40

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187 AC

Blackfyre Keep

Daemon Blackfyre

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"They hatched, two of them hatched for the twins born of Princess Daenerys and Prince Aerion." My wife reads the letter out loud after I handed it to her.

She now sees why it is important that we grow in size and value, I do not plan for my house to only be special because of a sword. I want my line to also have dragons to be seen as true dragons the same as the Targaryens. Aegor was furious when I started investing in Blackfyre Keep, he said the lands on the Blackwater Rush are worthless.

His real desire is to work together to force our brother's hand into giving us more valuable lands with already constructed castles. The idea he has of opening a sellsword company to recruit men with no real purpose or desire in Essos to gain 'strength'. With that strength he wants to force the matter and get seats with real power, seats like the one Aerion got, a real castle. But I see the foolishness of that idea, if he ever did try to 'force' Daeron to give him a better castle with better lands he would fail.

Daeron would just send for Aerion to negotiate with us and we would walk away with nothing or end up as ash.

"We need to expand into Essos, your family in Tyrosh surely can help me get my feet under me over there if you asked, right?" She taps her fingers on the table while being mindful of pressing her pregnant stomach against it, she has been sore as of late.

"What is your plan, wait no, what is it that you even offer?" She raises one of her dyed eyebrows and I roll my eyes.

I have no fleet for trading and I have no resources to sell or exchange for others, in that Aegor is right about these lands. They hold no value other than access to the Blackwater and plenty of space, space, and sea access I can use. Aegor is seeing it all wrong, his idea of a sellsword company is not wrong just misguided.

"I will kick off a company for men who have the strength to swing a sword but no purpose. The Free Cities have no armies and because of that they rely on sell swords, I will start the noblest company. A company that never breaks a contract no matter the odds, our word is our bond and we live with it. My goal is to grow to be the biggest and remain the most trustworthy to attract contracts." Aegor will be angered we are not going the direct route of just trying to take what we want but I won't be made a fool of again.

Her other brow joins the first as it rises toward her multi-colored hairline, I smile seeing the surprise in her eyes.

"You kicked Aegor out when he tried to drag you off to go start something like that..." I nod as I stand up and approach the fireplace, Blackfyre hanging over the top of it.

"I will do it on my own time not his, I have a plan and it might just work out for the best if I can pull it off. There is a people in Westeros who fight to live every day and their life is hard ones where only the strong live. They never kneel but they also have a sense of pride and respect for the strong. I have looked into them because of Aerion showing interest and I found he is after their resources and not the men themselves mostly." The lands beyond the wall are full of people who have fought since they can hold a weapon, only held back by the lack of steel and having to rely on stone and bone.

Aegor can pull in disgruntled knights and second sons from Westeros while I try my hand at pulling in some born combatants. There are no restrictions on becoming a 'King beyond the wall' as far as I am aware. I might fully commit and try to gather them all into one mighty host and build a city beyond the wall. But I believe they will make fine men for a company in Essos so long as they don't melt without the snow they are used to.

Aerion is building DragonsRest for a reason, the deals he made to farm the Gift will have a surplus of food in the North. I am sure if I supply him with the resources he wants from beyond the wall he would eagerly give food to keep the people I bring under me well-fed. They do not trade with gold or even metal at all but if I convince enough of them to head to Essos to do contracts they will see the benefit and more will want to go. Essos can pay them in many items that would likely change their entire lives, I see potential in this plan.

It will be hard, and more importantly, it will be freezing but I am willing to suffer the cold if I can build something worth the sacrifice. House Blackfyre needs a solid foundation or anything that it ever does will collapse. House Targaryen has the Iron throne and the soon-to-be strongest castle in the rebuilt Harrenhal. House Blackfyre needs to at least reach the strength of a Lord Paramount.

The wildlings are said to amass hosts of over a hundred thousand, those numbers can rival the Reach. But I will not believe it till I see it, I need to know more, and one of the best places to go learn more is in the North itself.

The Wall.

"I will need permission from my brother before I try anything like what I am planning but my goal only seeks to strengthen the Realm. He can keep his eyes to the south on Dorne and bringing in the people of the sand. I will cast my eyes to the far North and see about bringing the people of the snow together." For all, I know this is a horrible idea but there are not many options that have this much room for growth.

If this fails I can always tuck my tail and ask Aerion if I can join in on his plans, he wants to expand into Essos its clear as day. My spy network is not as good as I would like but the people from Essos constantly visiting Harrenhal is a telling sign. He is not one to settle for something small, look at the castle he picked out for proof.

I think the Khalasar he burned was also him testing the waters, making a strong ally in Pentos. But regardless of his plans for now I have my own, a plan to see my House rise and become something solid. Something more than the lucky break of being favored by a shit king who I called father. I have a sword and that's all well and good but I need something more if I want to become a lasting power in the Realm.

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187 AC

Harrenhal

Aerion Targaryen

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A sealed letter from the Iron bank is not what I was expecting to be delivered when Ser Richard came into my solar. I look over the seal again with a hint of amusement before I pull the letter open to see the contents.

I can't help but shake my head with a hint of annoyance burning away in my chest. In the past they sniffed out just how good I was at making gold, they wanted a part for themselves. Now they are formally asking me to get involved with them or be at odds with them, it is not written in a hostile way but it feels like it.

They want to expand some of my businesses and ideas into Essos and let me be a partner. They want to use my name and my methods without pissing me off is what it is really saying. If I deny them they are likely to agree to not blatantly steal my work but will instead use other people to do it in a roundabout way. I would not be able to trace it back to them and cause them problems if it's someone else doing it with a loan or something from them.

I get that I also stole these ideas from my last life but it still angers me they want to open their own sports stadiums and stuff. I was going to do it when I got a solid foothold in Essos and I think they know that and they want to do it before I can. I intend to open my own bank right here in Harrenhal that will eventually become the biggest bank in Westeros and likely the world if I play my cards right.

I only need to fear a faceless man and I can avoid that as well if I am smart, but it is still annoying to think about those mask-wearing freaks. No one should be able to skin the face of someone and wear it around and also match their voice and height, it's just weird.

I could always just approve of this plan and negotiate a higher cut, I then can use it as a foothold to eventually push off and carve a chunk of Essos for myself. There is more land unclaimed in Essos than claimed if I am being honest. It is such a waste of perfectly good space where in Westeros we fight over every inch with our neighbors.

I need more time to think about this but for now, I need a distraction. The perfect one in the form of a gurgling munchkin just so happens to be waking up from a nap soon as well. Daenerys wants me to watch the both of them while she takes a lunch 'with the girls' and I agreed so I can have some one on one time with my babies.

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187 AC

Harrenhal

Daenerys Targaryen

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I watch as each person at the table sips on wine or some of the brewed drink Aerion has been getting a kick out of recently. A calm silence has built up over the group, no one is uncomfortable but no one wants to speak first. The reason is simple, I told each of them in the 'summons' I had sent that I wanted to talk about an opportunity.

The opportunity that most of them have been circling for even before Daeron said Aerion should spread his seed. I am still annoyed with my older brother for coming out and saying what I had long been thinking. I originally planned to bring Mya and Bellenora into bed with Aerion when I was having trouble keeping up. But Aerion has gotten control of his impulses and can keep himself in control and not blow my back out every night.

But now the topic is coming up once again after the eggs hatched, the chance to have their own kids hatch an egg if they can get pregnant from my husband. We still do not know if it will work, it could require both of us and not just Aerion's seed. But for a few of them, I do not even think it's about the dragons and is instead about their long-standing attraction to Aerion.

"So I wanted to talk to you all about something important." Everyone at the table freezes as if ice formed in their veins.

"What would that be?" Mya asks after clearing her throat and I fight off the smile when I see her playfully smirk.

"My husband and I have big plans for the future of House Targaryen, in that future our House is untouchable. To get there we will need dragons, a lot of dragons, and a lot of people to ride them." I let that sit in for a moment as they confirm my intentions by having them all brought here.

"Cut to the point please, you are selecting candidates to carry babies for Aerion to see if children other than yours can hatch an egg?" Gwenys shakes her head and sets her hands on the table, she is not one to beat around the bush.

"That is the case, but there are some key points to get across and it is also why only we are here and Drogon is being the lookout." I look back at my big boy stretched out and watching around us in the Godswood as we enjoy our drinks and conversation without fear of little ears hearing us. "You all already possess some dragon blood and that will help the chance of this working, that is my bottom line. I won't allow Aerion to run around with just anyone, if the chance is not even a good one of working there is no point. I doubt he would even care anyway, to be honest, he has not even brought it up on his own and this is me being preemptive." I take a sip of my wine and collect all my thoughts before I put down my rules and restrictions.

Bottom line I honestly do not care if Aerion has sex with one of them, I know exactly how much he loves me and I do not doubt those feelings. He cares for me greatly and I have no doubt he will always be there when I want or need him. So if he wants this he can have it, I am just preparing the way if he decides he does want it.

Each of them needs to understand the goal though, at the end of the day we need to leave House Targaryen stronger than when we were born. The new Long night will hit and we will be dead, we can't have the realm broken like it was because I doubt I will be there again with how the 'past' has changed. Lots of things will be different but hopefully better, that is the goal at the end of the day other than enjoying this second chance at life.

I will make sure they all understand exactly what is at stake here, a horrible end to all life and eternal slavery under the night king. Showing them the cave painting back on Dragonstone will be more than enough to prove my point and we already plan to visit there with the babies eventually. I will prepare them now and set the foundation before telling them the true reason why House Targaryen needs to grow, when we go to Dragonstone I will show them the paintings.

I might even take them to the Isle of Faces in the God's eyes, I am sure the Children of the Forest would not mind explaining the end of the world is coming. If I remember correctly they are the cause of it anyway when they made the night king to fight off the First men when they invaded Westeros. But one way or the other they will be brought into the loop and understand what is at stake and that this is serious.

When the new Long night comes this time around they will find a prepared Westeros and we won't have to rely on a little girl sneaking up on the Night King.