Meeting with the Mad King

When the next day arrived, Maximus was greeted by Lord Varys at the entrance of his tavern. The Carpenters and Stonemasons had already started working on the renovations of the tavern.

Maximus invited Lord Varys in as he led him to a corner of the tavern to hear what Lord Varys had to say.

"Quite an ambitious undertaking, my lord," Varys commented, his eyes scanning the half-constructed stage and bar area. "This will undoubtedly become quite the attraction in King's Landing."

Maximus merely chuckled in response. "That is the plan, Lord Varys. An establishment unlike any other. Somewhere everyone can find something to their liking."

Varys nodded appreciatively before passing on a sealed letter bearing the royal seal. "From the King," he said simply.

Maximus took and opened the letter carefully. His eyebrows rose as he read its contents.

"His Grace wishes to meet me?"

"Yes, Lord Maximus," Varys confirmed with a smirk. "It seems your generous gift has intrigued him sufficiently."

"A meeting with King Aerys was sooner than I anticipated," Maximus admitted, not revealing any hint of concern. He handed the letter back to Varys and continued, "I trust he is... well?"

"Indeed," Varys replied cryptically. "The King is as well as can be expected. He has his good days and his... not so good days."

"I see," said Maximus, understanding what Varys was not saying. He knew all too well the mad tendencies of King Aerys. "Well then, I suppose this will be an interesting endeavor."

Varys simply inclined his head, a small smile playing on his lips. "Indeed, Lord Maximus. I recommend you tread carefully in your dealings with His Grace." Varys paused for a moment, his gaze straying to the ongoing work around them. "If you would like, My Lord, we can go now" suggested Varys.

"Very well," Maximus agreed. He instructed one of his men to inform Maerrario of his departure and then followed Varys out leaving behind his guards.

As they made their way through the winding streets of King's Landing towards the Red Keep, Maximus was observing their surroundings, looking at the current state of the city under the mad kings rule, the desperate faces of the beggars on the street corners, the squalid conditions in the poorest quarters, the hollow-eyed children stealing scraps from market stalls. He could see the simmering discontent and could almost smell the revolt in the air.

However, as they moved closer to the Red Keep, the luscious gardens and impressive architecture told a different story, of privilege, affluence, and power. Maximus noted with interest how King Aerys lived in oblivious luxury while his people wallowed in poverty.

It was a recurring occurrence in both his past and present life. The wealthy and powerful occupied the highest echelons of society while those at the very bottom continued to struggle with basic needs such as food and shelter, only able to scrape by through subservience to the upper class.

Of course, it wasn't always the upper class who was at fault as sometimes it's the common people who cause more problems for themselves.

Upon arriving at the Red Keep, they were escorted to a private chamber where King Aerys sat.

The room was vast and opulent, decorated with rich tapestries depicting past Targaryen victories. The air was heavy with the scent of exotic incense burning in golden braziers. At the far end of the chamber, seated behind a desk was King Aerys himself.

"Lord Maximus," he said in a soft voice. "You honor me with your presence."

Maximus slightly bowed before the king, as right now he was a simple lord and didn't hold much power within Westeros as of yet. However, money was a powerful influencer, and he had a lot of it. "Your Grace," he greeted, rising to meet the eyes of the mad king. "The honor is mine."

"Indeed." He replied as he gestured towards a chair across from him. "Please, have a seat."

Varys retreated subtly into the background as Maximus sat down opposite the Mad King. "Let's get straight to the point Lord Maximus." stated King Aerys.

"You say, you have a way to ensure that my wife never has a stillborn child again and my son's life will never be in danger. I am curious how someone like you will ensure that."

Maintaining eye contact, Maximus responded calmly. "Your Grace, I come from a land far to the east of Essos, where medicine and alchemy have advanced significantly. There, we have potions and treatments that help ensure the health of a child in the womb and protect them from many dangers even after they are born." This was a lie of course as Maximus was referring to the system in this case. His only plan for doing this was to simply save both Viserys and Daenerys during the Rebellion.

While he had no moral obligation to save them, they would be a major motivator for his future invasion of Westeros to reclaim their former seat in Kingslanding. Once he rescued them, naturally he would have them raised and trained up to be capable a warrior, leader, and ruler.

As of now he had no plans to take over Westeros as his focus was on Essos, but he was sure that in the future that would change.

The king's eyes widened in surprise and a flicker of hope crossed his face. "Is such a thing possible?" he asked, clearly intrigued.

Maximus nodded. "It is, Your Grace. I can import these remedies for Her Grace the queen and Prince Rhaegar."

The Mad King looked at him with suspicion in his eyes. "And what do you want in return?"

Maximus met the Mad King's gaze. "For now? Nothing your grace, my desire is to just build my tavern within the city. And of course, the assurance that my businesses will remain untouched by unnecessary scrutiny or taxation."

King Aerys regarded Maximus silently for a moment before bursting into loud, unhinged laughter. He understood well enough that this was no ordinary monarch; he was dealing with a man termed 'The Mad King' after all. However, madness or not, Aerys was still the king and held immense power.

"Well spoken, Lord Maximus, well-spoken indeed," King Aerys finally said, his laughter tapering off into occasional chuckles. He leaned forward across the table; his eyes had an indefinable spark. "I accept your terms," he announced in a low growl. "Bring me these remedies you speak of, and in return I shall assure you that your businesses will be free from royal interference."

Maximus bowed his head in acknowledgment. "Thank you, Your Grace."

"However," King Aerys added, his voice low and dangerous, "if you are lying or your methods fail... you will pay for it dearly." There was a mad glint in his eyes that sent a shiver down Maximus's spine. He knew the king had a fondness for fire, and he didn't plan on ending up as another one of Aerys' victims.

"Rest assured, Your Grace," Maximus said smoothly, "I am not in the business of making empty promises. I shall deliver what I have promised."

A sudden smile broke on King Aerys' face, replacing his previously menacing expression. "Good! Good!" he exclaimed, clapping his hands together with childlike enthusiasm. "I am eager to see these eastern remedies of yours."

Varys emerged from the shadows then, respectfully requesting to discuss certain matters with King Aerys. The change in topic seemed to please the king; he turned his attention to Varys and dismissed Maximus with a wave of his hand.

As he left the red keep, he thought about how good his acting was. It seemed he had successfully planted the first seeds of his plan in the rocky soil of King's Landing. However, he had to tread carefully; pleasing a mad king was no easy task and any misstep could cost him his life.

But when he succeeds then he would have gained the favor of the Mad King along with many other benefits. He wanted to start interacting with the many lords and ladies of the court to increase his influence and connections amongst the lords of Westeros.