Chapter 12

Chapter 12

OTTO HIGHTOWER

Otto Hightower had thought that with the departure of Daemon Targaryen, he would have an easier time managing the King's Council, for he had thought the man to be the biggest source of his problems.

Yet how wrong had he been?

The King's announcement to allow Prince Aenys to establish his college had surprised him. The institution, if successful, could unravel the monopoly of the Citadel and House Hightower as the sole place of learning and progress. His elder brother had been wroth with the King's decision and had wanted him to influence the King to make him reverse the decision, yet the king had been adamant and had refused to budge.

"Is everything fine?" he spoke as the acolyte continued examining the rot on the King's finger while frowning. Grand Maester Mellos looked up at him and minutely shook his head.

"The wound refuses to heal. I have never seen anything like this, Grand Maester," commended the acolyte in a perplexed tone, and Otto saw the King glance at Mellos as well.

"It is quite intriguing indeed. I will have to scour the texts to see if I can find something like this, but before then, we must do what we can. Mayhaps, maggots would help control the rot," he said, and the acolyte nodded and went to the side to the required maggots.

"You see, Otto, it seems Aenys was right. I reckon he would have an idea about this," the King commented, and Otto could only nod.

"Indeed, if the Prince were here, he might have given his own input, but Alas! Has he written about when we could expect him to return from Essos," the King just shrugged as the acolyte returned with a pad of swarming maggots.

"He hasn't written yet, but his plan was to return in a month or so. Perhaps if I were to write to him, he could come back earlier and even bring Aunt Maegella along," the King mused, and Otto shook his head.

"I am afraid I would have to advise against mentioning your illness to anyone, your grace. In these trying times, such news could be extremely dangerous," and it would truly b dangerous.

The King had just spurned Daemon and named his eldest daughter as the heir. However, it was some solace that the Queen was alive and on the road to recovery.

However, if the murmurs he had been hearing were true, things were far graver than many thought.

"Dangerous? How?" asked the King, and Otto gulped before replying in an even tone.

"Your grace, you have just named your daughter as the heir, and we still have Prince Daemon in control of Dragonstone. Add to that the Pirates in the Stepstones. We can not give our enemies any chance," and Viserys nodded.

"Perhaps, it would be prudent to wait. I think I should write to Aunt Maegella and invite her formally. The Queen would like that," the King mused, and while Otto wanted to stop that, there was no way of doing so, and he could not afford another mistake after the debacle with the Valyrian steel sword.

"Your grave; I believe that a party from Vales is coming to Kings Landing," the King nodded, and Otto saw the King's face tighten slightly at the mention of the Vale.

"Indeed, Lady Jeyne Arryn is visiting her cousin, the Queen," the King spoke up, not mentioning the most important part.

"Your grace, according to the letters, she will also be joined by Lord Gunthor Royce and her daughter Lady Rhea Royce on this trip. I believe this trip has more than one purpose," he began and saw the King's face contort slightly. Everyone could guess what they would speak of upon reaching King's Landing.

The marriage between Rhea Royce and Daemon Targaryen was considered to be a joke in the realm. Daemon could barely stand the sight of his wife, who refused to worship him like every other wench of the realm, and the prideful Targaryen couldn't stand this.

He saw the King sigh, before he began once more.

"I had guessed the same. And perhaps this could prove to be an opportunity. Maybe I should write to Daemon, summon him back, and settle this once and for all."

And Otto immediately shook his head at that.

"I am afraid I would have to advise against that. Prince Daemon has spurned your directives and has taken control of Dragonstone in defiance. Engaging him in any way wouldn't look well for the crown."

He spoke slowly, choosing his words cautiously as he watched the Kings face for any reaction.

"Then what am I to do?" asked Viserys taking of his hand from the maggots as the acolyte began to cleanse it up.

"I would advise you to have them present their demands in a private audience, and perhaps a middle ground could be reached."

The King frowned at that.

"Middle ground? What middle ground can be achieved when Daemon even refuses to acknowledge Lady Rhea as his wife," the King asked, and it was then that Otto decided to make his move.

"Indeed. But the Vale needs the royal match because it is Lady Jeyne who is set to inherit the lordship of the House of Arryn as Lady Rhea is to inherit Runestone. Due to this, they are facing the prospect of rebellion in their lands. Even now, Lord Gunthor has put down a rebellion caused by one of Lady Jeyne's cousins."

The King nodded at that, understanding their troubles.

"So, if I were to offer them the Crown's support in such matters, then they would be agreeable over it," and Otto shook his head. Ending a royal marriage was an insult. And there was little chance that Lord Gunthor would accept that. Unless there was another offer.

"I am afraid that would not be enough. Though, I believe a separate royal match could help soothe things between the crown and the Vale."

"The promise of another royal match. Though from what I remember, there is no male near Rhaenyra's age in Vale," the King added with a frown, and Otto shook his head.

"Not the Princess, your grace. But perhaps a match between Lady Jeyne and Prince Aenys."

Though Otto did not mention how there were some rather scandalous rumors regarding Lay Jeyne's preference or how such a match would have Prince Aenys leave the capital and incapable of influencing the King anymore, and miles away from his own daughter, who had become rather close to the man himself.

"Aenys and Lady Jenyne! He would never agree. Plus, I can not force him into marriage," the King refused to entertain the idea. Otto wanted to puh further yet stopped, planning to bring it up later at some other time when the King would be more perceptible.

"Perhaps we can explore some other avenues later, your grave."

And the King nodded at that. Otto also wanted to question the king regarding the situation of the Queen but thought it prudent not to push the matter at that time. Though even now, his mind was racing as he tried to think up the implications behind the rumors. For if the Queen were incapable of having any more children, it would cause much mayhem. Much mayhem.

0000

THE SEALORD OF BRAVOS- Armando Ferosa

Armando Ferosa thought about the man he was about to meet as he walked up the stairs of his palace to reach the formal chambers. He had been the Sealord for over a decade, and getting to such a position had involved much politicking, backdoor dealings, intrigue, and even treachery. Yet years ago, when it had only been a couple of years since his ascent to the title, Bravos had faced a huge conundrum.

He reached the door of the chambers, which were opened by the servants to reveal the man that had been the source of all that conundrum. Prince Aenys, the young Prince, barely man grown, had been exiled by the Old King, and on his way to Essos, the young kid had decided to defy his grandsire twice over by claiming a dragon. A young dragon yet still a dangerous creature.

The Sealord smiled as he saw the young man get up from his seat and motioned for him to sit back before he began.

"Ahhh, it is good to see you, Aenys," he greeted the Prince, and the Prince responded warmly to his greetings as they exchanged pleasantries. They had met enough times that formalities could be ignored is such a private setting.

The huge argument had been whether to grant the Prince a place in Bravos or not, for though exiled, he was a prince and more so a dragon rider. And they had not forgotten their histories. Dragons were not a welcoming site to them. Yet, in the end, they had decided to give him a chance, and he had invited the young man to his palace to ask about his intentions.

And hadn't that been a surprise? The young prince lacked the usual pomp and entitlement that came with being a hereditary gentry and was an exceptionally bright man. A bright man who had a clear passion, and if his years of experience were anything to go by, the man in front of him could be a visionary.

So, he returned to his associates and told them of his assessment, and in the end, they decided to support the Prince. And as both of them conversed over the genial topics, he felt proud of being the instigating force behind that decision.

In less than a decade, the Prince had put Bravos decades ahead of the rest of the world in the field of medicine and health and other associated sciences. Bravos had benefitted greatly with increased revenue from trade and associated industry, which the Prince had set the basis for, and that was all about to be shadowed by the college he had built.

"Ahh, well, I must say I was quite shocked when I heard that you planned to build another one of your college in Kings Landing?" began Armando, and he saw the Prince grimace a bit. And hadn't that been a surprise and a huge potential loss? A loss that he needed to assess.

"Indeed. Though, I must say the proposal took me by surprise as well. But that college will take years to build, and the one in Bravos is already near completion. Though, I did want to discuss this with you as well," and he saw the Prince take out a piece of parchment and handed it to him.

Armando opened, and it saw it to be a set of guidelines and oaths for the Red Cross. And he frowned at that name though he continued to sift through the page.

"These are the initially proposed terms for the college and the associated healers I have drafted, with the opening set to occur any time. I thought it prudent to get this approved."

And he nodded, already seeing a number of terms that seemed rather troublesome.

"That is good. And I see a number of terms that would need to be looked at. Such as this one speaking of neutrality in all kinds of war and the consequences of breaking this. As well as those regarding privacy and immunity from testifying in court and this other one about the special trial procedures," he began as he looked at the Prince, who nodded.

"We can discuss them and reach an agreement on that. Though I still need to discuss discovering, researching, and later manufacturing new medicines with you. I believe we could tackle that earlier," and He nodded. That was the easier discussion to have. However, there was a question regarding that too.

"Do you plan to do that in Kings Landing as well," if so, that would be extremely damaging to them and their investment? Though they had already profited greatly, this was still the proverbial cash cow in this operation.

"Not yet," the prince shook his head, much to his relief, but that did not mean that all was well.

"Though, I would like to register that as a personal business. We could hash out an agreement with the college, but I would like this to be my domain," Armando sighed as he leaned back on the Myrish cushion and thought about those words.

"How about collective ownership with the Iron Bank? We could give you favorable terms in cases of loans and trade because we both know this to be an expensive andeavor. After all, there is a reason that we haven't made such great breakthroughs in years. It would go a long way in persuading everyone about this," and he saw the Valyrian Prince think about his words.

Those purple eyes and silvery hair with that comely face, yet the man remained unbound. He regretted his failure in tying the Prince to his own family, and he wasn't the only one who had tried. He personally knew of several key holders who had failed in similar endeavors.

Though, if the rumors were true, the Prince had seemed even immune to the charms of the Poetess herself. Many would call him a sword swallower or cold-hearted, though he had later learned that he had already given away his heart to someone years ago. A pity, for they could have had him settle here if they had succeeded. Though there were talks with the Velaryons for his son's hand, he beat the thoughts out of his head as the Prince shook his head.

0000

AENYS TARGARYEN

The negotiations came to a close, with both of us satisfied as both of us finished dealing with the more official business. Now both of us had moved towards the gardens for a light meal. And then Armando began speaking once more.

"So, tell me, have you planned for the inauguration ceremony?" Aenys nodded. The opening of his college was an event and needed an appropriate inauguration ceremony.

"Yes, I have. The preparations will begin soon, and I plan to use this to promote my discovery as well," he commented. And Armando seemed a bit intrigued.

"A new discovery. I would hope it isn't a new disease because that wouldn't be appropriate for such a joyous occasion," the man japed, and Aenys shook his head. He rummaged through his bag and took out a glass vial. A glass vial with a very special powder.

The First Sword, Syrian, seemed a bit queasy and was about to intervene, but Armando stopped him, eyeing the vial with a glint in his eyes.

"Is that what I think it is?" questioned the man, and Aenys was impressed that he remembered his ramblings. But the man hadn't become the Sea Lord for nothing. And he nodded.

"Indeed. After all this time, I have finally succeeded in purifying it. The process still needs to be refined, but this is penicillin. An antibiotic, and it's going to change the world." Aenys said with a smile, a bit giddy for having finally succeeded. This success was a huge step for him. The Hospital and college he had built were a legacy of philanthropy.

However, Aenys wasn't an idiot. He knew how important money was. That was why he had decided to keep the manufacturing separate entity. An entity in the form of a company he owned. Something which would give his perspective line wealth and influence for centuries.

"This calls for a celebration! If this penicillin is as miraculous as you say, your name will be remembered for ages!" said the Sea Lord with a boisterous laugh, and while a bit selfish, Aenys liked that.

"Though I wonder how did you come up with the name. It seems a bit weird!" the man asked him, and Aenys just shrugged.

"You could say it came to me in a dream!"

0000

Aenys is a good person, but that doesn't mean he is an idiot. He wants to leave a legacy for his line independent of the Iron Throne. Pharmaceuticals are the biggest industry apart from war; he will have a complete monopoly over it.

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