falena. She will remain as my mistress for as long as I see fit. I will, however, move her from the Red Keep to somewhere outside of its walls.
I am sorry to disappoint you, mother, but that is my decision."
Helaena was at a loss for words over what her son had said. She was hurt, disappointed, and angry. But just like what Jaehaerys had said, he was a man grown, and he was in charge of his own decisions. Helaena felt powerless, and she felt terribly for Jaehaera. She was by her daughter's side later that evening when Jaehaerys revealed his affair and that Falena was now his paramour.
Poor Jaehaera sobbed as she took in the double betrayal of her twin brother-husband and companion. An empathetic Helaena comforted her only daughter as Thea and Myrine did their best to console her. The day after the revelation of Jaehaerys's affair took place, the prince moved his mistress to an opulent manse on the waterfront that had a lovely view of Blackwater Bay. Aegon the Elder had no words for his son in regards to his adultery, but the man felt equal amounts of disappointment in his Jaehaerys, and guilt that his son had inherited his womanizing. Taking a mistress did not diminish the prince's place in Queen Rhaenyra's court, but it did diminish the respect his kinsmen had once had for him, especially Maelor, who once looked up to his older brother, and now viewed him as an insensitive and selfish man who broke their sister's heart.
Rhaenyra once took Jaehaera aside and offered to provide her with another companion since she now only had Thea and Myrine, but the princess staunchly refused.
"Why should I have another companion, Aunt Rhaenyra? So that my brother can have his pick on who his next whore will be? Thea and Myrine are enough for me. They were my first companions, and they shall be my only companions from this day forth."
Lacking a bed-maid to give her company at night, Jaehaera took to having Gaemon sleep with her. Little Gaemon always slept with his ear on his mother's chest so that he could hear her heartbeat, the sound being more soothing than any lullaby that his mother could sing to him. The prince was unbothered by his mother's odor, though Jaehaera had a feeling that her son could not register much, for Gaemon was showing early signs that he was simpleminded. Having her son be labeled as such hurt Jaehaera, but it also strengthened her bond with him since people often viewed her as being simpleminded too due to her quietness and general apathy for the world around her at times. Rubbing her son's head as he slept at night, with his unseeing eyes closed, all Jaehaera could see was a normal little boy who, in her eyes, was perfect in every way.
As if Jaehaerys's philandering was not enough drama for the Targaryen's, more drama came their way from the Dragonpit. It took place one sweltering day midway through 142 AC. That day, Pate, a new attendant at the Dragonpit from Cobbler's Square was taken aside by two of his fellow attendants: a middle-aged man named Ben whose penchant for chewing sourleaf led to everyone calling him "Red Mouth", or simply "Red", due to his teeth having been stained red from his habit, and Watt, a man who was in his mid to late twenties who was known by the embarrassing nickname of "Kisses" since he was an avid patron of the "House of Kisses", a brothel on the Street of Silk.
"Pate, my lad." said Red Mouth with his trademark ruddy grin. "Kisses and I talked it over, and we believe it's time for you to prove yourself as one of us."
"Huh?" asked a confused Pate. "What do you mean?"
"It means you've got to pat one 'o' these dragons right on their heads." answered a grinning Kisses.
Pate's eyes widened. He had never heard of that happening, then again, what did he know? Grinning like fools, Red Mouth and Kisses continued talking.
"Every new face here does it. It proves your mettle." said Red Mouth.
"A trial by fire if you like!" added Kisses, who soon came to regret his words as Pate became paler. Kisses began backpedaling. "But not thankfully no fire at all! These beasts are all pretty tame. Well, except that one over there."
Kisses pointed over his shoulder with his right thumb. Pate recognized the enclosure that Kisses' was pointing at as being the one inhabited Dyannerys.
"We both earned our place here by touching the head of Sunfyre the Golden as he slept. Just pick a dragon, we'll let you in, and all you got to do is touch their head once and run out. Easy as that, Pate, easy as that. Whaddya say?"
Pate was silent. He was unsure of what to think. He did not want to test fate by going into one of the dragon enclosures, but he also wanted to gain the respect of his new friends. The dare sounded easy enough, just go inside and touch the head of a sleeping dragon and run out like a demon was after him. Pate nodded, agreeing to participate in the dare.
"Pick your dragon, lad." said Red Mouth with a sweep of his arm.
Pate looked around. Syrax and Caraxes were both fast asleep, but they were so big, and were the mounts of King Daemon and Queen Rhaenyra, so definitely not one of them. Morghul was awake while Shrykos was sleeping; what if Morghul made a sound that would wake up his fellow dragon? Both Vermax and Moondancer had recently gone to sleep, so they might still be sensitive to touch. Friendly Tyraxes was watching as an attendant raked fresh straw around in his enclosure as another attendant prepared to dispose of the soiled straw.
Sunfyre was tearing into a cow carcass while Dreamfyre swallowed what was left of a horse. The younger dragons Palefyre, Galewing, Meteor, Aemma, and Redfang were eating freshly slaughtered sheep and goats in their enclosures too to sustain their growing bodies. The only dragon that was left was the not so tame Dyannerys. She was curled up in the back of her enclosure sleeping soundly. Pate was told during his very first day at the Dragonpit that Dyannerys was the orneriest of the dragons there, and he was told to steer clear of her whenever she was awake. However, he was also told that Dyannerys was a heavy sleeper too.
Red Mouth and Kisses had both earned merit by touching Sunfyre, what if Pate could one-up them by touching the feared Dyannerys? Smiling with exhilaration, Pate made his choice. Needless to say, his friends were absolutely gobsmacked by his choice.
"She's fast asleep. Look." said Pate as he gestured towards Dyannerys. The men turned to look at the dragon and then back at Pate. Red Mouth was the first to speak.
"Well," he began with gusto, "you will certainly earn your mettle by touching her head!"
The men then departed for Dyannerys's enclosure, and Kisses proudly patted Pate on the back. The Dragonkeepers, the guardians of the Dragonpit, usually guarded the entrance to the Dragonpit, or the vaults that housed the dragon eggs, and made an occasional round through the chamber where the enclosures were since the dragons could protect themselves on their own for the most part. None of the Dragonkeepers were in the chamber at that moment when the three caretakers ventured over to Dyannerys's enclosure. Red Mouth opened the gate while Pate snuck in with Kisses following after him to get a close look at Pate's "brave" feat. The two men carefully made their way to the sleeping Dyannerys, who was still snoring at that point.
Feeling the breeze that was the dragon's exhaled breath from her nostrils, Pate gulped out of fear, but nevertheless kept going while Kisses stopped to watch. When he was close enough, Pate reached out to touch Dyannerys's forehead. Slowly but surely, Pate gently placed the palm of his hand with his fingers outstretched onto the smooth surface of the dragon's crest. Nothing happened. Chuckling softly out of nervous excitement, Pate carefully began to rub Dyannerys's crest as if he were petting a dog while Kisses and Red Mouth looked on in amazement.
It was then that Dyannerys opened her eyes. Contrary to the claim that she was a heavy sleeper, Dyannerys was anything but. The noise of the gate to her enclosure had roused her somewhat, but it was Pate's touch that finally awoke her. Pate and Kisses froze where they stood. Red Mouth could make out the distinct amber color of the dragon's eyes, and he froze too.
Dyannerys's eyes widened as a growling noise built up in her throat. Without warning, Dyannerys opened her maw and spewed forth dragonfire the color of molten silver. Pate was engulfed in silver flames before he could even scream. Burned at such close proximity to Dyannerys caused Pate's body to blacken and char within seconds, his jaw locked in a muted scream as he slowly burned away into ash. Kisses, who had flattened himself against the wall in terror, screamed in Pate's stead, and he made his escape.
Dyannerys noticed Kisses' flight, and she lunged at him with blinding speed with her mouth wide open. Her jaws clamped down on Kisses' legs, snapping them off halfway up his thighs with one bite. Kisses fell flat on his stomach, and he began screaming hysterically as blood poured out from his legless thighs. Dyannerys ended the man's suffering with a single breath of dragonfire. Red Mouth stood there in front of the gate petrified at what he had just seen.
Dyannerys looked up from Kisses' smoldering remains until she was eye to eye with Red Mouth. Red panted with fear and clutched his chest as a heart attack came on. He fell over backwards with his hand still clutching his chest with a look of utter terror on his face. Red's death left the gate to Dyannerys's enclosure open. Drawn in by the screaming, the other attendants soon noticed the open enclosure, and saw Dyannerys making her way out as smoke and the smell of burning flesh wafted out.
"Shut the gate! Shut the gate!" shouted the terrified men.
The Dragonkeepers were summoned as three men crowded the mechanism to close the gate. They were able to shut it just in time, but this did nothing to stop Dyannerys. Roaring with frustration, Dyannerys exhaled dragonfire through the bars of the gate. The bars soon began to glow from the heat, and some of the attendants were sure that the metal was beginning to melt. The Dragonkeepers tried to push Dyannerys back with long spears, but their poking only served to enrage her further.
All the other dragons were alert now, and they were getting restless. The situation becoming desperate, the Dragonkeepers ordered for a messenger to be sent to the Red Keep to alert the Targaryen's about what was happening at the Dragonpit. After what felt like a lifetime had passed, the Targaryen's arrived at the Red Keep. King Daemon and his stepsons, sons, and daughters stood transfixed in disbelief at the scene that was unfolding before them.
Balling her hands into fists to staunch her fear, Visenya turned towards one of the Dragonkeepers.
"Fetch me my whip at once."
"Visenya!" said a startled Daemon. "What are you doing?!"
"Calming Dyannerys, father." Visenya said nonchalantly as if she were going to soothe a puppy rather than a dragon who had just killed two men and indirectly caused the death of a third.
"Well, you are not doing that alone." Daemon replied.
The attendant soon arrived with the princess's whip. Taking it into her hands, Visenya made her way towards her mount's enclosure with her father, brothers, and half-sister following her close behind. Dyannerys saw her rider approach, her growling subsiding into wary snarling. Visenya turned so that only her left side was facing Dyannerys, and she reached out with her left hand as she slowly approached the gate.
"Easy, Dyannerys, easy..." intoned the princess.
The dragon snarled and growled, but the volume the noise she was making began to die down. She backed away from the gate and pressed her snout against a cool section of the bars. Reaching through the bars, Visenya gently placed her hand on Dyannerys's snout. Miraculously, to everyone's great relief, the dragon began to settle down. When Daemon approached his youngest child, Dyannerys began growling again, earning her a smack from her mistress's whip.
Everyone was in awe on of the thirteen year old princess's power over her beast. Daemon had never been so proud of his daughter than he was at that moment. Jace, Baela, Joff, Aegon, and Viserys stared agape at how brave their little sister was. For a girl that they were sure had never held knife in her hand once in her life, she was able to exert power and authority over a beast that could have easily incinerated her. Hesitantly opening the gate at Visenya's command, everyone watched in awe as she gently herded Dyannerys to the back of her enclosure without paying any attention to the charred and mangled remains of Pate and Kisses, and settled her down further.
Once Dyannerys was completely calmed down, and after remains of her victims had been taken away, Visenyra remerged with all eyes on her. Queen Rhaenyra was just as impressed and proud of her daughter, but she was also rattled by Dyannerys's rampage. She insisted to Daemon that the dragon be put down and that a new dragon be found for their daughter, but both Daemon and Visenya rejected the idea. Rhaenyra reluctantly agreed to spare the dragon's life for her only daughter's sake. News of Dyannerys's rampage spread like wildfire throughout King's Landing, and people began referring to the fearsome dragon as Dyannerys "the Fury", or simply as "the Fury".
Much to everyone's relief, no more serious drama would befall House Targaryen for the rest of 142 AC. The only two things of note that occurred that year was the fostering of Prince Valerion Targaryen by House Tyrell, and a marital engagement between House Velaryon and Pentos. Shortly after Valerion celebrated his seventh nameday, his father had him sent away to be fostered at Highgarden. Seeing how his oldest half-nephew had successfully created an engagement between Lord Tyrell and his only daughter, Prince Daeron hoped to build ties of his own with the High Steward of the Reach. Bethany wept as she said good-bye to her oldest son, and Daeron let Valerion ride with him on the Blue Queen's back all the way to Highgarden.
Across the continent, the prince's older half-sister had a similar wish to build stronger ties with another powerful noble house. Instead of Westeros, Rhaenyra sought to build stronger ties with one of her Essoi allies from the Triarchy Civil War from ten years before in 132 AC. The queen created a betrothal between her nine year old granddaughter, Princess Megaera Velaryon, to twenty year old Lord Alessor Thoredando, the heir to one of Pentos's most powerful families, House Thoredando. Alessor was the fourth born and only living son of Magister Armmano and Lady Juno Thoredando. Sadly, however, all three of Alessor's older brothers had predeceased him.
His eldest brother, who was a Prince of Pentos, died from alcohol poisoning, his second older brother was killed while fighting in the Three Daughters' War, and his third older brother, who was the representative of the Pentoshi occupation in Lys who greeted Rhaenyra I alongside First Magister Fredo Rogare during her progress to the Three Daughters in 138 AC, was slain by a bravo when he traveled to Myr after the progress had ended. Alessor was much younger than his late older brothers, and his father was desperate for grandsons to be born so that the Thoredando name could be carried on into the next generation. Desperate as he was to get a grandson, Armmano was also keen on building ties with the Iron Throne, and he hoped to have his son marry Megaera as soon as she flowered in the coming years. The Pentoshi-Velaryon betrothal was celebrated at both the Red Keep and High Tide. Meg and Alyssa, meanwhile, were crestfallen by the news.
Living far enough from each other already, the two cousins dreaded the idea of having more distance put between them, which would become even greater after Alyssa married Lord Lyonel Tyrell. The two princesses promised that as they got older, and after Meg had claimed a dragon of her own, that they would visit each other on dragonback as often as they could. Alyssa could even bring Florence with her, and the three could see the sights of Pentos together, and the Flatlands and Velvet Hills that existed outside of the city. Any sadness that Alyssa and Megaera had about their future parting was quickly pushed aside when they learned that they were going to have a new cousin during the seventh moon. Two years after their daughter's birth, Prince Viserys and Lady Myrine announced that they were expecting their second child together.
Nine months later on the seventeenth day of the fourth moon the following year in 143 AC, Myrine, with Thea and Jaehaera by her side this time, gave birth to a strong and healthy baby boy. The prince was handsome like his father with silver-gold hair and purple eyes, and everyone was delighted with him as his proud father presented him to his family. Three year old Princess Valaena Targaryen hugged her baby brother after she was first introduced to him. Viserys named his son Aerys, his full name being Prince Aerys Targaryen. The prince's namesake was another Lord of Dragonstone from the Century of Blood, Lord Aerys Targaryen, the great-grandfather of Aegon I and his sister-queens.
Sadly, Aerys's birth would soon be followed by death. Her health having become poor in recent years, Lady Josephine Darklyn died shortly after the birth of her Targaryen great-grandson from natural causes at the age of sixty-three. Josephine's death was mourned by both her Darklyn and Massey kinsmen, and her body was later transported and buried at Stonedance beside the grave of her late husband, Lord Gormon Massey. While Josephine's death was expected due to her old age and declining health, the next two deaths would be sudden and unexpected, and would both occur three months after the Dowager Lady of Stonedance's death. During the seventh moon, a raven from Oldtown arrived at the Red Keep bearing a black wax seal.
Opening it, Rhaenyra I was shocked to learn that Lord Ormund Hightower had died. He had died from digestive tract issues at the age of fifty-three. Rhaenyra uttered a prayer for Lady Sam after she had read the letter, and she immediately began making plans to go visit her friend and to attend Ormund's funeral at Oldtown. Unbelievably, another raven carrying a letter with a black wax seal would arrive at the Red Keep the following day. The raven had flown in from the Vale, and the heraldry of House Corbray was stamped onto the seal.
Opening that letter revealed that Ser Corwyn Corbray, the Lord of Heart's Home, had been killed in a skirmish against members of a mountain clan called "the Sons of the Mist". He was forty-three years old. Corwyn's death resulted in the ascension of the oldest of his twin sons, Oscar, as Lord of Heart's Home at the tender age of three. A regency was soon established to rule in the young lord's name until he reached the age of majority thirteen years later in 156 AC. Oscar's regents were both his older half-sisters and their husbands: Lord Templeton and Ser Elmar Arryn of Gulltown.
Queen Rhaenyra was saddened by Corwyn's death, and she wrote a letter to his daughters expressing her condolences over their father's passing as well as apologizing that she would not be able to attend Corwyn's funeral since she was going to Oldtown to attend Ormund's. Traveling with Rhaenyra I to the Reach were Daemon, Lucerys, Rhaena, and their children. Traveling to the Vale in the queen's stead were Jacaerys, Baela and their children, and Aegon the Younger and Thea. The younger prince and Lady Celtigar were already sorrowful prior to Lord Corbray's death. About three and a half-months before the deaths of Ormund and Corwyn, Thea had suffered her fifth miscarriage.
Despite trying to abstain from sex to prevent another short-lived pregnancy, Aegon and Thea gave into their mutual desire for each other one night, resulting in Thea becoming impregnated for the fifth time. However, while losing another unborn child was painful enough, what made this tragedy sting even more was that Thea did not even tell her husband that she was pregnant again.
"I am so sorry, Aegon..." whimpered Thea from her bed. "I did not want you to get your hopes raised only for them to fall again..."
"You can always tell me that you are expecting, Thea..." Aegon said from his wife's bedside with sad disappointment. "Do not keep secrets from me. I would rather know than be kept in the dark..."
Thea began to weep. Her anguish tore at her very soul, and this raw, emotional pain cleaved open her heart and she began to lay bare her inner most turmoil.
"Let me join the silent sisters then, Aegon. What good am I to you? I cannot bring life into the world, only blood and death. Perhaps caring for the dead is what I was meant to do..."
Aegon's dark purple eyes widened in horrified disbelief as he listened to wife pour out her pain and self-loathing. How could such a sweet and lovely woman harbor such cruel and awful demons?
"And if you won't allow me to join the silent sisters, then take up a paramour like Prince Jaehaerys has done. She can give you the sons and daughters I cannot..."
Thea then broke down sobbing. Heartbroken for his wife, Aegon embraced her and tried to comfort her. When he calmed Thea down, Aegon reassured her that he still loved her regardless of whether or not they had any children together, and that he could not imagine his life without her, and that the idea of having a mistress was unthinkable to him. Thea was soothed by her husband's loving words, but her depression remained. In a twist of dark irony, Thea would find some respite from her pain during her late cousin-in-law's funeral at Heart's Home.
During her stay at Heart's Home, Thea got to meet Beatrice's now orphaned twin sons, Oscar and Oswyn. She was delighted with the little boys. They had brown hair and eyes, were strong for their age, and were very chatty. Oswyn was especially taken with Thea. Whenever she was nearby, Oswyn would fuss in his nursemaid's arms and hold his arms out to Thea for her to pick him up, and he loved to show her all of his toys, and he always wanted Thea to play with him.
Being in the company of Oswyn seemed to bring life back into Thea. She smiled more, her eyes lit up, and she appeared to be as happy as she had ever been. Thea's happiness was noticed by everyone, and it was of particular interest to Oswyn's oldest half-sister, the Lady of Ninestars. Suspecting that Oswyn was going to be neglected in favor of his twin brother during his regency, Lady Corbray consulted her co-regents about having Oswyn fostered by Thea and Aegon. At the Red Keep, Oswyn would be cared for by his late mother's cousin and her husband, his mother's uncle and aunt would be at the castle too, and he would be given access to the royal family and any advantage that that would entail.
The regents agreed, and they in turn approached the childless couple about taking Oswyn on as their ward. Aegon and Thea were more than happy to foster Oswyn, and the prince immediately wrote to his mother in Oldtown to gain her blessing, which she gave. Although not born from their union, Aegon and Thea gained a son through their young ward, and the orphaned Oswyn could not have gained a more loving pair of surrogate parents in the prince and Lady Celtigar. He was quiet at first during his first few days at the Red Keep, but Oswyn soon began to open up as he began to bond with his foster cousins, and he was soon accepted as the newest addition to the queen's brown haired and brown eyed grandchildren. Daemion and Aelyx were especially fond of Oswyn since he was like the younger brother they never had, and Oswyn was often seen with one or both of the two boys whenever they weren't in the training yard.
If Daemion and Aelyx were training, Oswyn could be found sitting on his foster mother's lap or being held in her arms. He found Alyssa to be intimidating, and although Baelor and Alysanne were warm to him, they were not entirely close to the young boy. Oswyn would play with Valaena since they were the same age, and he even held the princess's baby brother Aerys with help from Lady Darklyn. Oswyn did later get to meet Laena, Megaera, and Corlys Velaryon, but he was shy around them, and he would hide behind Thea's skirts whenever the Velaryon's were nearby; he was the same way when he first met the queen and her consort.
Oswyn spent most of his time with his foster parents. He was Thea's little shadow, going wherever she went. Thea would tuck him into bed at night, and would wake him up every morning for the day ahead. She took delight in watching how Oswyn ate his meals, how he played in the gardens, and took interest in almost everything while babbling nonstop. Aegon once took all three of them flying together on the back of Stormcloud, and there was nothing cuter than hearing Oswyn's excited squealing as the wind blew in his face, and as he held his arms up in the air.
Fostering Oswyn revived Thea's zest for life, and it lifted the pall of her depression from her heart. Bringing up little Lord Corbray also brought mended the ties between his foster parents, and they were as close as they had been before. They even began considering trying again for another child of their own. As Aegon the Younger and Thea took pleasure in fostering the late Lord of Heart's Home's orphaned son, the former's half-uncle had to send off another son to be fostered. Just like with his older brother the year before, Prince Aeryn Targaryen was sent away to be fostered shortly after turning seven years old in 143 AC.
The family that was to foster Aeryn for the next nine years was House Peake. Although Daeron was pleased that his sons were being fostered by powerful families, he always felt sad returning back to Oldtown without Valerion and Aeryn. At least both he and Bethany had Saera and twins Vaella and Valarr with them at the Hightower, and the couple was reassured with the knowledge that their two boys were in good hands. 143 AC saw growth, death, and change for the Blacks and their allies. Little did they know that that year would also see madness, and that madness would manifest itself in the unlikeliest of people...