Chapter 28

Aegon arrived in Westeros several miles South of King's Landing. Deep within the heart of the Kingswood where no one would see his two dragons. It was a little difficult to get his dragons in there considering the size of Vaderon and Revanchist given how close the trees were in proximity to each other. Fortunately, the spot where they landed had large areas where camps had been made in the past, and were just big enough for both dragons to rest in. When Aegon dismounted, he reached out through the Force, feeling it flowing through these woods, welcoming him with open arms, and the Prince returning it.

But now was not the time to enjoy such things. Now was the time to see how things had progressed with the Stag and his Uncle.

Reaching out to the Force once more, he saw moments in time as they were happening in nearly real time, give or take a few days. The tourney the Stag ordered in honor of having Lord Stark appointed the new Hand of the King had recently ended. Despite the looming Targaryen threat, the Usurper wanted a tourney held in his Sworn Brother's honor. Ned was against it of course, even more so when finding out the situation the Crown was in right now financially. Aegon had seen his Uncle struggle to continue where Jon Arryn had left off, but was having just as much trouble with it as the old Falcon did long before now. It seemed neither Falcon nor Dire Wolf could keep Robert from indulging in his vices no matter what.

Even the looming threat of the dragons did nothing to keep Robert from drinking wine and fucking whores when he wasn't trying to get back in shape. The only difference were the previous two of the three were not done as much, if only marginally.

But that wasn't relevant right now. What was relevant was the issue Ser Jamie Lannister was taking with Lord Stark after the latter surrendered his Hand pin when the issue of the Targaryens became more prominent during a Small Council meeting.

Apparently, his Uncle had misgiving on the plan to send assassins after Daenerys over Aegon due to her being an easier target. Also, the risk of former deciding to breed and have a child was another issue. If it did happen and Daenerys possibly had a son, the Targaryen line would not only continue, but someone outside of her and Aegon would be around to challenge Robert's bloodline for the Iron Throne.

Now Ser Jamie had started a fight with Lord Stark over something that the foolish Tully woman did with Jamie's little brother Tyrion. Something about taking him hostage, which did not make sense to Aegon since the Force had showed him Tyrion had done nothing to earn the scorn of Lady Stark. In fact, the least liked Lannister within his own House had helped young Brandon Stark who was paralyzed from the waist down by giving him a special harness from which to ride a horse.

So why was she doing something so reckless? Sighing, Aegon knew the stubborn woman for a Tully would cause harm for her irrational way of thinking. Though how badly was not known to him and decided to see just how bad this situation with his Uncle's wife had become since it started.

Ignoring the battle between his Uncle and Jamie Lannister over this issue, Aegon used the Force to send his mind to travel toward the Vale. Where one Lysa Arryn was holding court in her late husband's name, accusing Tyrion of murdering Jon Arryn, conspiring to kill young Brandon Stark by pushing him off a tower, and all the while her dimwitted, weak, sickly child was breast feeding in front of everyone. The madness in her eyes was clear while Catelyn Stark was now beginning to think this was a mistake to take Tyrion to the Vale after seeing the crazed look in her sister's eyes.

'Tullys. Such a stubborn lot. The only one not an idiot or this deranged is the Blackfish. I sense he has a good head on his shoulders, even if his own stubborn pride can get in the way at times,' thought Aegon while standing invisibly among the crowd of people while Lysa ranted and raved about wanting her husband avenged.

Not that she cared. Still, Aegon knew she was playing the part Lord Baelish asked her to play in front of al the Lords and Knights of the Vale.

Sensing Tyrion Lannister would not perish this day for his supposed crimes, Aegon left the embarrassment being caused here to return to the issue with his Uncle. Only to find the man on the ground, his leg speared from behind, Stark men dead, and Jamie Lannister having fled the scene on horseback with his remaining men. It wasn't long before word spread of Lord Stark being injured and was taken to the Tower of the Hand to be treated and guarded until the issue behind it was resolved.

Of course, the Usurper King and hypocrite Queen were there when Ned recovered from his injury with the Queen trying to smear the honor of House Stark. Claiming the former Hand and his men were drunk at a brothel, which was a farce, and one even Robert knew without question was one too. Ned countered how Jamie attacked him, the Queen firing back his own words to defend her brother, who was clearly the guilty party. There voices increasing in volume to the point where the King had to yell for both of them to shut up.

Only for the Queen to whip out a retort about the King being more woman then man and the Usurper backhanding the lioness hard enough for a bruise to quickly form on her face. She of course glared, stating how this would be a mark of pride before the King said it would be worse, and the woman left. No doubt to send a raven to her Father from what he could see of things since the woman would always go to him when things didn't go her way.

How is it a full grown adult could act like a child and run to her elderly Father as if the man could fix every mess she made? For years, his Uncle had told him, and his children when they were younger that being an adult meant taking responsibility for your actions.

As for the King and Lord Stark, the two talked some more about some things, mainly the King going on a hunt to clear his head. How he couldn't think straight right now and how killing things seemed to clear his head. Which made Aegon scoff. The fat man could not and would not think straight in his mind. Ever! The Usurper's very being was filled with so much bloodlust that it practically became an addiction. Which was why he spent his days drinking wine, hunting boars, and fucking whores to keep the addiction at bay. The man would have done well in Essos fighting as a Sell Sword commander, but here where things were suppose to be more civilized...it put a cramp on those things.

Hence one of the main reasons why Robert's inability to act properly as King ruling over the Seven Kingdoms was so prominent.

Fortunately, Robert's quest for a hunt wouldn't take him too far into the Kingswood with Ser Barristan, his brother Renly, and his squire Lancel Lannister. As such, Aegon didn't have to worry about them finding him or his dragons lurking about here and decided to play the waiting game for now.

And what better way then to invade the minds of others throughout King's Landing while they were unaware of his presence.

It was a technique his Master taught him. Very difficult use much less master overtime. It was actually similar to how Wargs could enter the minds of animals and control them to see beyond normal sight. The main difference between this Force ability and warging being if the person died when warging, it would cause the person possessing the animal to die.

But Aegon was going for something more subtle. Less invasive per se. Just to whisper into the minds of the people, let them know that the dragons had returned. How change was coming and they need only embrace it to know happiness.

It was draining and would take time, but if there was one thing the Prince had on his side right now, it was time. Time to prepare the masses. Time to know who would fight and support him over who would side with the corrupt. Time to let everyone know the time of the bloated stag, blind Falcon, the stupid trout, and the greedy lion were over.

The golden age of the dragon was about to begin.

Gently reaching out to the Force, Aegon slowly began to touch the different minds of the people within King's Landing. Knowing how they felt, why they felt this way, and how they felt about the current rule of the Stag. He reached out to the old, the young, the sick, the health, the poor, and the wealthy within the city. The good. The bad. The honest. The corrupt.

He moved his presence through each them, almost like painting, moving the brush with delicate, yet purpose filled strokes. He saw those who suffered under the Stag. Those who had profited. Those who wished the Targaryens would return and those who cursed their House's bloodline. Fortunately, the latter was in vast minority. Few had benefited from the Stags rule over the Targaryens, but those that did made sure only they benefited from the act. In return, those few would promote the Stag's greatness while keeping any of the "loyalists" within the city under heel knowing the Usurper would support it.

At least with the Mad King, for all his faults following the madness that plagued him, the people had surprisingly had better lives over what had become of them now with Robert ruling over them. Of course, Tywin Lannister had admittedly helped with that, as he kept a tight lid on the previous Master of Coin, and a watchful eye on he expenses made by the Crown itself to ensure nothing was wasted when spent. But when Jon Arryn came into play as Hand of the King under Robert, he employed Petyr Baelish as the Master of Coin, and entrusted the younger man to do his job properly in managing money.

Aegon could only conclude that the best way to ensure the Crown's money could be spent properly if a Lannister was placed in charge of the wealth, or at least be able to monitor the spending from a slightly higher in authoritative position. Considering the face House Lannister was not one of his most favorite Houses at this point, such a thing would be a tad difficult.

Or perhaps not! Looking back, there was one Lannister among the den of lions that could be worthy of his attention capable of being brought into the fold. Of course, Aegon knew he would have to ensure his idea on who he chose was not misplaced.

But first, the minds of the people needed to see the truth. And what better way to do it then in their dreams while they slept.

~ "The Stag does not care for you. He never has cared. Look at all the Seven Kingdoms in their current state. See them for what they are now under his rule. You among the vast poor, sickly, elderly, and even the dying. What has he done for you? Nothing! Absolutely nothing, except host tourneys, waste gold left and right. Brought the Seven Kingdoms into massive debt, which only the extremely wealthy have manipulated so only they profit from it." ~

Imagines of the rich laughing and eating happily while poor people in the city struggled to live filled people's minds. Of the lowborn and the bastards, of the people with not a coin to their name dying in the streets. All the while, people with wealth enjoyed their lives without a care in the world.

~ "All the while you, the people, scratch, fight, claw, steal, and even kill just to survive so seeing the next day is possible. How is that fair? It is not. And Robert's successor? Prince Joffrey? Will he be any better? No. He is a liar. A cheat. He has the madness. He enjoys seeing other suffer. Even his own family. He killed his little brother's pregnant cat. Does that sound like someone who should be the Crown Prince, much less future King of the Seven Kingdoms?" ~

Images of the Queen and Crown Prince now being shown among those very ugly images Aegon showed into their minds. Of the Queen punishing a newly hired serving girl just for accidently giving her the wrong wine. The Crown Prince beating a small servant boy with a cane while in the presence of Meryn Trant of the Kingsguard, who kept the small boy in place. The crime? Simply for being there after Joffrey ordered him to come into the room without reason and wanted to hear the screams of someone in pain.

~ "Is this who you want on the Iron Throne? What has the Stag or the Lion done for you? Nothing! They have taken everything from you. Your pride, dignity, what coin you have in your possession. They laugh, they drink, and they feast while you struggle in some cases to even breathe. These people are not worthy of your loyalty. You support. Your love." ~

Images of Robert drinking wine, hunting boars, and fucking whore after whore came to their minds while ignoring his duties in running the Seven Kingdoms. How he didn't care for the people and left things to the Small Council.

~ "But I am. I am the son of Rheagar Targaryen. The son of the Bard Prince himself. Those of you old enough to remember Rheagar knew he was an honest and just man. A Prince who cared about the people. Who loved you. Who wanted you to be happy. Who would have made a good King to replace his Father. A Prince you were promised would be a good King. A Prince you were denied seeing become that good King because of the one currently sitting on the Iron Throne. But where my Father's death ended your hopes of seeing a good King in your life time, it is through his son that you will find such faith restored." ~

An image appeared of Aegon in all his masked greatness with three dragons surrounding him now burned into the minds of the people.

~ "The time of the bloated Stag is over. The age of the dragons has begun. And I vow to be the good King you always wished for in life. Support me when I ascend to take my place on the Iron Throne and there will be no regrets. I swear on my blood as a Targaryen." ~

And like that the images shown were gone. The strange dream the people had that night ended with many wondering if it was a dream. Or a sign from the Gods. They were not sure. But Aegon would ensure it was not the only one they had in the following days and nights. He unleashed moment after moment within their minds, showing them the major differences between Robert Baratheon's rule and Aerys Targaryen's rule before his fall to madness took hold.

Aegon had showed everything with each passing day and night, the painful truth about how their lives suffered under the Stag's rule with the Lion waiting to claim what it had wanted once it fell. Aegon showed them just how House Targaryen had kept the Seven Kingdoms stable despite all its faults and issues when in power. Aegon even showed the people images of Rheagar playing the harp, his singing echoing in their minds as if he were still there. How Rheagar vowed to rule fairly and for the people to benefit once more under the rule of his House once it was taken from his Father.

And with each passing day, support for the dragon within King's Landing grew. With each passing day, digest for the Stag and the Lion grew. They were denied a Prince who had cared about them. Who had and would have continued to love them when he became King of the Seven Kingdoms.

And all Aegon had to do following all of this was to wait for the inevitable. For events, which he had foreseen appear, and would bring about his rise from his station as a bastard son of Lord Stark to King of Seven Kingdoms.