148 147
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299 AC
Summer Isles - Ebonhead
Eragon Targaryen
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"He knows nothing or at least was willing to go to his grave saying that was the case. I doubt he was that loyal to a man just for gold though so it is likely he is telling the truth." Ellaria reports after entering the room.
"That is unfortunate, the candle shows nothing to work off as well so it seems we can only speculate. I am still of the mind it was a test of some sort to see our reaction to his name and with the man dying he got his answer. We should warn our spies in the Golden company they may be in danger, this could have been a test to find out how infiltrated they are." Ellaria's eyes widen and she grips her hands into fists.
"If that is the truth then Oberyn is in danger..." Rhaenys has told me quite a bit about her uncle and cares a great deal for him, would be a tragedy for him to come to harm.
"If you want to take your 'daughters' and go find their father and check on the situation then I will give you some ships. The Blackfyres are a priority right next to Robert at this point so we can't have our man on the inside being found out. It would also be a tragedy for my wife's uncle to be slain because we neglected to tell him of the danger. I will check the candle, later on, to see if he is still in Volantis, it is hard to really know but I will have a good idea. I will also give you one of the spare ones to take with you to get back in contact once you find him." She smiles and bows before walking out of my office, likely to go tell the sand snakes.
I should let the others know about the situation as well, they are in a ceremony watching Shaena being 'blessed'. The thing about goddesses of fertility being popular here on the islands is that there are lots of rituals for pregnant women. Shaena heard about them and wanted to try them out, since she started her pregnancy sickness has eased a lot and Danny with Ashara joined in. Danny has not been near as sick as the other two but she started feeling sore and thought it a good enough reason to join in the 'fun'.
Melisandre seems completely unaffected by my child growing inside of her, I don't question things I don't really want answers to. I just send out prayers for my child and hope nothing is wrong with the baby.
I have been spending more time with Melisandre after I told her I don't care much for Kinvara, the woman is, even more, a fanatic than Melisandre used to be. I will send Kinvara back to Volantis with the sand snakes and Ellaria, that way she can help with the situation there.
I was shocked to hear Volantis is taken over by the followers of the Lord of light and the tiger cloaks. Maybe even a bit scared hearing how they are putting me on a pedestal reaching the sky with their praise. It has both made Volantis an asset to me and also a hidden dagger in the dark, the Blackfyres are playing games.
Daemon Blackfyre has taken a Triarch spot for himself with the help of a Tiger Triarch. The third Triarch is said to be a Targaryen but I don't believe the rumors, likely a fake dragon seeking the new glory of our name. The faith of R'hllor starts praising a Targaryen as the promised prince and Targaryens start showing up everywhere. I would almost laugh if it was not a potential problem I will have to nip in the bud early.
I wonder how Viserys took the news of Targaryens in Volantis... I am almost sad to not hear him roar about 'false dragons'.
I am tempted to try and deal with the Blackfyres before sailing for Westeros, that way we can focus all our might on the usurper. With the dragons growing at the rate they are it won't be long till we can fly at least a little bit. Arrax will be first to take me to the sky but the others won't be far behind him.
I feel the need to give them time to grow some more but news from Westeros is getting concerning. The Reach is still neutral and is what is keeping the Stag king from marching down to Dorne. The concern is a betrothal offer was announced publicly by the king himself, if they don't respond it will seem like they are siding with us. I am worried they will jump onto the Stags ship and attack Dorne before I am ready, I will have to sail sooner than I would like if they do.
I stand to leave my office but as I do I spot my candle grow a small white flame and feel panic flood into my body. Running to the shelf I snatch it up worrying if something happened at the ceremony as I grab Brightroar and run out the door. Feeling the connection I stop for a moment for the flame to grow and show what is on the other side.
"Hello?" An unsure voice calls out as I see the face of someone I was not expecting.
"Hello Aemma, it's nice to see you." I calm down significantly knowing something horrible is not the reason for the candle lighting up.
Her eyes widen and I chuckle as she looks around the room she is in with confusion, guess I can still walk to the ceremony since Rhaenyra will want to see this.
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299 AC
Dorne - Sunspear
Viserys Targaryen
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"Your Grace, will you take food in your room once more?" A voice echo's in the room from the door as I lay in bed under the covers.
"Yes." I groan and hear the door click shut as I close my eyes once more.
I have been feeling under the weather ever since mother left, news of my brother crowing himself a King with his six Queens has had my stomach feeling even worse. I used to be so worried about lifting our dying dynasty from the ashes and carrying it back into the light. Now I feel like I don't need to even leave my bed and it will raise to heights it has never seen.
Why?
I was supposed to lead men in a bloody war and take back the throne for my house, which is now gone. I will never lead men, not the men who are 'sworn' to me, and hide their true faces behind masks. My Kingsguard took the news almost like a slap to the face, the real Targaryen king is across the sea. I know they want to go to him but swore to me instead, at least most of them do.
Daemon Sand only joined my Kingsguard from old feelings toward my 'Queen'.
The very Queen who is pregnant with my own brother's baby, a scheme that has collapsed on itself. I feared my heir would look weak without a dragon so I planned out my wife jumping into my brother's bed. I didn't even have to enact the plan and she went ahead and did it without my schemes, I almost felt something until I realized I hate the bitch anyway. Do they really think I would not figure it out when I have never even fathered a bastard? I know how to make sure a woman does not get my seed to take, a trick I learned a long time ago.
My Queen only by necessity and not by my own desires, I almost pity Daemon Sand since he held true feelings for her. Eragon did what he does to all women and she is lost to other men as far as I can see. My Nephew growing bigger every day and will be named my Trueborn son and heir upon his birth.
Will I be killed when he takes his first breath?
I won't even be needed for this alliance at that point and they can even marry 'my' heir to one of my brother's new kids and press his claim. His dragons give him the better claim regardless and the only reason he has not pushed it is that he loves me.
My brother the only person I know for a fact cares for me, even after all the damage I have done I know he still does. I can't help but feel some regret at the way I have neglected what could have been of our relationship. He could have made me king with his own hands and his sharp mind, I could have had him as my hand.
Now I only see a knife in the dark or poison in my cup as my end.
But I take comfort in knowing it won't be from the man with the most to gain from my death, that much I know for a fact. My brother who I watched grow up to be a real dragon and will build upon the corpse of the old.
I just wanted to make everyone proud to show what I could accomplish, to be remembered.
Now I know how I will be remembered if I am even remembered at all, as a madman who had the honor of being the brother of the true dragon.
I sigh into the near-empty room and jolt up when I hear the door thrown open.
"Again? You are still going to waste away in your room?" Hello wife, it is nice to see you as well.
"What do you want?" My voice comes out hoarse so I reach for the cup beside the bed.
"I want you to get up and be seen walking around, I want you to not eat in your room like a sulking child." I feel like a sulking child.
"No." I grit my teeth after finishing off the cup of wine and lay the empty cup on the bed beside me, too weak to stretch back over and place it out of the way.
"Viserys, this has gone on too long and you need to get over it. Your brother is doing things to get results, what can you even say you have done? If you want results you need to start acting like it." She turns on her heels and walks out of the room with a huff leaving me to my silence.
If I want results I need to act like it?
I have been acting for a long time, maybe for so long I got carried away and forgot it was an act, to begin with. My act became my shield against my fear of failure and even a weapon to use against people who did not deserve it.
She is right though, I will get nothing done in here.
But what can I do anyway? Slay Robert myself and sit on the throne after a glorious battle?
I wouldn't even get passed his Kingsguard even though they don't match my own. I am not bad with the sword but I am not the best, I would only make it to the top five in a real tourney. I would need to start taking my training more seriously if I want to be able to do anything of worth.
I slide to the edge of the bed and put my feet onto the cold sandstone floor, stretch my toes and stand on my feet with my hands over my head.
"Fuck it." I grunt and head for the door.
I am going to die soon anyway and will never live to see my house recover its lands. I might as well die in a way that they can sing a song or two about in the shadow of my brother. It's better than going out to some cowardly means that would end me.
"Ser Arthur, after dinner meet me in the yard I want to start my training back up in full. Every day from now on, I want to learn as much as I can as fast as I can." Let's see if I can claim a stags head for myself before I go down.
