The Tartered Dragon - Aegon, Son of Baelon

by mootjeman7

An man from our world is reborn in the world of ASOIAF and decides to make the best out of it through adventure yet it never is that easy, even for a third prince. OC-SI - Overlaps with HOTD.

42. Chapter 40

Dretnuh - The title will make sense at the end of Aegon's life. And yes, I am taking Odyssey to the Halo timeline. Which will happen sometime after I finish this story.

electronic rat - Aegon's reincarnation is undoubtedly supernatural and though he'd not been overly religious in his old life, he'd still been orthodox catholic. And you have seen how obsessive Aegon is with finding answers. Even now, with the reference of this Her, he wonders if this Her was responsible for his arrival in ASOIAF. It is not hard to believe that Aegon, in the absence of all other explanation, choses to ascribe his existence to God. And not the Gods of these worlds, who are offensive to Aegon because of their inherent disregard of human life.

maicomoraborja - Aye, he's been through a lot and Elamaerys - not just the building but the people too - will help him a lot with the damage he's suffered from his decisions. It will be great to write.

ymrgf - Well then, you're at the wrong story then chief. The politics of Kings Landing isn't the main concentration of this story.

Chris-GMP - Yes, there'll be a sequel of this story but won't be for...probably another three years at least, I'd say.

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Everyone Else, Thank you for your reviews and comments, I always read them even if I don't respond to them.

As always, please enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think.

Note: If you would like to read ahead, the next three chapters after this chapter are available on P. .^T.^R.^E.^O.^N./ Boombox117

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The Targaryen Islands – Late 115 AC

Mīsaragorn roared fiercely above their heads as their fleet of ships sailed towards Dragonsgate Port on Aegon's Isle which lay on the horizon, clearly enjoying the freedom of stretching his wings after moons being cooped up on the barge.

The barge, the original barge Liāzmariña had been housed in for the journey to Elamaerys, was barely able to fit Mīsaragorn, and had to be heavily modified, despite the barge already having been almost four times wider than a galleon.

Mīsaragorn had grown so much that he fitted uncomfortably snug in the bay within the barge, his body practically right against the inner walls of the chamber-bay, and so they had to modify the barge to remove the deck so as to allow more space for Mīsaragorn.

They removed the deck and created a makeshift deployable roof using sailcloth, tarps effectively, to protect against the rain.

It was fastened onto the eight pillars on the side of the barge that were counter-levered against a main pillar at the back of the ship so that if there were strong winds, strong enough to rip down the pillars, the sailcloth would be yanked off towards the back and not cause problems for Mīsaragorn to get out from.

There were a few of his men on the barge at all times as well, who would extend and pull up the sailcloth around Mīsaragorn at night, whilst during the day it was down, unless there was rain and a storm.

Needless to say…it was a miserable journey for Mīsaragorn and the few men who were tasked to remain on the barge.

Aegon wouldn't begrudge Mīsaragorn a few extra days to remain here on the Targaryen Islands to stretch out his limbs before the next leg on their journey home, Aegon thought with a trace of a smile on his bearded face before he looked towards the approaching island and raised his Far-Eye to peer at it.

Through the Far-Eye, he could see Dragonsgate Port, a location that he last saw only have a few buildings stored with rice, wheat and all kinds of supplies to last an entire galleon fleet's crew for journey either to Elamaerys or to the Summer Isles thrice over, and just a few plantations like bananas, coconuts and apple trees.

The years since Elamaerys had been discovered had slowly seen the island, a lush but tiny little island, into something where his people could pleasantly stop for a little while before taking the second leg of their journey in either direction.

Now though, he thought as he looked towards the half dozen docks that he could see stretch from beyond coastline and the small sprawl of buildings near the port, he wouldn't surprised if there was enough supplies to last people years on Aegon's Isle…and that wasn't included the fifty or so people, all of them experienced in shipbuilding or sailing, that were on that very island presently.

Since Aegon last past through these islands on his way back to Corinth, over three years ago now, the island has seen further transformation.

In the time since his arrival in Elamaerys and the arrival of the first journey to Astapor by the fleet of Galleons, a good number of the sailors had been set to task to build up the docks of Dragonsgate Port under the authority and oversight of Admiral Bryce Arenter and Banneth Stally, and it looked like they'd gotten quite far with it.

With how much forest was being culled over the past three years, there was a plethora of wood that were available and the galleons during the initial period transported a great deal of the redwoods to Aegon's Isle and built up the buildings that stood today and the docks that were edging out into the sea using the redwoods and concrete.

With nearly all of the labour in Elamaerys focused on building buildings, increasing farmland, farming, mining and quarrying, exploring, and producing much needed supplies of all variety – beyond that which was being supplied on the regular since the journeys began – for the colony, there was not much time, planning or labour available to create shipyards, docks and wharfs around the banks of the river, an effort that would take a number of years and thousands of labourers for the kinds of structures he and Stally had in mind.

That meant Dragonsgate Port's importance to the success of their colony spoke for itself. Maintenance of the galleons took place here on Aegon's Isle, such as ensuring there were no shipworms to repairing masts and the hulls, so on.

There were plans to create a shipyard here, and it looked like those plans probably will be expedited, happening sooner rather than later, now that trade was going to resume with a vengeance.

Dragonsgate Port was going to become a major depot, effectively a massive warehouse, if trade picked up as much as Baerros believed it would in the next decade, with the Port being the major hub that would see goods from the East delivered to Dragonsgate Port before being ferried over to Elamaerys proper.

Baerros wanted a continuous stream of galleons arriving to and departing from Velos but Aegon had to cool the man's enthusiasm. Aegon preferred safety-in- numbers approach, one where half of the galleon fleet would ferry goods to Dragonsgate Port whilst the other half ferried the goods to Elamaerys from the Port, ensuring that the fleets were large enough to make them incredibly difficult to capture rather than the trios and quartets of fleets that Baerros was proposing.

The time for that was not present yet.

A little while later…

Aegon walked down the gangway that was angled down to the dock and walking beside him was the captain of the Galleon, Harrin Locke and Ser Uthrik, with Ser Jon, Ser Raevor and the Unsullied Baqq and Rohzo walking behind him.

After he arrived on dock, the five men who were waiting on him bowed heavily towards him before one of them straightened himself up and addressed Aegon.

"Prince Aegon, it is an honour to see you again!" The dark-haired but violet eyed man that looked to be in his thirties said with a pleased expression on his face that had a red birthmark the size of a coin on the left side of his neck. "I don't know if you remember but I was a sailor during the Basilisk Isles war."

"I remember you." Aegon said with a light nod of the head. "Erryk, I believe is your name?" He was well informed about the men who were stationed here, including the man who was in charge of these docks.

The man looked surprised for a moment but he quickly recovered into a wide smile, inordinately pleased that Aegon remembered him.

"Yes! Erryk. Erryk Redburn." The man said happily. "My Prince honours me."

"You've come a long way since those days, good man." Aegon said as he walked forward and looked towards the rest of the men and he spoke further with a pleased note in his voice. "All of you have. I can see that you have kept this place well."

This was well received by the men from what he gleaned from their faces.

"We're only doing our duty." Erryk Redburn said humbly but it was not hard at all to see the man was lightly preening under the praise.

Erryk Redburn – a family name he'd chosen during the census according to Gael which wasn't even the oddest of names to have chosen – was recommended to become the Dockmaster and basically, really, pretty much the de-facto governor of the Targaryen Islands, even if no one understood the concept yet, by Admiral Bryce Arenter and Gael had gone with the man's recommendation after Aegon had given his leave for her to do so.

The man was a Dragonstone native and by all accounts had served his House loyally for more than a decade and generally had been no cause for concern in all that time. From building up Corinth, to building the port in Corinth, to serving on the merchant ships to sailing the ships to war in the Basilisk Isles.

Erryk had also taken up the opportunity to learn to be literate over the years, like most of the Dragonstone natives and the earliest of the freed slaves, and though Bryce considered the man for captaincy of one of the galleons, he suggested the man rather be given this post as Erryk according to Bryce, would take to the role rather easily than others. Plus with his experience building the Corinthian port…

It was a dreadfully boring assignment the majority of the time, at least presently, so it needed the kind of person who had a knack for leadership and wouldn't mind being stuck in the middle of nowhere for moons on end without much else to do.

Aegon smiled at the man at his words and he exchanged a few polite words with the other men, nearly all of them being men that Aegon freed in the early days, before he started to walk towards the little clutter of buildings at the end of the docks, a side glance sent to the way of the other ships which were now letting the passengers on-board off.

Erryk walked with him though only after he assigned the four men to see to the ships and assess what the ships need in terms of repairs, supplies and anything else.

As Dockmaster, the man's primary responsibility was ensuring the supplies were kept safe, secure and undamaged, making sure the inventory of the supplies is kept up to date at all times, and organising the repair and maintenance of the ships with the men and the crew of the ships.

Aegon inclined his head and gestured with his hand at the men that bowed at him as they walked past them, acknowledging them, noting that they seemed to be good in health. Tanned and with a fair bit of fat on them. Good.

"The last time I saw this place, there'd been only a few wooden buildings and a single dock." Aegon remarked as he walked through the…main street beside Erryk and Uthrik.

On both sides of the street, there were about eight different buildings made out of redwood and concrete. The four walls were made of out of concrete whilst the rest of it, excluding the roofs which had rooftiles, were made out of redwood.

Two of the buildings were massive and were the warehouses that kept dry the supplies – food, equipment, seeds, etcetera – that were stashed on the isle whilst five of the other buildings, smaller but nonetheless spacious enough to house a good half a hundred men each, were used as domiciles and as inns, effectively.

The last building was the Administrative Hall, where Erryk Redburn administered Aegon's Isle, though it was a far cry from what he wanted to build in the years to come.

With Aegon's Isle – he would have to rename the damn place… – becoming an even greater location in the years to come, he wanted to make sure that the place was well defended and well-staffed.

As it was presently, the fifty or so men present on his island were not here always. Half of them got cycled out back to Elamaerys whenever the ships were back from Astapor with their replacements arriving when the ships were heading to Astapor.

This allowed the men time with their families and their wives – having men married was important, and so was them having children – without having them away for too long, especially when they were on an largely idle place like here.

"Aye, yes, my Prince. Past couple o' years seen plenty o' attention here, 'specially since the war's been getting over." Erryk commented before he added "though we could do more. Old Bryce thinks we're due to build more in the next year or two, 'specially since the city is getting back up and running, like back on Corinth."

"Yes, there will be more journeys happening and more frequently." Aegon told the man and the man nodded his understanding.

"Trade's getting back up and running, my Prince?" Erryk asked before he continued rather hastily. "Know that we've been getting much supplies and that to Elamaerys but not so much trade as it is just buying, ain't it?"

Aegon eyed the man with a hint of amusement as he answered. "No, not quite the same, yes. Trade should get flowing again when the factories and mills are up and running."

"My wife tells me that it won't take too long to get all the wheels spinning again." Erryk tells Aegon. "She says that most already are, just they need to get back in the swing of things again."

"You've been back then?" Ser Uthrik asks and Aegon glanced at the man, seeing that the man seemed genuinely curious.

"No, Ser." Erryk answered which was accompanied with a shake of the head. "Not for nearly two years. Get lots o' letters from the wife and the daughters though. The men here or the captains bring me their letters." Erryk smiled proudly "My wife Tess doesn't write but my daughters, both o' them, do. They're only two and ten and eight namedays too and they write better than I do!"

"I'm pleased to hear that." Aegon said with a genuine smile on his face. He ensured that both genders learnt their letters and their numbers and that it was something that was followed through in every household and one that started in Corinth.

With so many former slaves who were raised to be scribes, housekeeping slaves or slaves meant to help with businesses and keeping the books, there was a plethora of slaves that were ideal for becoming teachers.

And recently, with so many former slaves coming from Slaver's Bay, that number of educated slaves had increased substantially, ensuring that there was enough teachers to go around to teach both the adults and the children.

Of course, the priority was on labourers, to build their cities, so the teaching had largely been directed towards the children but with how much progress they were making, they should be able to redirect more folk to teach others over the next few years.

"All thanks to you, my Prince. You done all o' us a load o' good. All o' us. The Gods' show us their favour by giving you to us." Erryk said before he paused and added seriously "and making sure that you stay with us." the look in the man's eyes made Aegon forcefully smile at the man.

"You're a good man, Erryk." Aegon said in simple answer as he tapped the man's shoulder before looking away from the man and back towards the ships.

"I'm sure the ships are starting to be looked at. Let's head back." Aegon said before he spared a glance at the Hall before he turned back towards the ships, all of the men in tow.

Over the next four days, whilst Aegon spoke or trained with the men from the ships and the men stationed here, the ships were assessed as the tides came out.

Most of the ships, particularly their copper plated hulls, were found to be without any great problem – minor scraping to be done – which was to be expected given that the journey to the islands had been more or less smooth sailing.

Plus, with the two-shift on-board maintenance the crew did on all of the ships – stoning the decks, swabbing the decks, checking and removing rust, wear, chafe, rot, leaks, on and on – the ships were largely kept in good condition.

Still, there was going to be another week or so of staying on the islands to have all of the ships go through heavier maintenance.

Some of the ships were going to have their planks replaced where the previous planks had bent and sprung out, likely through weathering over time as the journey to Astapor and to the islands hadn't seen the ships go through storms which was the main driver of this issue, whilst most of the ships would have the tarred oakum replaced and fresh ones packed between the gaps and joints of the ships.

Slaver's Bay had the capability to make this stuff though not the combination.

The Masters of Slaver's Bay were able shipbuilders and they used flax fibres to make linen and ropes so ordering and getting the stuff, albeit ropes made to a slightly different way than they were used to, was not a problem.

They had to make the tar from scratch from flax seeds to make linseed oil but they had the people amongst the volunteers who knew how to do it and enlisting labourers from Velos hadn't been difficult to make the stuff.

Replacing most of the old oakum would take a few more days.

Then it was the rigging and the cordage that was either replaced or going to be replaced, at least those that looked at bit too worn, Aegon mused as he stared at the ships from the his seat position on the beach. They had plenty of those ropes here. And they had plenty of the tar too…

Another four or five days here wasn't so bad, Aegon thought as he looked towards his right where Larissa and a few of the other servant girls were with Maegelle and entertaining the little girl.

Aegon heard someone approaching and tilted his head around to see who it was and just beyond his ever watchful guards was Ser Uthrik coming his way.

Aegon returned to look towards Maegelle who was now trying to outrun her watchers.

"My Prince." Uthrik said as he arrived by Aegon.

"Uthrik. Sit." Aegon said as he lazily gestured with his hand, his arms perched on his knees in his seated position.

Uthrik did as he was bid to do.

"Is Trytas still issuing challenges to the men?" Aegon asked after a few moments, a side glance sent Uthrik's way.

Most of the men, fighting men, were basically not doing much at all after they gotten all of the items needed for maintenance from the warehouses and helped gather several tonnes of dragonglass from the volcano and the surrounding hills by it.

So they initiated a impromptu Corinthian Games. And today had been wrestling.

Which…in reality was just Trytas being the man to beat. And plenty were trying.

Uthrik had a wry little smile on his face as he spoke up. "They've finished up a while ago. Trytas exhausted himself out after the twenty sixth man. They're now playing rugby. It's quite the sight actually. There's like eight different games happening."

"There are the fields for it." Aegon acknowledged. He hadn't asked who was the mastermind for making the fields near the plantations, fields that were flat and grassy, perfect for rugby pitches, but nonetheless, it seems like the fields were used quite often.

By the sailors, the passengers and the men stationed on this isle. The latter who had little else to pass the time when there were no ships docked at the port.

"What about the other men?" Aegon asked curiously. His men and the colonists were thousands strong.

"Most are drinking and watching the game. There's plenty men around who are keeping an eye on things." Uthrik stated and Aegon nodded his understanding.

There were many barrels of wine and ale on the ships. This was as good as any day to drink up a little and enjoy themselves after moons cooped up on the ships.

"As long as it doesn't get too out of hand." Aegon gave his acquiescence with a faint smile on his face, a smile that was reciprocated by Uthrik who soon looked towards Maegelle.

"Not long now." Uthrik remarked and Aegon hummed quietly.

"Aye." Aegon acknowledged, suppressing the complex emotions he felt at the notion of finally being home again…back to his children…his wife.

Gael…

"Before we know it…" Aegon said, pulling himself out of those thoughts and he glanced to Uthrik for a moment before he looked towards Maegelle.

"Have you decided?" Aegon asked after a long little while.

"I thought I still had until after our return, my Prince?" Uthrik asked wryly and Aegon only chuckled lightly at that.

"You do." Aegon said as he turned fully towards Uthrik, an expectant look on his face. "But usually it doesn't take this long to agree to what I am offering you."

Uthrik's defences fell a little and he could see the struggle in the man's face.

"I am not sure I am cut out to be a husband, my Prince."

"No one is until they are one, my friend." Aegon said lightly "Besides, you have a name that you have a duty to pass on."

"I was fine being just Ser Uthrik." There was a note of resignation in his voice and it made Aegon smile a little before he looked away from the man.

Aegon was going to ennoble Uthrik during the ceremonies when he got back.

Amongst a number of other men.

Uthrik of House Pazakostōs, a Valyrian combination word for 'steadfast and loyal'.

"You were, are, always more than just Ser Uthrik. You are amongst the greatest men I have had a pleasure of knowing. I want you, a piece of you, to live on long after we have both passed, my friend." Aegon said honestly.

To let a man like Uthrik die without issue was amongst the greatest waste.

The man bled loyalty and having him, Loyal Uthrik who waded through, literally, a mountain of shit in service of his Prince, as the founder of a noble House…he would not want to pass up having a lineage that would have that legacy of loyalty.

And…

And he wanted the man to have happiness. To find a wife that loves him and that he can love. To have children whom he can teach and pass on his experiences to.

Uthrik smiled at that slightly. "I suppose I should be thankful that you're letting me choose mine own wife, my Prince."

"Don't take too long or I will choose one for you." Aegon said with a touch of amusement in his voice though Aegon was quite serious about doing so if Uthrik didn't step up in settling down.

Uthrik winced a little. "I'd rather not marry a Lysene noblewoman. I've learnt to see risks well enough in my life to be wise enough that I'd invite one in my bed."

Uthrik was exaggerating…for the most part…probably.

Aegon had sorted out over three dozen marriages with Lysene nobility, most of the minor or associated with the Rogares, with that of his men or their sons, most of them commanders, knights he had plans for or highly competent men like Lorgan Keller.

It was part of a long term multi-pronged strategy he was pursuing.

The most obvious spoke for itself – the want to tie influential Lysene to Elamaerys through marital bonds, most of whom had some kind of interest or part in the economy of Lys. It would also serve to strengthen the…aristocratic blood, or more precisely, the perception of it, and build up a burgeoning noble class that Aegon and his family had elevated through the social structures of Elamaerys.

And with the arrival of these brides to Elamaerys, most of whom were used a particular way of things, the finer things, cultural permeation of the Lysene would make its way through Elamaerys, whom Aegon thought represented some of the most beautiful views of aesthetics and luxury in the Known World…minus of course slavery and its trappings.

The marriages would also help increase the attractiveness of further marriages with these descendants of Elamaeri nobility with that of Lysene nobility and merchant families, creating a kind of self-perpetuating closeness through marriage instead of just by treaty that would be subject to political machinations – not that marriages wouldn't be either but the bonds of blood had a stronger gravitational effect.

A closeness that would serve well in the years and decades to come as Elamaerys grew in prominence and in power, ensuring that Lys remained within Elamaerys' orbit. He was going to work on making sure Liberty Bay remained within orbit of Elamaerys – the Isle of Cedars would ensure that along with the persistent problems the Dothraki would give them, something that they will need aid with – but Lys was going to be a central focus of his and hopefully his successors for years to come.

Of course, Aegon would have to manage the offspring of these marriages.

Naturally.

Can't have these mothers who have…opinions…influencing their sons too much…

Like Argella fucking Baratheon probably did…

Aegon raised his eyebrow at that. "And here I thought you enjoyed a little danger in your women." There had been some rumours that Uthrik had been sweet on Seleyse even if they'd not bedded each other…probably.

Uthrik scoffed but Aegon could see the humour in the man's expression. "A little danger, sure, but there's a difference of having a little danger once in a while and marrying a lifetime of it."

This made Aegon lips twitch in suppressed laughter and he nodded a little sagely at that before he eyed his guards and remarked "You should heed Ser Uthrik's words. Or perhaps not if you're brave enough." Aegon said with a light smile on his face and he got the reactions he wanted from the men guarding his back, even from one of the Unsullied, which made him wonder briefly, for the first time, what their love lives was going to be like now that they were free.

None of the Unsullied have their twig and berries after all.

'Not for me to think about' Aegon thought to himself before he looked towards Maegelle, who was now making her way back towards Aegon with her short little legs, and his smile grew back on his face.

Honestly, he never expected to have grown to love his niece as much as he did in such a short time though he wondered how much of that love came from the way she helped him…cope with everything that has happened…everything he's done.

A distraction, pure innocence, an inquisitive little thing that took Aegon's attention and heart by storm…

He needed it too. Her. Combined with the work he'd put into Velos and the rest of the Isle of Cedars, he barely had much time to dwell in the dark reaches of his mind…yes…whilst the nightmares still persisted, unfortunately, his time on Velos, with Maegelle and his work…

"Uncle Egg! Look!" The young girl exclaimed as she brought over a shell, a conch of some kind. "It's pretty!" she said as she arrived by him with the conch in both of her hands. The conch was larger than her little hands combined.

"It is." Aegon said with a smile on his face as he gestured her to come forward. She did so and brought him the conch.

Uthrik stood up, causing Aegon to glance at the man. "My Prince, I will head back now." Uthrik said with a bow of the head.

Aegon acknowledged the nod and let the man go, and, after a few moments of watching Uthrik leave, he returned his attentions back towards the conch and his niece.

He studied the conch for a few moments before he eyed towards the insides, making sure there was nothing inside of it, even going as far as shaking it a little, causing sand to fall which was all that fell out.

He then placed the conch to his ear.

"Why Egg doing that?" his three and a half nameday old niece asked with a quizzical look on her face.

Aegon placed his finger on his lips before he closed his eye, and focused on the sound created by the effects of the insides of the shell. For a moment as heard the waves, he was back in his first life, during the summers which he spent in Greece when he'd been a boy.

"Egg?" his niece's call for him drew him out of his memory and he was met with two wide violet eyes and he let a small smile form on his face.

"Come closer, Maggy." Aegon said and the girl came closer to him, and Aegon stretched out his legs before he placed the conch on his lap and picked her up and perched her right beside him. He picked up the conch again and moved to place it near her ear.

"Close your eyes." Aegon told the little girl and after a few moments of her frowning and being unsure, he coaxed her further. "Close your eyes, Maggy." Aegon said gently as he assured her with a look.

She finally closed her eyes and it was then that Aegon moved the conch to her ear.

"No, no, keep your eyes closed and just listen. I promise it will be good." Aegon said and she stopped fidgeting and making noises.

Finally, after a long few moments, did she exclaim, her eyes widening "I can hear the ocean!" she then closed her eyes again and leaned into the conch, enthusiastic as she was to wanting to hear it again.

Aegon laughed a little but said nothing, instead watching her little face contort in silent wonder at what she was hearing.

He'd done things like this with his own kids before. Not like this, conches and the like but marvelling them with simple every day little things.

Their childlike wonder and new questions about the world was always a treat to see unfold…

Maegelle then opened her eyes and turned them to Aegon before she turned them towards the conch, and took it from his hand. She then peered through the opening with a uncanny serious look on her face, one that resembled Daemon in their youth.

"But no water?" She asked with a frown.

"No water." Aegon agreed. "It only sounds like the ocean." It earned Aegon a nonunderstanding look from her and Aegon couldn't help but smile a little.

Aegon stood up from the white sandy beach and picked her up into his arms. "Do you want to keep it?" Aegon asked the young girl. Explaining about trapped air and vibration and frequencies was a bit much for the girl. It would be too much for most people of this age.

That reminds him…he should write about his 'observations' on acoustics and frequencies…

Mayhaps he should add the creation of his old world's instruments to the list of inventions that would earn prize money and funding for commercialisation…

It would be nice to hear a piano or a violin before he died again…

"Yes!" the nonunderstanding look dissipated and in its place came up an excited look.

"Alright. You will have to take care of it however." Aegon said with an expectant look on his face as he began to walk with Maegelle in his arms, the servant girls and the guards following his steps.

"I will, I promise uncle Egg!" Maegelle promised and he scruffed up her hair a little which made her smile a little larger.

In the end he'd decided that he'd keep the bond between him and his niece known and understood. He'd overreacted in Kings Landing and he'd sobered up to the fact that her relation to him was going to have to be known. The only thing he'd made sure was that her origin had come from a servant girl rather than a whore.

The women, and their elder children, who'd known about her origin were made suitably aware of the consequences about spreading lies about Maegelle, and, by proxy, lies about the royal family.

In any case…his children, including Breannei, knew about Maegelle. Breannei, naturally, was the most interested in Maegelle. He'd have to handle Breannei delicately, especially since the fact that Maegelle calls him uncle Egg might be something that could cause Breannei a bit of upset and uncertainty…

The walk back towards the ship was filled with Maegelle chatting her head off to him, which Aegon indulged for the most part. It wasn't long before they passed by a large group of Unsullied training, who had paused in their training to pay their respects to him which he'd acknowledged, and soon enough he was amongst hundreds of people around the main and only street of the place with many more hundreds further in the interior of the island that could be seen from here.

Likely, there were perhaps a few thousand people by the fields near the plantations with others likely just exploring the small island.

There were almost nine thousand people on the forty two ships. The vast majority were Elamaeri, about four thousand, with the next largest group being the two thousand settlers and a few hundred orphans from the Disputed Lands and from Liberty Bay.

And then there were the Unsullied, Aegon mused as he inclined his head slightly towards the few Unsullied who were amongst the crowd of people.

Two thousand of them who he managed to find space for on the ships.

After the…war…with New Ghis, Aegon had spoken with the almost seventeen thousand Unsullied – a substantial amount had died in the war for New Ghis and Ghaen – about what they wanted to do now that all of Liberty Bay was liberated.

At the end of it all, he'd gotten more than half, nine thousand of them, to choose to serve him for the rest of their lives.

Two thousand of them were selected to come with him to Elamaerys whilst the remaining seven thousand Unsullied, not including their charges – the children that would be trained in the ways of the Unsullied which were about another two thousand – were stationed in Velos, New Oros and around the Isle of Cedars though about half of the Unsullied were boys no older than six and ten and they were under the command of Rhaegar.

The rest, about eight thousand Unsullied, had chosen to continue on fighting with volunteers from across Liberty Bay, with them drawing plans to attack Mantarys which had not yet happened by the time he'd left.

Nor happened yet moons after, according to Baerros.

Nonetheless, so many of the Unsullied choosing to serve him was a victory greater than that of what he'd gotten out of New Ghis. With their presence, Velos was going to be secure and kept safe…internally and externally.

Only two thousand Elamaeri soldiers, which included the eight hundred young men who'd sent from Elamaerys to be stationed there, were what remained of his army on Velos. And, only three dozen noncombative were present there, the majority of which had been come to aid Sallen Baerros in administering the city.

There were also over a thousand Liberty Bay soldiers who'd Aegon had convinced to remain and take up his offer of taking up estates on the Isle of Cedars though they were largely in the interior and New Oros, tasked in keeping order alongside the Unsullied and assisting wherever they could with the development of the colony.

He could have poached more but with the retention of the Unsullied, he did not need to. Besides…with how large the losses had been amongst the Liberty Bay soldiers in the campaign against New Ghis and Ghaen…he knew that the cities had a need to retain as many of the soldiers as possible.

Whilst his…bombing had killed a good portion of the population, with one bomb in particular destroying an assembly plaza filled with their soldiers, the New Ghisian population knew the writings were on the wall.

They were fighting for survival.

No more, no less.

The army of Liberty Bay had suffered great losses during the assault on New Ghis, having lost something like twelve thousand soldiers as they bloodily fought their way through the city.

There were accounts of freeborn attacking soldiers with anything they could get their hands…

In the end, however, the New Ghisians couldn't cope with tens of thousands of well-armed and armoured men who, despite being poorly trained, were hungry for glory, coin and an immense sense of vengeance.

Aegon had killed a good portion of the population but the army of Liberty Bay…

The population of New Ghis is now decimated.

Aegon had no interest to find out how badly but he knew…he knew that only a small fraction only lived and that fraction were perhaps no better off than…

In any case…

Despite considering the Unsullied as his greatest prize won from the war in New Ghis, all things considered, he'd gotten plenty else from New Ghis too.

Unfortunately much of the libraries were destroyed in his bombing, the subsequent fires and the sack of the city by the army of Liberty Bay but he still managed to receive thousands of books, a few that were even priceless.

These few described – with varying degrees of legitimacy and truths – Valyria at varying different stages in their development and history. There were also a few books that detailed the Ghiscari view on the history of the world, before and during the Ghiscari Empire.

Some that did indeed corroborate a few perspectives of history of the Known World with the books he'd taken from Myr and Elyria…

With regards to Valyrian Steel, there was just shy of quarter a tonne of Valyrian amongst the treasure, adding to his mountain of Valyrian Steel back home.

In terms of treasure, twenty million gold marks and sixty million silver marks, and two hundred million copper moons were taken as part of his share of the spoils.

Ten million of the gold coins, forty million of the silver and half of the copper coins were smelted down and recast in the Elamaeri currency – which replicated the Westerosi coin system for the most part – and deposited, alongside a bit more of his smelted down and recast personal wealth taken from Lys, in the Elamaerys Bank of Velos he'd built and created in the moons before he left, leaving it under the charge of Sallen Baerros.

The man had, eventually, agreed to be Jenyārōñedārys, the equivalence in wording and title to that of Viceroy, of the Isle of Cedars for four years.

He had also elevated Baerros and his House into nobility, though the official investiture of his nobility would come only after his four year term was finished and he was in Elamaerys.

The position of Jenyārōñedārys was counter-weighted by Ser Andrew Sapner, one of his most distinguished commanders – he'd risen through the ranks throughout the campaigns until he became a commander during the Disputed Lands campaign – who Aegon had elevated to become Commander-General of the Velos Army-Group. The man would also become ennobled once his term was finished…

"Back?" Maegelle questioned as they approached the docks.

"Back." Aegon confirmed "Rex is waiting for us." Maegelle gave off an adorable delighted look before she nodded rapidly as they walked towards the gangway of their ship.

The old girl was as much with Maegelle as Larissa was during their stay on Velos and so Maegelle had grown quite attached to the greyhound. The day the old girl died was going to be sad day for everyone…

Elamaerys – Late 115 AC

"Sȳziarves ahead!" was cried out as Aegon arrived on the deck of the ship in the middle of the night. He walked towards the foredeck and set to watch their ship pass through the mouth of the river Sȳziarves.

They'd arrived by Bazmionys three days, the jungle island that would one day be an excellent naval hub thanks to its natural harbours, and had been passing through the Bazmionys Straits and around the northern tip of Elamaerys since then.

They were so close now…

Aegon reached out to Mīsaragorn through their bond who woke from his slumber as a response to him. Aegon then proceeded to push through to see through Mīsaragorn's eyes and he saw that Mīsaragorn had found himself a cave somewhere.

As soon as Bazmionys had come into view, Aegon had permitted Mīsaragorn to go and had since been flying all around the islands and Elamaerys.

"My Prince." Aegon pulled himself out of Mīsaragorn's mind and eyes and turned to look towards Captain Locke and Aegon remembered the plan.

"Yes. Send them." Aegon ordered.

There were a few galleys, made in Elamaerys and largely used for fishing seawater fish, that were moored on the northeastern bank of the river.

They were going to send men upstream and inform their people of their pending arrival as the ships were faster. Besides, it was also in the middle of the night.

"Yes, my Prince." Locke bowed his head slightly before he shouted out orders to his crew.

Aegon looked back forward, towards the mouth of the river, his arms behind his back. 'Four years…Four years I have been away.' Those words rang in his mind a few times as he stared unblinkingly at the river.

His twins were six and ten namedays old.

Valarr five and ten.

Rhaena and Breannei ten namedays.

Solonys eight namedays.

He'd been away from his daughters for nearly half of their lives. Solonys half of his life. He'd missed so much…

'And Gael…'

Aegon did not move from the foredeck as they sailed upstream of the river towards the settlement, hours passing and passing, none disturbing him, and remained rooted to the spot even as the first lights of the morn touched upon the world.

It wasn't long after those first lights that half a dozen riverboats arrived to wave them on, greeting them enthusiastically, him enthusiastically, and Aegon felt a tidal wave of contentment wash over him as he returned the wave at the men, which garnered a faint sound of cheers that travelled through the winds.

It was only a short few moments before mirrors were flashed, enough light around now to be caught at an angle, and Aegon interpreted the flashes quickly.

'Aware now. Awaiting you.' That was the message sent their way. His way.

"My Prince." The second in command, Daario Bornnett, called out to him and Aegon turned to look at the man.

The man was young, in his early twenties, though he had a severity in his face to match his personality. It would suit him well for a man who was expected to be captain in a short few years. Whether or not he'd make the cut for becoming admiral was to be seen.

With Locke, Fisherman, Seldan Praentor and something like eight different candidates, who were either captains or soon-to-be captains, as competition, it wasn't going to be easy.

And with Admiral Lutherys, who was going to remain admiral for at least another ten to twenty or so years and who was the only large scale naval commander with wartime fleet leadership experience and victories, which had him become widely popular amongst the sailors, having his favourites that he was wanting to impress on Aegon to be given the opportunity to rise to the occasion, so to speak, well…

"Princess Gael and the Princes have been made aware of our arrival." Second officer Arnel said to Aegon before he continued, after a light pause. "It won't be long before everyone else too will know as well."

"Quite the crowd our welcome will receive." Aegon remarked before he looked back towards the river, where he could see more riverboats in the distance.

It was long planned, his arrival and all that came with it.

Gael had arranged for the welcome to happen at the nearly finished Sept. Its wide front and elevated entrance would allow him to address the crowd easily.

"Everyone has been waiting for a long time to welcome you back, my Prince." Arnel said and Aegon glanced over to the man over his shoulder and he saw that the man was smiling slightly. "It is an important day."

At least he doesn't have the same level of reverence in his eyes he had the first few weeks…"So it is." Aegon said with an inclined head before he turned fully towards the river once more.

His legend amongst his people had only grown over the years.

No…not only grown…exceeded reality to the point that he was sure that he could say he was a God and the majority of his people would actually believe him.

Something he never thought he'd be able to achieve no matter the amount of bullshit he said or pulled off.

And unfortunately, the longer time went, and the more people were sent here, the more the tales grew, the more myths about him, and his exploits, were made, especially since there were so many 'witness' accounts to all of it.

Former slaves from Slaver's Bay and his men who had seen him walk through a field of tens of thousands of Unsullied, all of whom had been ready to kill him on the order of the slavers, yet, Aegon had won their loyalty, not by fire and blood, but by inspiring them to revolt with only 'A judicious truth that spoke to their hearts and broke free the chains around their hearts'.

Former slaves and his soldiers who had seen Aegon bully the slavers of Yunkai and release all of the slaves and then conquered the city without a single life of the slaves lost, in an act that was 'cleverer than the swindle of Casterly Rock by Lann the Clever'.

Former slaves and his soldiers who had seen Aegon burn down the cruel harpies of Meereen and inspire the slaves to rise and revolt against their tormentors.

Those were the lightest renditions of his feat in Liberty Bay though not even the worst rendition could compare to the tales about his survival nearby Tolos and the blanket fire over Myr.

He'd defeated demons though Aegon had been fatally wounded and, to spare the men the sight of their Prince's dead body, had himself burnt by dragonfire in the traditions of House Targaryen.

Only to survive it and be reborn, divinely, on the Seventh Day, the Gods having decided that Aegon's work was not yet finished.

All of that, combined with the fires over Myr, combined with the freedoms he's provided to the many tens of thousands on Elamaerys and the 'prophet' status he had with regards to bringing their people to Elamaerys, a Piece of the Seven Heavens, had all combined to ensure that Aegon was untouchable in the eyes of his people, someone who was only slightly less divine than the Gods they worshipped.

And Aegon did not think himself arrogant to believe that more than a few did believe him to be more divine than their gods…

And Aegon couldn't blame them for having these kinds of perspectives.

He'd exploited all of the rhetoric, all of the trappings that were available to him and used them to create this image of himself, of his family, and it worked.

Some of it backed with targeted acts…most of it backed by luck and circumstance.

'My work will be made easier with all of this unwarranted blind belief' Aegon thought to himself momentarily, long having accepted the…status quo he created.

The greatest of solace, beyond securing the future and safety of his family, was that his exploitations would have good-intentioned outcomes, even if they had selfishness and manipulations in them.

He was going to push through a great deal of societal and institutional changes over the course of the rest of his life.

Changes that would see Elamaerys a stable and powerful society ruled by law, by a mad drive towards progress and an conscious sense of common identity, and a society that would see and keep his family at the very pinnacle, protected from ambitious overreachers and foolish idiocy of descendants.

'Which Gael has already set in motion. And, in time, our sons and daughters and our grandchildren will continue our work and shepherd our people to become the greatest nation this world has known.' Aegon thought to himself.

'And if he was right…so too would all of their descendants carry on his vision for Elamaerys' Aegon thought as he recalled the unforgettable images of the old man and the giant eyes that had been behind him, which partly brought him a hopeful relief that their work would not be undone by an Aerys or a Rhaegar.

And all of that would be worth all of the taint he's accumulated on his soul, all of the taint he'd continue to take on, a hundred thousand times over…

A little while later…

Aegon glanced towards the skies as Mīsaragorn fly overhead as the ships lowered their anchors about a quarter league from what would one day be the city-walls, a twist in the river that was wide enough to accompany a dozen galleons side by side.

"It looks like nearly all of the settlement has decided to turn up." Uthrik remarked from beside him as the man peered through the Far-Eye towards the Sept, where likely tens of thousands of people had already assembled.

And, closer to the bank, as Aegon cast his gaze that way, he could see a large crowd kept away from the bank of the river whilst a smaller group, not far from the landing area, was present, his family, there with a ring of guards around them.

Aegon felt a strange sensation in the pit of his stomach. Butterflies almost.

Nerves and streaky excitement and worry battling within his stomach, feelings that made him more jittery than the many times he'd been so close to death so as to have stared right in the face of it.

Uthrik leaned in slightly before he spoke. "Can't say I envy you, my Prince." Uthrik murmured amused, drawing Aegon out of his thoughts and Aegon shot the man a light glare as the man stretched out his hand and offered the Far Eye to Aegon though he felt somewhat grateful for the reprieve.

He took the Far Eye and peered through it, staring far into the distance, towards the assembly of people by the Sept, his people and honestly…

Uthrik probably wasn't that far off.

As of the last census five moons ago – the census was updated every six moons as of the present moment – there were eighty nine thousand people on Elamaerys.

Eighty nine thousand.

With the people on the ship, they were not far off from reaching six figures in population.

And Aegon thought that there might well be the vast majority of people that were assembling to see them, him, arriving.

Waiting to hear him. Waiting to tell them what they already knew.

The war is over.

They have won.

'And it won't be the last time I will address them. I will have to address them all, in groups and as a whole, many, many times over the course of the next few days…'

First to speak on the success of the war in the name and glory of Elamaerys, then to thank them all for their hard work, all of them, and then…

Then he'd have to start the ceremonies.

The speech and the accompanying ceremony interning the dead in the Hall of Heroes, the award ceremony which include the listing of the triumphs and acts of heroism of the men in question, including those still alive and of course the ennoblement ceremony which would see his chosen few elevated to nobility.

And after all of that was done, it was then time to institute the Archonate of Elamaerys and ratify the Constitution of Elamaerys, the Elamaeri Code of Law and the Judicial and Arbitration Courts, the Legislative Assembly, the Civil Service and Public Works Institutions, and of course, his ascension as Archon of Elamaerys with Gael as the first to be invested as a Dragonlord into the Council of Dragonlords with their eldest children serving in advisory positions alongside others in the Advising Council until they were of age, one and twenty namedays, or received their knighthood or had achieved a mastery in a subject of science or philosophy.

And then, mixed with all of that, there was also the time he'd spend with his family, catching up with his family, getting to know his youngest children again…

Something that filled him with greater worry than having to speak to tens of thousands of people about the past, the present and the future and get them to buy into his vision for their world.

And some of it…most of it…was related to what he was now.

Aegon knew that he was not the same man he was the last time they saw him.

He was…less even if he was so much more powerful in almost every way.

It was hard to explain, this feeling of his. That he was lesser. It wasn't just the warcrimes and other heinous acts – the butchers, the killing of innocents, the willingness to sell out his brothers' families against a bunch of parasitic entities – but it was also something deeper.

He'd always thought, hoped, in the very back of his mind, that he had the capacity to be as good, as great, a man so many people, his family, believed him to be.

That there was indeed a part of him that was as noble and as great as the man Aegon had named Mīsaragorn after.

A naïve but genuinely hopeful hope made in a world that made it near impossible to accomplish.

Even when he'd set his mind on the course of action against Slaver's Bay, he thought, in the back of his mind that was never voiced out, hoping, that mayhaps…mayhaps he would find another way, he would be able to do all that he wanted, profiteering for the sake of Elamaerys and his family whilst also liberating peoples from chattel slavery, without having to become a monster.

Yet the only thing he'd grown to learn, or rather accept, was that he was capable of far, far worse things. Even the times when he'd stayed his hand, such as Tolos and Elyria, all of that had come only because he pragmatically found solutions that wouldn't impact overall success of his war aims, a pragmatism that had come largely from a moment of painful introspection after a near death experience.

Not because of mercy. But because the guilt on his conscience necessitated him to take a slightly harder path than the easy ones he'd taken to attain victory.

Most would disagree, Aegon knew.

That his choices had saved the vast majority of his army, his people. Bringing them home. That his choices had seen a hostile population removed permanently and the scars of their crimes would finally heal for the newly liberated people.

His deeds would see him leave a legacy that would be hailed by Elamaerys, Liberty Bay, the Summer Isles, Lys and Westeros for many, many generations.

He'd done more good in the Known World than acts and men had achieved in the last thousand years, many would say.

Yet it did not change the fact that Aegon had been the cause of the deaths of more than a hundred thousand people, perhaps as many as twice or thrice that, many of whom had been innocent, children.

Many of whom Aegon had seen targeted for the crime of the blood they shared.

Aegon stared out at the bank of the river as the men in the boat rowed him towards his family. That…that was as much his legacy as the liberation and Elamaerys was.

With violent retribution, with fire and blood, he swept through his enemies and ripped asunder millennia old slaving cultures and made his name one to be feared and revered. With hope and curiosity, he searched for a promise and found Elamaerys, making his name one synonymous with the Gods.

And Aegon…Aegon couldn't help but feel that the legacy of rivers of blood was one that tarnished everything that he was, he hoped to be, no matter what he would accomplish here with Elamaerys, tarnishing everything he wanted Elamaerys to be, even if he would strive to tie up its, his, darkest deeds in the greatest of secrecies.

History would only come to be in the records that were written, after all.

And…and Aegon knew that the legacy, those rivers of blood, had not come to an end yet either, for he had more of those rivers raging against the dam that threatened to break through and spill down the mountain with what he knew was to certainly to come, something he was helping to happen by doing nothing for the sake of finding a way to defeat an enemy that may yet be undefeatable.

And he was the lesser for it.

And honestly…

It made him fear that they, his wife, his children, would sense it…that their father, her husband, was lesser than what they remembered, Aegon thought with a dark grim cloud hovering at the forefront of his mind.

And perhaps…

Perhaps they would also see that he was always lesser than he ever appeared to be.

That dark and grim cloud that hovered at the forefront of his mind remained there all the while the boat neared closer to the bank of the river, and even as he'd stepped out, and walked over towards his family who were approaching him, his guards following his steps, the dark and grim cloud still remained, darkening still.

Remaining still a dark cloud over his mind, even as a great swell of emotions threatened to overcome him, their faces clearer every step he took, the faces of his boys, his daughters, his wife, his feet felt as if they were dragging on the ground, ten times heavier than they ought to be, even as he saw their happiness, their joy.

"Father!" His daughters were first to break rank and decorum and they raced towards him, racing mad like little roadrunners and the dark cloud that hovered on his mind broke with near immediate effect to let loose an iridescent ray of joy as he leaned in and swept both of his girls into his arms.

Oh, and how it felt.

It felt as if a thousand suns were exploding within him, its violent plasma coursing through his veins at the speed of light, their warmth, and the weight, the unbearable weight he felt for so long broke down into dust, lifting off of him the darkness that shrouded him for so long.

The world never felt more right than in this very moment.

"Oh…Rhaena…Breannei…how I have missed you both so much." Aegon murmured softly as he clung tightly on his daughters, taking in their smells, waves of familiarity and love streaming back in like the rushing water through a broken dam.

Aegon closed his eye momentarily, basking in their presence, wishing and hoping to let an eternity pass yet for all of his hope, the eternity felt as short as a blink of an eye, and his daughters parted slightly from him, and his hands moved towards the edge of their shoulders, holding on almost as if too frightened that if he was to let go, he'd never hold them again.

As they parted, Aegon took every single moment to take in everything he could from their faces, faces with studying eyes that bore the kinds of emotions only young children could have so explicitly and innocently shine through.

A face their studying eyes must note that had markedly changed the last they saw it, if they still remembered his face still. He hoped so. He dearly, dearly hoped so and he hoped they did not see as much change on his face as he saw in theirs, changes that marked how much he'd missed of their lives.

In Rhaena's face, he could see so much of Gael growing in prominence. Her nose, the shape of her face, the way her eyes sat in her face.

The little crease that almost could pass for a dimple when Gael smiled.

In Braennei's face, he could see so much of Daemon and of his father Baelon yet there were plenty of features in her face that must have been inherited from her mother, her birth mother.

Gods…they were so much older now. Ten namedays. Ten namedays.

So young yet so much older.

"My daughters…" Aegon said with a deep, almost mournful note in his voice as each of his hands went to each of his daughters' cheeks and Aegon struggled not to let his emotions overcome him. "You've grown so much, so beautiful too." Aegon said with a fond, loving note in his voice. "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too father." Rhaena said in a half-sob before she threw herself at him and Aegon took in her missile-like hug with utmost acceptance, a smile growing, widening as he caressed her back.

"Me too. So much." Breannei said with a wobble of the lips and Aegon couldn't help but find a little amusement in the sight and Aegon pulled her in again for a hug, and the hugs lasted a while longer than the last.

Aegon did not mind it. Not at all.

Finally though, as he saw his boys, his eldest boys, lose a little of patience, he decided it was enough for now. "Come now, girls. We'll have so much time later. Your brothers are waiting." Aegon said gently and the girls seemed to resist until Aegon placed his hands on his daughters by their backs, gently pushing them to walk with him.

Aegon found it difficult not to stare at them. At his wife. At his sons.

His sons that were so changed from the last he'd saw them.

His eldest stood by Gael, dressed in clothing fit for training with the sword whilst Solonys stood in front of him with Polaerys and Valarr standing beside Castorys.

The sight brought a smile on his face…

The moment his eye latched onto that of Gael's…

For a moment, his heart stopped as he peered at her. At her face. At her eyes.

It was hard to describe what it felt like to see her.

To be able to be within a short paces of steps reach of her after so long…

And it was harder to describe the amount of restraint he was showing from taking her into his arms, to smell her, to kiss her, to never letting her go from his arms.

And he knew, he knew, from the way she looked at him, the way she wrung her hands together, the way her back arched and primed to run at him, she felt exactly the same.

But they both knew that their children needed his attention first.

And so Aegon looked towards Valarr, who stood at the edge.

Valarr had grown tall, taller than his eldest brothers by about an inch, a body that looked wiry and skinny but he could tell that Valarr had the beginning of a frame that would see him become a good warrior if he so chose.

His face had thinned, sharpening and there was much of his mother in his face, his eyes and his nose, but the mouth and the shape of his cheekbones were all Aegon.

He smiled at Valarr, whose jittery and nervous expression was strange and uncommon to a face that Aegon only knew to have mischief and lightheartedness writ upon it, and he was relieved to see Valarr's expression lightened at the offered smile.

Aegon's eye turned towards Polaerys, his second born son by a few minutes. Polaerys had grown too. Tall, strong, and his eyes were the most familiar to Aegon. Eyes that Aegon oft saw in the mirror, even if one of Polaerys' eyes was a shade too much of violet.

His time with the scholars, the alchemists and Vaegon had served him well, even if he seemed long-suffering about it on the calls.

Aegon then turned towards the youngest of the family. Well, the youngest after Maegelle, and Aegon felt the smile slackened a little at the sight of Solonys looking to the ground.

His talks with Solonys were the most difficult. Solonys had been so, so young, when Aegon had left. And Aegon knew the kind of presence, or rather absence, he'd left behind in their family.

That absence had a consequence, especially for a boy so young, a boy that needed his father.

Aegon turned to look at his eldest, his heir, the future Archon. Castorys, and Aegon couldn't help but smile back at Castorys who gazed upon him with a prideful smile.

His eldest had grown. Grown more than anyone else, Aegon could tell. Not just in his body, in his stature, which had filled up well for a boy of six and ten, and it spoke well of his diligence in the training fields.

No…Aegon meant the way he stood. Tall. Upright. His arms behind his back, peering at Aegon, no more mimicking but a stature that was borne from leading.

Giving Castorys significant amounts of duties, the responsibilities, physically helping with the building of their city had been a great decision for Castorys, who had always felt so…pressured to live up to Aegon.

And what he saw now, here, showed him everything that he believed Castorys could be. The reports he received from his men, from Gael, had assured him of that yet now, as he saw Castorys, he believed it too.

They arrived by his wife and his sons and Aegon glanced to each of them, to his sons and his wife, giving them a smile before he stepped forward and crouched beside Solonys, who still looked nervous and unsure and looked more to the ground than he did look anywhere else.

"Solonys." Aegon began quietly, a warm smile on his face as he leaned forward even more, his hands rising but stopping as he waited to begin to kindle the bond between father and son.

"Father." Solonys murmured, his eyes still to the ground. Aegon wasn't surprised by the persistence of the shyness…the awkwardness. The unsurety.

Nor was he fazed.

Aegon moved one of his hands and placed it on Solonys' shoulders. "Son. You have grown big, Solonys. You were half this size the last time I saw you. Have you been sharing goats and lambs with Stormfyre?" Aegon asked with a note of curiosity and Solonys looked up, his eyes a little wide.

"No." Solonys said, a mild look of confusion in his face and Aegon could tell that Solonys was focusing on his scars and his eyepatch.

"Oh. Well you must have been eating something good because you seem like you're growing to be as strong as a dragon." Aegon said as he gently squeezed Solonys' shoulder, a warm smile on his face.

"He likes to eat a lot of ham, father!" Rhaena helpfully interjected from beside Aegon, a little shadow of his that seemed almost latched onto his side.

A recent thing then. Pigs had been quite the precious commodity over the past four years and only after the journeys started, shipping a great deal of livestock so that they could breed, were meats like this becoming more available to allow for more than a rare consumption once a week to occur.

"He doesn't really like beans or carrots though. I don't know why. They're sooo much better than all of the other things mother makes us eat." Breannei murmured quietly from beside him and Aegon's lips twitched with mild amusement and exasperation at that though he did not react overly more than that.

"Is that so? Well, I'd be happy to share a plate of ham with your younger brother. I think I would like that. Would you like that as well, my son?" Aegon said as he eyed Solonys intently though with caution and with warmth.

The shy little nod that Aegon received was worth being stabbed a thousand times and Aegon pulled his youngest son into a light hug. "I have missed you so much as well, my son. We will have a lot of time together." Aegon said as he pulled Solonys out of the hug and smiled at him. "Perhaps if you want, as my squire too?"

Solonys' eyes widened and the nod that Aegon received was a lot less shy, amusing him a little. And making him relieved too. He'd discussed it with Gael. The squiring. They all noticed how…reserved Solonys was on the calls.

And he and Gael decided to pull back on his training, to hold him back, so that when Aegon returned, they would have it as a way to build their bond again.

And Aegon was determined to rebuild it.

Aegon straightened back up again and, after scruffling Solonys hair affectionately, he walked towards his third child, Valarr, and smiled widely at his boy.

"You too have grown." Aegon said before he laughed a little. "Gods, you might well grow taller than even I." Aegon said affectionately with a wide smile as he placed his hand on Valarr's shoulder, who had returned his smile though before he could speak, Polaerys did from beside Valarr.

"It's like the more time he spends in the skies, the taller he grows." Polaerys said with teasing in his voice and it made Valarr turn towards his elder brother.

"If you spent half the time as I did there instead in that dreary old library, mayhaps you'd grow a little taller than you're growing wider, brother." Valarr, his sharp wit there to be shown.

"Wider? Brother, everyone compared to you is wider. Don't be jealous that I'm growing stronger than you even though I spend less than a quarter of the time in the training yard you do." Polaerys returned and Aegon couldn't help but laugh before he pulled both of his sons into his arms, whose heads were both about chest height to him.

Aegon said nothing as his eye closed, happy as he was just to hold them.

"Father…I've missed you." Came Polaerys' voice and Aegon couldn't say anything, only hummed deeply in answer, a hum that he knew they understood.

"As have I…I'm glad you have come back." Valarr's voice was wobbly and Aegon sighed heavily, tiredly, yet he held firmer onto his sons.

And, Aegon felt another set of arms engulfing him.

"Castorys." Aegon intoned as his eye opened and saw his eldest hugging him.

"Father…" Castorys said, his eyes suspiciously wet.

Aegon's eye too felt wet as he moved to take hold of Castorys and hug him whole, including him in the group hug.

"I'm proud of you Castorys." Aegon murmured quietly to his son before he raised his voice slightly. "So, so proud. I am proud of all of you." Aegon said making sure his youngest three, who were hovering by him, could hear him.

"Though especially you three, Valarr, Castorys, Polaerys." Aegon said to his boys, for the ears of his eldest boys alone.

"What you have done over the past years…I could not be any prouder that I have you as my sons. Thank you…and thank you for taking care of your siblings and your mother when I could not." Aegon said as his arms wrapped around his sons tighter and a suspicious tear fell down his beard to be absorbed by his beard.

"You're not going anywhere without us again, father." Castorys murmured after long little while and Aegon pulled apart his sons from him to meet his eldest son's gaze, a gaze that was filled with conviction that brook no dissuasion, a gaze that studied his face intently with his eyes focusing on his patch and his scars.

And Aegon hummed through a faint smile.

"Aye…" Aegon said as he placed his hand on Castorys' shoulder. "Aye." Aegon said one more time, squeezing a little tighter on his son's shoulder before he glanced towards Gael, who stood apart, watching…waiting.

"I must see to your mother who has been very patient thus far." Aegon said to his sons before he walked away and towards Gael, whom had arrived a little closer and whom he could see be teary eyed.

Gods…

She was so beautiful.

"Gael." Aegon only simply said as he stood in front of her, even if his face, his eye, were full of longing, full of love, full of want of holding her and never letting her go, his hands struggling not to go up and touch her face.

"Aegon." She only said and Aegon couldn't stop himself any more and he stepped forward, grasping her face with his hands, holding her face with the utmost gentleness, and his hands swiped away the twin trails of tears that ruined perfection, and he felt her melt into his hands as she sighed shudderingly, her eyes closing as she stepped forward.

Her hands rose as well as she leaned forward, and grasped his own face into her hands, and Aegon allowed himself to close his eye before he too leaned in, and sighed silently as their foreheads touched.

"You're here."

"I am."

"I've waited too long. Far too long"

"I know. I know. I'm not going anywhere. I'm here. I'm here, Gael." Aegon said as he reopened his eye and he saw Gael look up at him, relief and joy mixing together that painted her face into a look that wanted to etch into the forefront of his mind.

"Yes…you're here." Her words came out a whisper and Aegon wrapped his arms around her, hugging her and he felt her arms wrap around his body too, both of them holding onto each other as if the moment they'd let go, they'd never be able to do so again.

"I love you…so much Gael." Aegon said quietly, into her ear. She was the best of him. She brought out the very best of him. Those visions…those possibilities he'd seen in that astral plane, him in a sailor's hat exploring this or that jungle or him on that damned throne…

None of it compared to the decision he'd taken to marry Gael.

"I love you too Aegon." Gael said as they parted and she placed her hand on the side of the face that bore the scares, the side where he lost his eye. She caressed those scares and touched his eyepatch, a momentary look of sadness and upset passing through her face before she sighed heavily and smiled at him.

"I loved that eye." Gael said with a sad note in her voice and Aegon smiled as he hummed. He was about to answer before he heard a voice behind them.

"The green one? I remember that father. It was sooo pretty. Like the emeralds in my necklace!" Breannei commented, making both of him and Gael turn towards the direction of the voice, his arm slipping around Gael to hold her at her waist from the back.

They were greeted by the sight of their children standing by one another, looking upon them with a mixture of expressions on their faces.

"I think it looks good." Valarr remarked before he grinned a little, a side glance sent towards Castorys before he spoke further. "Father is a warrior Prince after all. Can't be a warrior Prince without a few scars." Aegon caught Castorys sending an exasperated look at Valarr though curiously he noted that the look was more as if there was an inside joke between them.

"I liked the green eye too." Rhaena piped up before she was a little wide-eyed "But I like you without it too father." Rhaena quickly added.

Aegon smiled a little widely as he looked at Rhaena. "It is fine. I liked that green eye too." Aegon glanced at his wife with a hint of teasing in his eye. "Mostly because your mother always liked staring into it. I must hope she shall be content with only seeing silver and violet instead of an emerald and violet."

"We shall see." Gael said with a pointed look though he could see the humour dancing in her eyes, humour that soon fled as she looked towards the ships.

Aegon followed her look and they saw a swathe of riverboats with small barges and boats from the galleons descending down into the river.

"She'll arrive later. She's with Ser Uthrik." Aegon said in answer.

"Maegelle?" Breannei was the first to ask and when he saw her face, he could only see hope and a little bit of trepidation.

"Yes." Aegon said with a smile. "I thought it best that she meets you all at home without the crowds disturbing her. She's only four namedays old." Aegon told her and Breannei nodded before she looked towards the ships.

"It will be good to meet her." Castorys said and Aegon nodded slightly before he looked at Gael.

"Ser Uthrik and the Captains will see through their arrival along with the other people." Aegon said before he looked towards the other men, the guards, the city-guards and the administrators, who were all hovering three hundred paces away from his family.

And beyond them, were the families of the men who had come with him, coming to see their loved ones once more.

"Ser Maros and Aeloran is with them?" Aegon asked, speaking of the second in command of the overall City-Guard, a kind of deputy chief constable with Ser Cedrick as the Chief Constable.

Aeloran was one of the senior administrators and whom would be given a senior position in the Civil Service Institution.

They would sort out the settlers and his men, the ones without families, out into their homes. As planned.

"They are." Gael confirmed as she met his gaze. "Are you ready?" she asked with a meaningful look on her face.

Yes…it was time to get the show on the road.

"I am." Aegon said with a warm smile as he took hold of her hand.

'Mīsaragorn, come. It is time.' Aegon thought as he stared towards the skies, gazing at Mīsaragorn who was beginning his sweep down towards them.

"Is Mīsaragorn coming down?" Rhaena asked curiously, having noted where Aegon was looking at.

"He is. He'll be coming with us on our walk back to our people." Aegon said as he looked down at Rhaena with a faint smile.

"What does that mean?" Solonys, much to Aegon's surprise, asked, and Aegon only smiled at Solonys with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"You'll see." Aegon said as he scruffled Solonys' head, and he saw the understanding looks from his eldest sons, who knew nearly as much as Gael did with regards to the plans they made for his arrival, and he looked back towards the skies again.

Mīsaragorn grew and grew, growing to encompass more of the heavens, and one of his daughters, he was not sure whom, let out a gasp as Mīsaragorn neared close enough to begin his slowing descent.

"He's grown much larger than I remember." Polaerys murmured and Aegon glanced at his second eldest.

"Much larger…" Castorys said with a mild look of awe on his face.

"He must be larger than Caraxes now." Gael stated from beside him.

"It's close." Aegon said in answer. He wasn't quite sure which dragon was larger but nonetheless, Mīsaragorn's growth rate has been huge over the past four years.

The wilderness, the freedom, had done his dragon a great deal of good.

And Mīsaragorn was stronger than his size too, with all of that weight he'd carried for years in the form of armour, armour that he was now without.

Mīsaragorn swept down and landed not far from them, his huge claws and frame a menacing look as the ground shifted slightly as he landed, and great green eyes swept towards them, and Aegon looked down only to find his youngest children to stare at his dragon with looks of amazement.

"Is that how large Stormfyre will grow?" Solonys asked, and Aegon noted the excitement in his youngest son's voice.

"I can't wait for Leysia to grow as big." Breannei said with wonder in her voice.

"If you take care of your dragon, they will all grow like that." Aegon said to his children and he was pleased to see that they were clearly taking note of his words, and Aegon looked back towards his dragon who was now crawling towards them.

Mīsaragorn let off a deep growling grumble as he stopped when he was close enough to be within twenty paces and it was then that Aegon turned to look at his children.

"Come." Aegon said. "Let us go. Our people await us." Aegon said as he placed his hand on the back of Solonys' head and gently guided him forward, towards the settlement, Mīsaragorn crawling beside them, occupying the attention of his children, including his eldest sons who seemed to be more in wonder how Aegon was able to command Mīsaragorn so ably and precisely.

And Aegon, when they looked at him with silent question in their faces, only indicated that he would discuss it with them at a later date.

The bond he shared with Mīsaragorn was different. Likely as different as the bond Polaerys had with Tyraxes was from the bond his other children had with their dragons.

The ordeal he suffered, and the way Mīsaragorn had saved him, tied him closer, tied them closer, than anyone could ever imagine.

He only hoped that he could replicate at least a little with his children when he opened up their proverbial Third Eye. Whenever – not if – that would be.

It was not long during their walk towards the settlement that the silence was breached, his daughters being the ones who breached it first, chattering away asking questions about Mīsaragorn and this or that, and soon Aegon was already speaking a great deal as he answered their questions, questions they seemed not to have wanted to ask during the calls on the glass candle.

They passed the guards and the others, men who were enthusiastic to see him again though cautious with the presence of Mīsaragorn and Aegon greeting them with a waving gesture, assuaging and acknowledging them, something they greatly appreciated.

And on, they went on this walk, continuing to talk, the conversation slowly shifting to Aegon asking questions, particularly his youngest children, whom, under his eye and in his presence, were a lot more talkative than they usually were through the glass candle.

Rhaena and her paintings and Breannei with her flights with Lysia, Solonys with his lessons with his tutors and his times where he saw knights train against each other.

Aegon asked and asked, never tiring to hear his children speak with him, and Aegon felt a sense of accomplishment, a sense that he never really felt when he took city after city, and the realisation at that made him happier for it.

To him…

His family was what mattered beyond anything else.

It felt shorter, the moment when they arrived past the first set of homes in the Gierūli district, homes build from marvelous marble and granite, homes that were painted chalky white that used limestone as a base.

And in the distance, he could see the larger buildings standing tall in the city-under-construction, and he couldn't help but grow content that his vision was truly coming to life.

His men, Elamaeri and Unsullied, stood guard on the dirt road towards the Sept on either side, smiling or looking on proudly at him and family, and it wasn't long before the loudness of the crowd was heard.

A crowd that shouted his name and Mīsaragorn, and House Targaryen and a swathe of barely decipherable epithets as they neared towards the backend of the crowd.

Mīsaragorn's presence, crawling beside them though now sheltering him and his family under his right wing as they neared ever more the backend of the crowd, caused the sea of crowd to part to either side, allowing a passage way more orderly than what the thousands of his men and Unsullied could manage.

The sound of the crowd grew louder more, thicker and more rabid, shouting his name, calling him names that rang of devotion, and Mīsaragorn growled through the crowd, his head sweeping either side, causing the crowd to step back further.

Yet it did little to dissuade the crowd from letting him know what they thought of him.

"I didn't expect it would be this…intense." Gael remarked from beside him in his ear. "Severe yes, but never this much."

Aegon only hummed at that as they neared the Sept, and he saw, at the forefront of the crowd surrounding by a small contingent of guards, the womenfolk and children of the Velaryons and Sunglasses and the rest of them.

They had been given a small manse around the city with an assignment of guards and from what Gael told him, some of the womenfolk had been useful though most were clearly unused to live in basically a construction site, only the fact that they were living here, safely Aegon supposed, at the patronage of his family quelled their complaints and wishes to leave, according to Gael.

He'd address these families at a later point.

Mīsaragorn remained at the heel of the steps as Aegon and his family walked up them, where Edwyn, Ser Galaenys and Aethan and his family were waiting on him, and after they bowed in front of him, he greeted them all warmly.

His eyes latched onto Edwyn who has changed a little from what he remembered. Grey hairs had sprouted around his temples. "Edwyn. My friend. It has been some time." Aegon said with a warm smile on his face. He'd been a pillar for Gael. All of the councillors and administrators had been but none more so than Edwyn.

"My Prince." Edwyn said with a smile of his own. "It warms my heart to see you healthy and hale." Aegon placed his hand on the man's shoulder.

"We'll speak on the morrow." Aegon said to Edwyn and the man bowed his head in acknowledgement and Aegon turned his gaze towards the other men and he exchanged a few words of greeting with them, before he turned to Gael and his children and smiled at them before he walked towards the edge, his face losing the smile.

Aegon signalled Mīsaragorn and his dragon responded, letting off a deafening roar that silenced the crowd and Aegon took a deep breath before he spoke, his voice straining to reach the furthest edge of the crowd.

"People of Elamaerys!" Aegon bellowed, his voice stretching far to the end of the crowd, at least he hoped so.

"When I left Elamaerys, to take seven and ten thousand souls with me for war, Elamaerys had scarcely been more than a dream!" Aegon said as he swept his hand across horizontally.

"When I left Elamaerys, to take seven and ten thousand souls with me for retribution and destroy our enemies who dared to strike at us, enslave our brethren, Elamaerys had scarcely been more than a dream!" Aegon said, this time stronger, his voice harder.

"When we took cities, when we broke chains, when we ended the miserable rule of Masters who were black at heart and cruel in nature, many of us were here, working the fields and working the quarries and working to build the homes of our dreams in the city of our dreams, in the land blessed by the Gods as a Piece of the Seven Heavens." Aegon said as he raised his hands and clenched his fists.

"And as we won our war, won our retribution, so too did we win here at home, in Elamaerys, as men completed another home, as men cleared another field, as women weaved another set of cloths, as women reared our children." Aegon bellowed, his hands now sweeping downward.

"We have all shed blood. We have all shed sweat. We have all worked to our bones to see to our dreams, our people's dreams, to the success of Elamaerys, to create homes worthy of the lands that were delivered to us by the Gods!" Aegon said, his voice straining yet he remained firm in voice as he delivered his sermon to his people.

"And now…" Aegon trailed off, his voice also trailing off but he kept it loud enough to remain a shout, effectively. "And now we are here." Aegon said as he swept across the crowd, who were silent, straining to hear every word he spoke.

"I left Elamaerys four years ago and in four years time, we have built this. We have created this. We have made farms that stretch across the horizon in just a few years. We have built homes, greater than most ancient of cities, in just a few years! No other people could accomplish what we have, what we Elamaeri have!" Aegon bellowed across his audience, whom he could see were itching to respond to his words yet remained restraint in respect of him.

"Corinth. Basilisk Isles. The War against the Slavers. Elamaerys. These are all not just my accomplishments, no, these are the accomplishments of a people who never dared to believe that anything is impossible. These are the accomplishments of a people who believed and a people who dreamed. These are the accomplishments of the people who see a problem, who see a challenge, who see an enemy, and then say 'You're not an obstacle for us'!" Aegon's voice cracked at the end of his sentence yet Aegon continued to persist in his words.

"And yet, for all that we have accomplished, People of Elamaerys, my people, it will not compare to what we will achieve, together, in the years and decades to come, no, my people, people of Elamaerys, for what is to come will be the envy of the Known World for we shall strive to make this a land truly a land that even the most blind of people will know is a Piece of the Seven Heavens!" Aegon said as his arms outstretched.

"The Golden Age of Elamaerys has begun, People of Elamaerys, and you and I and all of us shall stand witness to it for we shall strive deep into this Golden Age just as we have arrived to it…together!" Aegon said the last words as his arms fell to his side and it was then that the dam broke as cheers, deafening cheers, rang around him, cheers that melted words and chants into the wider body.

Words and chants that Aegon heard yet despite all of those different words, many of them for him, for his House, Aegon understood they all meant the same thing.

Their Golden Age would be barrelled into with zero restraint.