14 Chapter 14
- Pentos - Magister's Home -
"Did it work your Grace?" asked Jon Connington while seeing his King standing with his arms behind his back and head slightly bowed in focus.
"It did. Lord Arryn thinks I'm a sorcerer who used magic to speak with him. Or rather, he did at first. He now thinks the stress from running the Seven Kingdoms is getting to him. That it is playing tricks on his mind. The Usurper hasn't been running things properly and each passing year has only added onto more of the stress the Falcon has had to endure in keeping things together," explained Aegon with the Rooster laughing.
"Serves the fucker right. The weight of the Seven Kingdoms is massive. A tiny bird can't hold the weight of it like a dragon can. Especially if there is a bloating stag adding to the weight," commented Jon with Aegon nodding.
"The old Falcon also thinks Viserys is the real threat, which is good. Still, we need to be cautious and ensure nothing happens to my Aunt. Lord Arryn wants the entire Targaryen bloodline gone and will not tolerate man or woman of our blood to outlive him," replied Aegon with Connington frowning since Lord Arryn was a persistent cunt of a man.
"I look forward to the day we bring down that traitor. Along with the Usurper. And the Lion. And the Fish! And the Wolf!" exclaimed Jon Connington angrily.
"No! The wolves will not be harmed. House Stark has already paid a heavy price before, during, and after the war ended. Besides, the North is my Mother's home as it is mine. So is House Stark. I won't wage war against them. If I did, the Tully woman would be right, if not more so about myself in being a bastard with no sense of honor to my name. I will not give that foolish woman a means to prove herself right about me!" countered Aegon with Jon nodding despite his own desire to see House Stark brought down to at least one level for their hand in things.
If anything, he could wait to see if his King would change his mind on the matter. Only time would tell.
"So what now?" asked Jon with Aegon being silent for a moment.
"Our position is growing stronger Jon. I can feel it. A little bit longer. Once the time is right, we leave, take what we can, and make for a secluded spot where the seeds of our plan can properly take root," said Aegon with Jon nodding.
"And the fall of the Usurper begins," remarked Jon with Aegon laughing.
"No my friend. The fall of the Usurper's legacy begins. Along with the legacy of just about everyone who sided with him willingly knowing of the scheme the Falcon created," replied Aegon with Jon nodding with determination in his eyes.
- Several Moons Later -
Their time had come. They were to leave in the middle of the night. Khal Drogo had sent a response back via the same messenger the Magister had sent. The Khal was interested in having an exotic bride. Especially one with dragon's blood in her veins. The messenger had relayed to the Khal that the Targaryens of old rode dragons high into the sky and were considered the ultimate riders with a son of his blood and the Princess making for an ideal match to produce the ultimate rider.
Naturally, the idea of such a thing intrigued the Khal and wanted to meet his future bride in the hopes she was indeed everything that was promised. With the Khal now coming in the next few days with a small group of blood riders, Aegon had to plan their leaving to the minute to orchestrate the intended events he saw through the Force. It was nudging him, guiding him, and speaking to him all in one about events during his meditations.
It showed him Tywin Lannister had little love for his youngest son Tyrion. A bitterness over the loss of his wife after his youngest had been born was festering within him and growing. It showed Jamie Lannister, his eldest son, was standing guard outside of the King's room while the King was with multiple whores, and being loud about it so the lion would hear it. As for Cersei Lannister, Tywin's eldest child and only daughter, she had been busy drinking wine, spending lots of coin, and occasionally sleeping with Jamie (though sleep wasn't the correct word) when no one was around.
It was also amusing, yet disgusting at how the Queen saw every girl or woman as a whore when she herself was possibly the Queen of them all for her own actions. The woman did not just lay with her twin brother Jamie, but also her cousin Lancel, one her less known Uncles when visiting, and of course several other men when she had an itch that her twin brother wasn't around to scratch.
But what horrified Aegon further was the three children Cersei claimed were Robert's brood were in fact Jamie's own despite his oath as a Kingsguard stating it wasn't allowed. The man had used his position as a member of the Kingsguard to be together with his sister. It had infuriated Aegon that many looked down on House Targaryen for their own incest practices in the past, but when the lion does it, no one who knew gave a damn.
As for Jamie Lannister himself, the man had grown increasingly arrogant, believing no one could really best him in battle. Not a scratch on his armor or flesh. Some said it was because Jamie never fought an opponent of equal or great skill. Others said it was due to his Father and Lannister gold that got the man out of certain dangers before they became life threatening. Still, it had made the man increasingly arrogant over the years since all he had to do was say his Father's name and all was forgiven or forgotten by the offended party.
The Force showed him Holster Tully's health was now slowly on the decline and his son and heir Edmure was a complete idiot. His daughter Lysa Tully Arryn, Jon Arryn's wife, had been happy about having a son, mostly to coddle, and had yet to stop breast feeding the boy long after the time to do so had since been gone. Something the people around her felt was worrisome and should be stopped soon by Lord Arryn before the woman did something to make the child an invalid. It was quite humorous for Aegon to know that the old Falcon's wife was being unfaithful to him by sleeping with the Master of Coin on the side while passing off said Master of Coin's child as Lord Arryn's own.
As for Catelyn Tully Stark, Aegon's stepmother when he was still Jon Snow, the woman had been trying to influence her husband Ned into taking a more Southern approach in the North. Fortunately, Lord Stark was still angry with his wife over the loss of "bastard son", and only listened to her advise, but never acted on it. Lord of Winterfell and House Stark was making sure his son and Heir, Robb Stark, received an education on how to run the North as it should be run.
Robb himself was now seeing things in a different light now that his "half brother" was gone and his Father was now enforcing his own way of doing things. So far, Robb was well underway of changing his thought process from his Mother's way of thinking to that of his Father's way. Sansa sadly had her head high in the clouds, always thinking about songs, stories from book, the legendary knights in them, and how she wished for one such knight come take her to his castle where they would have marry and have children which to spoil.
Arya Stark was clearly Lyanna Stark reborn, just as Aegon knew she would be in life from what he had seen of her when at Winterfell. Lady Stark was doing everything she could to tame the young she-wolf, but Arya was a stubborn girl with the wolf blood running strong. The girl didn't like dresses, dolls, or the embroidery classes she attended under the watchful eyes of the Septa. Arya liked swords, battles, names of the knights who fought in them, but not the same reason Sansa did in terms of interest. Arya had a clearer understanding of how the world worked over that of her sister and knew song and stories of battles were different from the actual battles themselves if you had been there. All the blood, guts, violence, and death in them were not told in songs and stories since they wouldn't be so popular.
Clearly the smarter of the two sisters at the moment when it comes understanding what was going on in real life.
The youngest of the Stark children, Brandon and Rickon were boys being boys though there were times Aegon swore Brandon would stop to stare in his direction. As if the boy could see him. Frowning, Aegon had brushed his Force presence against Brandon, but found the young Stark did not have the connection he did. It was something else though, which while not Force related was not unlike it in terms of seeing beyond normal levels of perception. Rickon seemed to have it too, but wasn't as strong as Brandon's own since the younger between them seemed to squint at times.
Different eyes, but a similar sight. Interesting.
Varys, the Spider, and Master of Whispers, was busy trying to get his head around the situation with Aegon and Lord Connington. He had tried to communicate with the two men discreetly through his little birds, but both men refused every scroll sent, and told the little birds the answer for meeting would not happen at the moment. They never hurt the "little birds" as Varys called the children of his spy network so it did give the Spider the impression the men were not dishonorable monsters (Aegon more then Connington) like he originally feared.
The only time Aegon allowed a communication between himself and the Spider was to give a scroll to one of the little birds with instructions that it was be given to Varys for his eyes only. The scroll itself basically instructed Varys to stop trying to reach out to them due to neither Aegon or Lord Connington having any intention of opening up additional dialogue with him for the moment. The scroll also mentioned that when the time was in fact right, Aegon (A.K.A. Dooku) would reach out to Spider himself to further discus the future of the Seven Kingdoms.
And just to keep the man guessing, Aegon stated in his message that while the Mad King reborn through Viserys would not happen, there was a chance for Rheagar to be reborn one day. And only those with the most disciplined mind, forged from patience would see it happen.
If Varys was as smart and clever as Aegon knew he was and believed, the Spider would figure it out and wait patiently for a response.
Lord Petyr Baelish, who was the Master of Coin, was by all accounts, considered to be by Aegon as an annoyance. An ambitious parasite, who leeched off of others, and made it a skill to backstab, manipulate, and betray others to achieve his goals. The man came from practically nothing with only the clothes on his back as a child and wanted to rise above his station to something big. Aegon could admire that. He really could. Wanting to be in a position no one thought you could achieve after having so little.
What Aegon had a problem with was the man's methods. Lord Baelish burned too many bridges with each new advantage. He also made sure the people he had betrayed were on the said bridges when they collapsed and burned so they couldn't warn anyone about the man's true nature. And what's worse, the man always had a backup plan to sneak back to those he betrayed or those related to those he betrayed and able to gain last minute favors from them when required.
And burn those small bridges too. Selling people out when an opportunity had presented itself. Knowing their secrets and blackmailing them into obeying when called upon or else the secrets he knew would be exposed.
Aegon understood the concepts of what the Master of Coin was doing. Building his own powerbase to use to his own advantage. If the man were able to use the Force, he would be a good candidate for being Sith.
But the fact remained, Lord Baelish was not a Sith. He could not use the Force. And the fact he was doing everything to one day sit on the Iron Throne himself was unacceptable to Aegon. The man hurt everyone and anyone without a care of how the Seven Kingdoms was suppose to be run so long as he sat in the position of power with everyone bowing to him. His fantasy of being at the top of the mountain blinded the fool that he needed to be responsible when wearing the Crown or it would crush him.
Who would support him if Baelish were to rule? The Tyrells? Not a chance. Not unless they could have one of their own blood on the Iron Throne through marriage to produce a heir that would one day be King or Queen. Something Baelish would not do unless it was with a certain Tully woman currently married to Lord Stark. House Lannister? The lion would never tolerate another Usurper. One was enough for him. Besides, Tywin would never allow his daughter to be kicked off or any child she produced.
House Stark? They would never let Baelish get his way since the man would want to marry Lord Star's wife. The only way he could do possibly make it happen was to have Lord Stark killed or force them to annul the marriage. Neither of which was possible no matter what the Master of Coin thought was possible as King. House Baratheon? As if Robert, Stannis, or Renly would let someone like Lord Baelish take the Iron Throne from their bloodline. The only real military support the man really had was from House Arryn and the knights of the Vale, but they weren't strong enough alone to help him.
Hence why Lord Baelish had been doing everything to weaken all the major Houses one way or another while getting secret control of other Houses to use for his intended plan to become King.
As for the Stag, Robert was being his usual self. Not caring about the Seven Kingdoms and the people living in it. A slowly getting fat man child for a King, who talked of old war stories, laying with women, and killing Rheagar at the Trident like it had happened yesterday. Stannis, the King's younger brother, had become bitter over the years due to his inability to have son and heir to his name. All stillborn babes. It had hurt him with each new pregnancy and failure. Until he had a child who wasn't stillborn, but a daughter instead of a son. Only for the poor girl to get the greyscale. A horrible disease that turned people into monsters called the Stone Men because it turned there skin into the coloration of stones all piled together. It also made the person go insane and attack people who were not other Stone Men. Many people had told Stannis the girl had to be killed or sent away to Valyria where all the Stone Men went for one reason or another.
Aegon had been impressed when Stannis told them to go to Hell. That this girl was his daughter. His blood. He would not forsake his only child. Boy or girl. So the man had called on every Maester from the Seven Kingdom and every apothecary through them all to wage this war against the vile disease. In the end, the girl had been cured, but was left with a noticeable scar on her face. A victory for Stannis in keeping his daughter alive, but a costly one given the scar. No man would marry his girl when she became a woman one day without being given a heavy incentive. Still, Aegon felt he could turn Stannis to his cause if something that would heal his daughter fully could be presented to the man.
Renly was a different matter. The boy was ambitious, but hid it well. Really well. He saw the Iron Throne and imagined himself on it while running the Seven Kingdoms properly, unlike how Robert did it. He wanted it badly, but his position as the youngest Baratheon brother prevented it. Not to mention Joffrey was next in line (if no one figured out the boy's true parentage), followed by Tommen, and finally Stannis. There was also the small group of Robert's bastards to consider, which Renly knew the King had with a group of, and one or two of them being born every year. So short of all of them dying or revealed their claim to the Iron Throne was false, the young Stag didn't have a shot at being King.
Not to mention Aegon would have something to say about it.
"Your Grace, I believe its time," said Jon with Aegon coming out of his thoughts on the different targets.
"Yes my friend. It is time. Have the Magister and Viserys been drugged?" asked Aegon with Jon nodding.
"The two servants who gave them each a drink did as you told them to when under your power. They will be sleeping long and hard through most of the morning tomorrow. The other servants are also sleeping and the guards are in their usual position. All that remains is your command and everything will be set into motion," answered Jon with Aegon now turning to face them.
"And they shall have it," replied Aegon before he focused on the Force once more and the people in the house of the Magister.
The servants sleeping in their rooms. The guards watching over key areas of the home to keep thieves and murders at bay. He reached out to them through the Force. One by one. Each of them soon ready to bow to his Will and heed his command, no matter what the command maybe.
With the servants, he told them to leave the Magister's house with what little belongings they had along with a large sum of coin with them to start a new life. A nice generous gift from the Magister himself from what Aegon placed in their minds when they would wake up to see such wealth in their possession. They were to walk out of the house one by one with no other reason other then to leave and to go to loved ones, if they had any.
As for the guards, both awake and asleep, they were told through Aegon's influence to let the servants leave the house without impeding them. They would not recall or remember any of the servants leaving the Magister's house. When anybody asked, the guards would simply say "I saw no one." every time they were asked about the servants, Aegon, Jon, or Daenerys herself.
By the time the Magister and Viserys awoke tomorrow in the late morning, everything of value would be gone. Their servants would be gone. Jon, Aegon, and Daenerys would be gone. And when Khal Drogo showed up later that very same day, finding out his intended bride was not there to meet him...the Magister and Viserys would be gone. But in a much different way.
